Title: Empty Circles
Rating: R (Violence)
Feedback:
Spoilers: Emancipation, Abyss
You need to have read 'Full Circle', 'Circles of the Mind' and 'Splitting the Circle.'
Summary: Jack and Debbie are home and safe, but Sam is suffering for the sacrifice she made to save them.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Details: Jack/Other, Sam/Other UST, Sam/Jack UST, Angst, Drama, Future Season. MCKAY WARNING: He really is nice in this one - so once again, if you hate him, don't read it.
Author Notes: Yep, Colonel Makepeace shouldn't be in this story…but I kind of forgot the events of 'Shades of Grey'. Oops.
WARNING: Contains mild scenes of torture. I've not been too graphic, but I'll warn you anyway. Also contains McKay.
Archive: Gateworld,
Empty Circles
Copyright © Ruth, 2004
"Take them to the gate," Ba'al commanded, "Ensure that they make it through - I do not wish to see them again."
The jaffa left, leaving Sam alone with Ba'al.
"I knew you would come to your senses," he smiled, grabbing hold of her wrist and twisting it painfully, pulling her towards him. "Now, to begin your duties as Lo'tar you must first be…properly attired."
His eyes looked down her body, and he smirked at the military uniform, before easing his gaze back up in a long caress.
Sam felt herself shudder, and bit her lip against the pain in her wrist. He still showed no signs of letting go.
As if reading her thoughts, he relinquished his hold of her wrist, enjoying the hiss of pain she failed to conceal from him.
"You will find clothing in the next room. I expect you back here very shortly. Please do not disobey my first order. I believe you would come to…regret it."
Sam gritted her teeth, visions of the blue creation she'd had to wear for the Shava'dai flashing through her head. Still - this whole situation had been her fault, hadn't it? She was paying the price for her mistake, and she deserved everything she got.
Makepeace and his team trudged along, unaware that Jack and Debbie were being escorted back through the gate just a few miles away from them. McKay was dangerously close to being throttled by the other members of SG-3, but continued on, unaware of Edelson grinding his teeth.
He was doing this purely to get her back -his research couldn't continue without a lab partner. There was nothing more to it than that.
Liar, he told himself. You're scared for her, and you know it.
But did his feelings end there? He wasn't certain. They had both admitted their initial attraction to one another, and he'd always been one for flirting, but in the years that he'd come to know her he had found the time to respect her. She'd worked so hard for everything she had, and there were still people in the SGC who worked against her.
Dammit, he was thinking too much again.
The only reason he was doing this was to get her back - back in their lab, so he could carry on working. Work was simple to him. Facts and figures were so much easier to deal with than people - and his own feelings. Being shut up in a science lab kept him from making emotional attachments, stopped him from becoming like the guys he'd gone to college with - but above all else, it made him lonely.
Never bothered you before, McKay, he snapped, why start now?
But now was different. Makepeace's words from earlier had stung him.
"She's got more brains than to go out with you!"
Stupid dumb-ass marine. Like he could find his own butt in the dark with a torch and a map. He didn't know what he was talking about. But part of McKay knew he was right - what chance did a guy like him have with a woman like her? Even now that O'Neill was out of the picture, his chances weren't looking good.
Not that he felt that way for her, anyway. Of course not.
He was only going to get her back home, to carry on his work.
Liar.
To begin with, her work as a Lo'tar was nothing more than that of a chambermaid. In the few hours that she had been working for him - and that was a scary thought, her working for him - she hadn't encountered anything particularly dangerous or foreboding.
This worried her. What was he planning to do with her? Was he building himself up for something terrible, or would he spring it on her when she was least expecting it? Another shudder ran through her as she heard his footsteps behind her.
"I do hope that this task is not boring you, my love," he said smoothly, stroking a finger down her cheek.
She glared at him, hating it when he touched her, when he called her his love. Damned Goa'uld arrogance - she was no more his than she was anybody else's.
"As my Lo'tar, you are required to carry out these duties with good grace," he continued.
"You never mentioned that before," Sam retorted, without thinking.
The back of his hand caught her face again and sent her sprawling to the floor. He stood above her, a smirk on his lips.
"I do not appreciate the sharpness of your tongue," he said, "I am your lord, your master! If you persist in talking to me in this way I will have no choice but to remove it!"
Sam swallowed, and fought the urge to put a hand to her mouth.
"Get up," he spat, "And follow me."
Sam decided that it might be better for her to keep quiet, so she obediently followed him, a feeling of dread growing inside of her.
"Unscheduled off world activation!"
General Hammond rushed to the gate room, standing beside Sergeant Davis.
"I'm receiving SG-1's iris code."
