Part VIII - Reactions

Sam used Mac's knife and quickly went to work on the panel to open the main door. She knew she had to hurry. They had no idea when someone would be back to check on them. Even with that knowledge she was having a hard time concentrating. Despite what Daniel had said she had been sure that the tall man was the Colonel, at least she was sure until the 'Chocolate Incident'. Now she wasn't sure. 'He looked just like the Colonel.' Could another person look so much like the Colonel and not be him? Of course the Colonel had asked once if he had a 'Copy here' sign on him somewhere. 'Maybe he did because there was no way the man she knew could have come-up with a solution like that, could he?'

* * * * *

Mac was sitting in one corner looking around the room. He was trying to see if there was anything that could help him figure a way out of this. Actually, he really wanted to work on the front panel, but Carter seemed to think that she could handle it. 'After all she is the brain in the group'. He chuckled lightly to himself.

"O'Neill." Teal'c said as he walked up to Mac.

"Buddy, have a seat." He said. He had missed his friend.

"I am glad to see that you are well after all of these months." He paused still standing. "That was an impressive feat."

"Thanks!" He grinned.

"I am glad you have finally decided not to hide your intelligence and skills from the Tauri." He said as he bowed his head and walked away.

Mac just stared at him with an open mouth. 'Well I'll be . . . He knew!"

"Shut your mouth MacGyver or you'll start catching flies." Mac looked up to see Adam, who continued saying, "or whatever they have up here." He sat down next to MacGyver.

"I have to ask you a question. How did you manage to hold on to your swiss army-knife?" Adam asked. After all, the Jaffa had relieved him of all of his weaponry including his beloved Ivanhoe.

"I think it was to small to be considered a threat. They seem to have taken everyone's weapons, but left us with some of our belongings." Mac guessed.

Seeing the logic of the statement he said, "Like your knife or the Doctor's chocolate?" 'Maybe I'll have to start carrying one of those pocket knives.'

"Like Janet's chocolate." Mac smiled for a moment then glanced over towards Daniel and stopped smiling.

Adam noticed and asked, "What's going on between you two?"

"It's not important. He'll never forgive me." He said somberly.

"And the others? The Doctor? The Major? They seemed surprised to see you." Adam asked again.

"Janet will understand, but I'll probably have a hard time with Carter." He said sighing. "Danny will never forgive me."

"Daniel's got a big heart. You never know." He said standing up walking away.

Mac began to try again to come-up with a way out of this room.

* * * * *

Janet and Nick were sitting with Robert, who had fallen asleep. She wanted to keep a close eye on him. His condition was getting worse.

"Dr. Fraiser, are you OK?" Nick asked with more than a hint of concern in his voice.

"I am just worried that we won't be able to get Colonel Makepeace to a hospital in time." Janet said sounding exhausted.

"And?" Nick pressed.

"And? And what?" Janet asked.

"And, what else is bothering you?' Nick continued.

"I am worried about what will happen to Cassie. Cassie is my daughter. I just don't know what will happen to her if we don't get back." She finally admitted.

"We'll get back and you will see her soon." Nick said placing one arm around her shoulders. As he did he noticed that she started to laugh. He withdrew his arm and looked at her. "Well, that isn't usually the reaction I get when I try to comfort someone."

"Oh, its not you," she started to giggle. "I was thinking about Cassie. She is going to be so thrilled. She won the bet." She said shaking her head.

"Bet?" he asked.

"Yes, she always told me that the Colonel that he, well, that there was more to him than meets the eye. She said he was a lot smarter than he lets on. Of course I agreed that he was smart, you don't get to a position like he did by being dumb, but she said it was more than. He was just as intelligent as Sam or Daniel. I didn't believe her. She had the audacity to bet me a year's worth of chores that she was right. I figured there was no way either of us would prove our point so I agreed. She was right! Now, I will be doing all of her chores for a year." She said by now she was trying so hard not to laugh that tears were streaming down her face.

"Uh, I think I am lost here. What secrets could Colonel Makepeace have?" Nick asked feeling more than a bit confused.

"Not Colonel Makepeace, Colonel O'Neill." She said gesturing towards MacGyver.

"Who is Colonel O'Neill?" Nick asked still feeling like he walking in on the middle of a conversation.

"Colonel O'Neill is or rather was the leader of SG-1 which is the Air Force team you see here." Janet tried to explain with out divulging classified information.

Nick felt a light bulb goes off in his head. 'O'Neill, MacGyver, O'Neill, MacGyver - wow' "Are you sure?"

"Yes, there is no mistaking it." Janet said.

"Well that explains somethings, but I have known MacGyver for years and I never would have taken him for the military type. For one thing, he won't touch a gun. How could he be in the military with an attitude like that?" Nick asked.

