Loose Ends

As they reached the bottom of the hill, Jack felt Sam begin to stir in his arms. She moaned softly as she was jostled while he walked over the uneven terrain. Daniel and the boys glanced back at Jack, worry evident in their eyes.

"She's OK," Jack reassured the trio. "She's just waking up a bit." He looked down at Sam and talked softly to her. "Take it easy Carter. We're almost back to the cottage. You're going to be feeling better in no time." He certainly hoped this last statement would prove to be true!

Josef raced ahead and opened the door to the cottage, lighting that lamps that were situated around the living area. Jack came in shortly and deposited Sam gently on the couch, turning her slightly sideways so that he could check the wound on the back of her head. It had stopped bleeding, for that he was very grateful. She was going to have a large goose egg on the back of her head but hopefully, no concussion. Time would tell.

"O'Neill, where do you wish me to put Baryon?" Teal'c inquired. The man he had carried down the hill was still unconscious, knocked out from the blast of a Zat gun.

"Prop him up in the corner T. Josef, I need you to run and get your father. We need to fill him in on what's going on. Bring your mom too if you can. Maybe she's got some medicine we can use on Major Carter's cuts."

Josef ran out the door to do as he was bid. Teal'c placed Baryon in the corner of the living room, propping him up against the wall. He leaned back from the man and gazed at the amulet that was around his neck. Teal'c cocked his head to the side as he scrutinized this jewel. He got a strange sensation in the pit of his stomach, much like when he was near a Goa'uld, only not nearly as strong. The amulet looked slightly familiar to him as well.

"Teal'c," Jack drew him away from his musings. "Can you go to the wagon and get that container Carter used to bring the ice cream? She had some special cooling packets that keep cold for a long time. I need something for the bump on the back of her head."

"Certainly O'Neill," Teal'c responded. "Daniel Jackson, please keep watch over Baryon while I am away." He inclined his head and left the others looking after Major Carter and Baryon.

Jack leaned over Sam and placed his hand on her cheek, patting it slightly. "Come on Carter, wake up. We need to check you out here."

Sam turned her head away from the pressure against her cheek. She just wanted to sleep. "Uh – Uh Carter, you can sleep later... Sam! Wake up!" Jack's voice grew a bit in volume. He knew he couldn't let her sleep too long if she had a concussion.

Her eyes fluttered open and she gazed at Jack in confusion. Why was he kneeling in front of her? "Colonel?" she asked groggily.

"Yeah, it's me Carter. You've got a nasty bump on the back of your head. Knocked you out for a while. Do you remember anything?"

Sam looked around the room, trying to recall what exactly had happened to her. She spotted Kellan hovering near the end of the couch, fear evident on his face. Why was he here this late, she wondered? Sam continued her perusal of the room. Her gaze rested briefly on Daniel, who gave her a slight smile, then she saw the man on the floor near Daniel's feet. Baryon? Baryon! Images of her captivity with him up on the hill came quickly to her mind.

Sam sat up abruptly, the room spinning as she did so. "Josef! Where's Josef, Colonel?" Her voice reflected the panic she felt at not finding the older boy in the room with them.

"Easy Carter. Josef is fine. I sent him home to get his parents. He'll be right back." Jack eased her back against the cushions as she took in this information. Sam closed her eyes in relief and trying to quiet her beating heart.

Just then, Teal'c entered the room carrying a small metal container, quickly followed by Josef and his parents.

"Is Major Sam awake yet?" the boy asked hopefully. He had gone home and back as fast as he could; only telling his parents that Major Sam had been hurt.

"Josef, are you OK?" came the weakened voice of Sam.

Josef rushed over and knelt in front of her. "I am fine Major Sam. I tried to stop him before he hit you. I'm so sorry!"

Sam put her hand up and touched his cheek. "Josef, don't be sorry. It's not your fault that Baryon hit me. You did great; you helped buy us some time so Colonel O'Neill and the others could get to us. How did they find us anyway?" she inquired. She was a little puzzled about the events of her rescue.

"Kellan and I were up near the cave when Baryon came by with you. We hid in the bushes until he passed. Then Kellan ran back here to get help while I followed you up to the top." Josef filled in for her.

Sam reached her hand out to Kellan, who still stood at the end of the couch. "Come here Kellan." The boy flew at her with a sob, falling into her arms and holding her tightly. Sam winced at the sudden movement but held up her hand as Jack came to remove him. She needed to reassure Kellan that she was going to be all right.