"Open it!" Hammond ordered, before joining Dr Fraiser, Teal'c and Daniel at the base of the gate.
As the iris opened, they all held their breath. Two figures emerged from the gate - but there was no sign of a third.
"Help!" Debbie shouted, "He needs medical attention, he's seriously hurt!"
Janet rushed forwards with a gurney, and Jack was taken away. Daniel's face paled as the gate shut down.
"Where's Sam?" He asked Debbie, who was looking at him like something she'd scraped off the bottom of her shoe.
Debbie looked behind her at the gate, and had the nerve to shrug. Teal'c glared at her, and clenched his fists at his sides.
"YOU LEFT HER BEHIND?" Daniel yelled in disbelief.
"The guards took us and dumped us at the gate," Debbie retorted, taking a step forwards in an attempt to intimidate him, "I don't know where she was!"
"And you made no attempt to make further enquiries?" Teal'c questioned.
"No, I made no attempt to make further enquiries," Debbie sneered, mocking him, "She wasn't with us when we came through the gate. This is all her fault anyway…"
General Hammond's eyes widened at this, and Teal'c's hands clenched a little more. Daniel, however, was not quite so controlled.
"HOW DARE YOU?" He shouted, placing his hands on her shoulders and shoving roughly, "HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT?"
"Easy, doctor Jackson!" she smirked, poking him in the chest with her finger.
"You…" he snarled, about to lash out again when Teal'c grabbed hold of him.
"Get the hell off of me!" he protested, but Teal'c held him fast.
"She is not worth the expenditure of your energy, Daniel Jackson," he replied quietly.
General Hammond observed everything, turning away as Debbie walked down the ramp and towards the infirmary.
"I'll be happy to give the de-brief, general," she said, casting a smirk back at Daniel and Teal'c.
"Thank you, Colonel, but I think I've heard enough from you for one day," Hammond replied, his arms folded and his mouth set in a grim line.
The door slid shut behind her and Daniel finally relaxed, allowing Teal'c to release him. He felt himself trembling, but not of fear - of anger.
"They left her behind," he said quietly, "She's on her own…with Ba'al."
"Major Carter is strong," Teal'c said, trying to console Daniel, "She will not give up easily."
"SG-3 and Doctor McKay are on a rescue mission," Hammond added, "They should be there before long. I'm sorry, son, I can't offer you any more than that."
"What does confuse me," Teal'c said, "Is why Ba'al would let Colonel O'Neill and Colonel Welling go. He does not strike me as a charitable man."
Daniel closed his eyes, and tried to get his shaking under control.
"Maybe we'll learn more when Colonel O'Neill regains consciousness," Hammond said, also looking at the gate, "But I'm afraid that all we can do until then is wait."
The pain shot through her like a stream of fire. Once again she found herself in the torture chamber, feeling her life and her fight spilling out of her with every blade, with every strike.
She consoled herself with the thought that Jack and Debbie would be home by now. At least some good had come from this - and she was just repaying her debt. If it hadn't been for her, they would never have been captured in the first place. She should have been the last one left - this was her place. Debbie's was with Jack.
She knew that now. Even though it still left a dull ache, she had finally grasped the fact that he had moved on. Lying to herself about her own beliefs was no longer helping - She had gotten herself into this mess, and for once, Jack was not going to be the one to get her out.
He was impressed by her strength. He'd been using the sarcophagus sparingly this time, seeing how far he could push her towards death before he rescued her from the brink of it and restored her to health. He was impressed with her decision to give her life for O'Neill's. Surely with another woman on the scene, she would have given up? But no.
He knew. He had felt it from the first time he had laid eyes on her. Her feelings ran deep, deeper than his, and without knowing it she had provided him with the perfect weapon. A great advantage over her. The ability to use her love for him against her. She was turning out to be intensely enjoyable. He fed off of her pain, her suffering. Every cry made him stronger.
He dropped the knife that he was holding and went over to her. A smile appeared and quickly broadened on his face.
After everything she had been through, she was still fighting. He touched his fingers to her throat and felt her pulse racing just beneath her skin. Her eyes were squeezed shut, but he knew that this would not free her from the onslaught of pain.
"You fascinate me, my love," he said quietly, his fingers sliding down her body until he reached a wound in her chest. He pulled his hand away and studied the blood on his fingers, looking back up at her. He was pleased to see that her eyes were once again open and she was glaring at him.
Slowly, deliberately, he licked her blood off of his fingers.
"You asked for this," he smiled. "You knew exactly what you were letting yourself in for. You did it to save your precious Colonel - and look what he's done! He's run off with the other woman and left you on your own."
"Go to hell," she repeated.
He backed away from her.