"The Colonel loves guns. Either I am wrong or there is something very odd going on here." Janet said seriously.

Nick gave her a 'you have GOT to be kidding me look'

Janet smiled, "Well odder than sitting on space ship, a prisoner of a snake-like parasite with a former vampire, having been saved by a chocolate bar."

This time they both started laughing.

"Hey some of us are trying to sleep here. Keep it down! Where do you think you are?" They both looked over to see that Robert had woken-up and was giving them a small smile. Quickly all three were laughing.

Adam walked over and sat next to Daniel. "It looks like they are having fun." He said as he gestured to Nick, Janet, and Robert.

Daniel just shrugged.

"DJ, what is going on with you and MacGyver? I get the impression you don't like him much." Adam asked. Usually he wouldn't interfere but Daniel wasn't usually so belligerent with people. Besides he was still trying to figure out the mystery that was MacGyver.

"I really don't want to talk about it right now Adam." Daniel said quietly.

"DJ?" Adam asked again. "Daniel?"

"Fine. Let's just say he is not who I thought he was and leave it there." Daniel said, putting his head back down on his knees. He didn't want to think about it now. After all, Jack never would have been able to stop the sulfuric acid leak, at least not like MacGyver had. It was just further proof that Jack was a myth.

"DJ, has he lied to you? Has he?" Adam asked.

"Not really, but he didn't trust me with the truth." Daniel replied.

Adam waived him off. "Not really the same thing, I mean do you expect everyone you know to tell you everything about themselves."

"No, of course not, but . . " Daniel dropped off his sentence.

"But?" he asked. When he didn't receive an answer he asked again, "But?"

"But? But, he was my best friend. He should have trusted me. He didn't have to hide himself." Daniel said softly.

"Maybe he had a reason? Have you asked him?" Adam inquired.

Daniel looked at him, then he took a quick look at 'Jack'. Turning back to Adam he softly said "No."

"Maybe it would make a difference." Adam ventured.

"He's just not the man I thought he was." He said more to himself than to Adam.

"Maybe if you talk to him you will find out he is not as different as you think." Adam said patting Daniel on the leg. He slowly got up deciding it was time to let the boy think, besides he wanted to take a look around and see if he could find another way out since the Major was taking her sweet time.

* * * * *

'Adam thought it would make a difference if I talk to him. I suppose I could try.' Besides He had to ask the question that had been on his mind for a while now. He got up and went over to 'Jack'.

He said in whispered tones, "Why would a physicist and a genius like you assume an identity of a man thicker than two short planks?"

Mac looked at him. "I must really be thick because I didn't understand that last statement. 'thicker than two short planks?' What does that mean Daniel?" He replied in his best sarcastic Jack tone and rolled his eyes at Daniel.

"Never mind *Jack* it is just something June said about you once." Daniel stated barely containing his anger at 'Jack'.

"June? Little Junie? From the Infirmary? I always liked her. Well, she is scratched from my Christmas list. Yeap, no warm socks for her this year. Just coal!" Jack said pretending to cross a name off of an imaginary list.

Daniel couldn't help but chuckle as he felt some of his anger leave. Maybe, just maybe, Jack wasn't as make believe as he previously thought.

* * * * *

"Got it!" Carter called out as she managed to open the door.

It was decided that the first priority was to get Robert the medical attention he needed, for that that they needed to head to the ring room. The next priority would be to locate Lt. Alexander. It was hoped that he had returned to earth to get reinforcements. So again, they needed to get to the ring room.

Mac took point. Daniel and Janet were supporting Robert and were flanked by Nick and Adam. Sam and Teal'c took up the rear as they made their way.

They were close to the room. They had not encountered any Jaffa yet and everyone was worried they didn't have any weapons and it had been too easy. As they rounded the corner of the last hallway there was a dozen Jaffa.

"Oh for crying out loud!" Mac muttered as Sam mentally placed another mark under her column 'The Colonel'.

Adam absently reached for his sword, which unfortunately was still missing. He chuckled to himself, 'what, did I think the sword fairy would have returned it?'

"Well," Robert said, "only twelve of them. Let's make the odds more even. I think I will sit this one out." Adam snorted and Sam giggled lightly. Daniel just rolled his eye and gave him a 'I am sorry you are losing your mind look.'

"Well Colonel, I think I will join you!" Janet said as she and Daniel pulled him to the side of the hallway.

Nick, Adam, Teal'c, and Carter began to fight the Jaffa barehanded. Carter had quickly realized that the Jaffa weren't using their staff weapon. 'Alex must have sabotaged them. Good for the kid!'