"Will someone please tell me what has happened to Major Carter and why Baryon is tied up in the corner of the room?" Treyem asked the group. It was obvious that she had been hurt by Baryon, but he wished to know the specifics.

Daniel drew Treyem to the other side of the room and explained the situation to the village leader. Treyem would occasionally look at Sam or Baryon as Daniel filled him in. He looked with pride at his son when Daniel told him about Josef's part in the rescue. Treyem frowned when Baryon began to stir. He was not sure what they were going to do about this man, but he would have to be dealt with.

Meanwhile, Jack had taken an ice pack out of the cooler and put it on the back of Sam's head. Maresa took some salve out of her pouch and began to minister to the cuts on Sam's neck and face. When she had finished, Jack helped his 2IC sit up on the couch. She was quickly surrounded on either side by Kellan and Josef.

They all looked toward Baryon as he moaned, then opened his eyes. He looked around the room with confusion. How had he gotten back here in the guest cottage? He saw the frown on Treyem's face and felt the anger emanating from the men who worked with Major Carter. Major Carter...there she was, on the couch with those boys. She who was the source of all his trouble!

Baryon glared at her, oblivious to the men who closed ranks on him. "How is it that you are still protected after all you have done to me?" he snarled at her. He looked at his amulet and began to plan once again, not realizing how fruitless those plans were. He would never get another chance to be near Major Carter again, not if anyone else in the room could help it.

Sam didn't respond to Baryon. She would not react to his anger and hatred of her. As he struggled to free his hands so he could once again hold the amulet, Sam frowned in thoughtfulness. She wondered....

"Baryon, where did you get that amulet?"

Baryon stopped his movements and looked at Sam with defiance. "This is mine; you can not take it away. I found it by my home, after my children were taken. It is all I have to remember them by. To remind me that you didn't bring them back."

"For crying out loud! You've been told time and again that Carter couldn't have brought them back if she wanted to. They were already gone!" Jack was getting frustrated with this conversation. He just wanted to decide what to do with Baryon and get him out of the cottage.

"Sir," Sam looked at Jack, "I think that amulet might have something to do with his behavior toward me. I get a funny feeling when I'm close to it. It looks awfully very familiar as well."

"I, too, have felt something about the jewel's presence O'Neill." Teal'c added.

"Daniel?" Jack inquired. Maybe the archeologist knew something about the amulet.

"I don't get any specific feeling from it Jack, but then, I don't have the sense for things like Sam and Teal'c sometimes do. It does look vaguely familiar though." Daniel stepped closer to Baryon to take a look.

Baryon shrank back from Daniel, trying to move away from him. All he accomplished from his movements was backing himself into Teal'c. Daniel reached out and touched the amulet, which gave off a vibrant glow as his fingers made contact. Daniel pulled his hand back quickly.

"My God! It gives off heat as well as light! I think I know where I've seen that before, or at least one like it. Nehrti was wearing once similar to it when we last met up with her!"

The four members of SG-1 looked at each other. That could explain the disappearance of the villagers and the desire by the Goa'uld responsible to take the children.

"She's probably engaging in her experiments again," Sam offered quietly. "Daniel, take the amulet off of Baryon, but be sure not to touch it."

"Are you sure about this Carter? Nehrti has been known to make things that blow up, ya know." Jack was a bit wary of this turn in events. Nehrti was by far one of his least favorite Goa'uld. Not that he had a favorite, mind you!

"I'm sure, Sir. She wouldn't have left it in the dirt on that planet if it had special powers. I'm guessing that it fell off while she was there. Hathor had similar jewels as well; I think it will be fine."

"You think?"

"I'm sure Sir!"

"Ok then," he sighed. "Josef, Kellan, I need you to move over by the door with your parents, just in case." And he looked over at Sam with a slight frown. "Go ahead Daniel," Jack instructed with a nod of his head.

Daniel reached out and grabbed hold of the chain that held the amulet around Baryon's neck. Teal'c stepped closer, ready to intervene should the amulet do something unexpected. Both men ignored Baryon's protests as Daniel slipped the amulet over his head. Once the amulet was no longer in contact with Baryon, the man who had caused all this trouble let out a loud moan and slipped all the way down to the floor, unconscious once again.

A/N: One more chapter to go! Please review if you get the chance!