"I am tired of this," he said, "You shall return to your quarters and wait for my further instruction. Is that understood?"
Sam nodded.
He snarled, dissatisfied, and grabbed hold of her wrist, twisting it.
"Is that understood?"
"Yes…my lord," she ground out from between her teeth.
"How much further is it?" McKay asked in disbelief, "We've been walking for miles!"
"I do hate to agree with the snivelling little wretch," Edelson added, "But he has a point."
"According to the info we gathered, it should only be a little further," Makepeace said, "But I can't see any sign of a Goa'uld ship."
"And it's kind of hard to misplace one," McKay said.
"Yes," Makepeace agreed, somewhat testily, "So the ship must have moved."
"Or you got the wrong information," McKay sneered.
"You said it yourself, Doctor, it's hard to lose a Goa'uld mother ship. We're gonna keep looking until we find it, is that understood?"
"Crystal clear, my friendly Colonel," McKay shot back.
"Let's just get something crystal clear, shall we?" Makepeace said quietly, "I am not your friend."
"Good - that makes two of us!"
Jack groaned and put a hand to his head. Where the hell was he? The last thing he remembered was sitting in that damned Goa'uld cell after being tortured by Ba'al. He didn't think he was there any more. Gingerly, he opened his eyes and saw Dr Fraiser looking down at him.
"Colonel? You're back at the SGC. Nice to see you're back with us."
He grunted in reply and tried to sit up, but the pain in his chest stopped him.
"I'm going to advise you to stay where you are," Janet said, a small smile on her lips, "Not that it'll make much difference, I don't suppose."
"Jack?"
He turned his head to the side and smiled as Debbie approached him.
"Oh my - thank god you're okay!" she gasped dramatically, throwing her arms around him.
Janet frowned, having been told about the gate room incident by Danny and Teal'c earlier. Debbie had never been a friend of hers, but she'd just gone even lower in Janet's ranking. She wondered how long it would be before Jack remembered what had gone on and started to ask questions. She didn't have to wonder for long.
"You got out?" Jack asked Debbie, holding her hand tightly in his.
"We both got out," she smiled, squeezing his hand, "Everything will be okay."
Janet bit her lip to stop herself from snapping at her. Jack would have to remember in his own time, not after some outburst from her. Quietly, she left the two of them alone together and went to find Daniel.
It didn't take her long. He was sitting in his lab, a cup of coffee untouched at his side.
"Hey," she said quietly.
"Hey," he replied, offering her a chair beside him and continuing to stare at the wall in front of him.
"Jack's woken up," Janet smiled weakly.
"And I suppose Debbie is all over him?" Daniel asked.
Janet was shocked at the venom in Daniel's voice, and laid a hand on his arm.
"Daniel, we don't know enough about the situation yet…you shouldn't blame him."
"Why not?" He asked, "What has Sam done in all of this to be blamed? She got hurt by Jack, bullied by the pair of them, then she managed to move on only to have to go through it all again - and be captured by Ba'al!"
"She's strong," Janet offered, "She'll be okay."
"Everyone keeps saying that," Daniel replied bitterly, "She's strong. She'll be okay. Maybe she isn't, Jan. Maybe she shouldn't have to be! We always assume that she'll go back to normal, she can deal with whatever life throws at her. Maybe she deserves the chance to be weaker for a change, to have people look after her. She's only human, like the rest of us."
Janet didn't reply, but pulled Daniel into her arms. His despair finally got the better of him, and he relaxed in her arms, fighting back the urge to cry.
"How could they leave her behind?" He asked brokenly. "How?"
"I'm sorry to have to do this son," General Hammond said, "But we need to try and find out what happened."
"You mean…Carter didn't come back with us?" Jack asked, rubbing a hand over his face.
"No," General Hammond replied. "We've had no word from her since you left for the start of the mission."
Jack was silent, staring down at the bed sheet as if it contained the answer to his problems. Hammond felt a brief twinge of guilt, but brushed it aside, remembering the way he had treated Major Carter a couple of years back.
Debbie was seated beside Jack on the bed, still holding his hand. Daniel was standing against the wall, arms folded and a bleak expression on his face. Janet and Teal'c stood either side of him.
"We were in the cell," Debbie began, "You were bleeding, badly, you were in a really bad way. She was with Ba'al."
"She?" Daniel enquired, "You mean Sam?"
"Yes, I mean Sam!" Debbie snapped, "Who else did you think I was talking about?"
"She has a name," Daniel ground out through his teeth.
"Whatever. Anyway, we were in the cell, and then these jaffa came in and said we were to be escorted to the gate. They took us there and just sort of…left."
"There was no mention of Major Carter or what happened to her?" Hammond probed.