Meanwhile, Mac had quickly assessed the situation. He didn't like their chances. He had raced over to a wall panel and pried it open. There he studied the contents of wires, circuitry, hoses, and pipes for a moment finally settling on a hose. He pulled it out and suddenly the hall was covered in smoke. With the distraction, the fighters in this group were able to take down a few Jaffa and enter the ring room. The others were able to sneak by the Jaffa to get there.

As she entered the ring room, Carter thought to herself 'Pressurized steam as a smoke screen. Good idea!' Then she mentally added another mark to the column labeled 'Not the Colonel." She then realized it was also a brilliant strategic move worthy of the Colonel, so both columns ending up getting a mark.

As soon as they were all in the ring room they barred the door and quickly transported to the surface.

* * * * *

As soon as they arrived in back in the temple, they immediately saw two of Makepeace's men.

Carter quickly asked, "Has Lt. Alexander returned?"

"No Ma'am." One of the soldiers replied.

"Lieutenant, give me a hand with Colonel Makepeace we have to make arrangements to get him to a medical facility." Janet said.

"Don't be so bossy with my men Doc." He said with a grin trying to assure everyone that he would be all right.

"I wouldn't argue with her Colonel, she looks like she means business." Adam told him with a hint of amusement.

"Oh, I do Dr. Pierson. He is at my mercy now." Janet replied. She began looking for something in the bag of supplies the sergeant had brought her, finally pulling out a syringe.

"Thanks, you bloody Brit. Sometime you are going to get it and I want to be there to watch." Robert said. It was obvious from his tone that it was a friendly threat and that the pain was starting to get to him.

"Actually, Colonel," He said in a soft whispering tone, closing in on Robert. "I think it is you who is going to get it in the end."

"Really, you going to do it?" Robert asked.

"No, I will." Janet replied sticking him with the syringe.

"Told you, you would get it in the end." Adam laughed.

Robert grinned and fell asleep.

On the other side of the room, the others were discussing their next move. Teal'c had already moved to go collect additional weapons. By the time he returned Adam had joined the group while Janet was with Robert.

Teal'c began passing out weapons. As he began to pass one to Nick, Carter stopped him. "Te..Murray, I am not going to allow Drs. Foster or Pierson to come with us. It is too dangerous."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. Daniel was more vocal, "Sam, I think we need all of the help we can get. Besides, they both handled themselves well before."

As Carter considered this for a moment, Adam looked at Daniel and asked "Sam? How do you know Major Carter?"

Daniel started, "well, we have..."

He was cut-off by Nick who responded, "we know - mutual friends?" Daniel nodded and the three chuckled for a moment.

Sam glanced over at Mac who nodded his assent. A gesture that both Adam and Teal'c saw.

"Fine, but you gentleman have to follow my rules." Sam said as Teal'c began to distribute the weapons again.

The group quickly came-up with a plan and it was agreed that they would return immediately since they needed to find Lt. Alexander. Mac had muttered something about, 'not leaving anyone behind,' a statement which earned him another mark in Carter's "Colonel" column.

As they prepared to leave Teal'c pulled Adam aside. "I thought you may need this." He said as he pulled out a sword and handed it to Adam.

"Thank you." Adam studied the man for a moment and continued, "You know what I am." It was a statement not a question. Teal'c nodded his head. Adam continued, "and your name isn't Murray."

Teal'c held himself proud and said, "I am Teal'c." He nodded his head.

Feeling the significance of the statement and the trust Teal'c had just shown him, Adam responded, "and I am Methos." He nodded in the same manner as Teal'c.

"Hey old man, better get over here or we will leave without you." Nick called to Adam. Within a matter of minutes, Nick, Methos, Carter, MacGyver, Daniel, and Teal'c were on their way back to Neferteri's ship to rescue Lt. Alexander.

"Wait!" Mac yelled as the transport began.

Sam said, "What?"

"We can't go yet. I have to get something." He said as he ran off. When he returned he got back in the ring, and he said, "I am ready now."

"What was so important?" Daniel asked.

"Duct Tape. I had to get my Duct Tape." Mac replied.

"Duct Tape?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Major, even NASA makes sure they have a roll on every mission." Mac replied.

"Really?" She rolled her eyes and began the transportation process.

As the transport began Mac said with a huge grin, "yeap, don't leave home without it. I don't."

* * * * *

I am very sorry that it took me more than a week to post this chapter and that it is so short, but I have been sick. I hope that the chapter is still OK. Please let me know.

I want to thank everyone who has added me to their favorite authors list. I also want to thank everyone who has taken the time to write a review or send me a note. I really appreciate it.

Teri (Garnet_TM@yahoo.com) 6/3/02

P.S. If anyone would like an e-mail when I update, please let me know.