"No," Debbie replied. "The last time I saw her was when Jack was…"
"With Ba'al," he finished.
"I don't understand," Hammond said, "Why would Ba'al let the two of you go, but not Major Carter?"
Jack groaned and put his head in his hands, realisation and a memory hitting him with the force of a heavy truck. Her voice rang in his memory, and he was filled with dread.
"I might be able to cut a deal…to get you out of here."
"I'll do it, I will. But you'll be safe. Debbie can go with you, you can get back to the SGC."
"Colonel?" Hammond asked, "Colonel, what is it?"
Jack pulled his hands away from his face, but couldn't bring himself to look Hammond in the eye.
"I…remember something. D…Colonel Welling was with Ba'al, I was in the cell with Sam. She mentioned something… about a deal."
"What kind of deal, son?" Hammond questioned.
"She said that she could get me and Debbie out of there, back here and safe."
"By doing what?"
"Ba'al mentioned something about a better offer from someone, for our freedom," Debbie said.
"Our freedom?" Janet asked.
"Mine and Jack's," Debbie replied.
Daniel gritted his teeth.
"Dammit," Jack croaked, "I told her not to. I made it an order!"
"Then it is most likely that Major Carter offered her life to Ba'al in exchange for your freedom," Teal'c said, sombrely.
The colour drained from Daniel's face, and he left the room quickly. Janet cast an agonised glance after him, but didn't follow.
"Nobody made her!" Debbie retorted, annoyed at the reactions of the people around her.
Jack wrenched his hand from hers and turned away, trying to bury his head in the pillow.
Teal'c bowed his head sadly, and left the room to find Daniel. Janet retired to her office, leaving Jack, Debbie and Hammond alone.
"I don't hold either of you to blame for this," Hammond said, "But Jack, when you're feeling up to it I will need a formal debrief from you."
"Yes, sir," Jack replied.
"Why do you need a statement?" Debbie asked, "We already told you what we know!"
"It's just procedure, Colonel," Hammond replied coolly.
"It wasn't his fault," she snapped, "Or mine!"
"Colonel, I hope you're not implying that the blame lies with Major Carter!"
"She blew our cover!" Debbie snapped, "She should have sensed the presence of a Goa'uld, she could have helped us to escape. But no - she just sat there."
Hammond turned around and left the room before he did something he would come to regret.
She woke up in the small cell where the three of them had been kept. So much for being a Lo'tar, she thought. It was no different to being a prisoner, you just had to dress up for it.
She wore a tight-fitting black gown that was not unlike his, with a skirt that flared out at the bottom. She supposed it was marginally better than the blue monstrosity the Shava'dai had provided her with - even if the company wasn't.
Her cheek stung from the many blows he had dealt her, and she picked absently at a spot of dried blood on the front of her gown. The sarcophagus had done the trick with her wounds - though she had wondered if she would ever get in it. Ba'al had seemed to realise that keeping her out of it prolonged the agony, and so he enjoyed it more.
She looked at the four walls surrounding her, that seemed to close in on her, and sighed. She clenched her hands into fists and, for the first time since she had made the deal with Ba'al, she allowed herself to cry.
"Hold on," Makepeace said, stopping suddenly, ignoring Edelson as he crashed into the back of him.
"According to this, the ship is just over the crest of that hill."
"Proceed with caution," Makepeace said, in a harsh whisper, "We don't know how many jaffa he has stationed outside, let alone inside."
McKay ran a hand over the sidearm he carried, nervously. Had this been such a good idea after all? When facing a jaffa would he be able to defend himself, or would he just squeal and run behind one of the marines? Shit, he wasn't really cut out for this part of the job.
They walked as far as they could go before dropping down on their hands and knees, crawling to the top of the hill and looking over.
When Makepeace saw what was there, you could have heard his string of expletives on Tollana.
After hours of persuasion, Debbie had finally left him alone. His emotions were so mixed, he didn't know which one to try and confront first.
Anger. Fear. Hatred. Guilt.
Anger. Anger at himself, at Debbie, and Carter. Dammit, he'd told her not to do it - he could still remember her pale face in the darkness, telling him she could make the deal. He'd ordered her not to - but she'd done it anyway. He was angry at Debbie for laying the blame completely on Sam. How could it have all been her fault? He was angry at Debbie for her insensitivity - he couldn't hold a candle to her! Most of all, he was angry at himself. He had been the CO in charge, he should have stopped them being captured and he should never, ever have allowed Sam to be left behind.
Fear. He was scared for Sam. He had first hand experience of what Ba'al was capable of, and it wasn't good. Hell, he'd got so desperate that he wanted Daniel to help him ascend - and she didn't even have Daniel there. He was afraid of the man he had become - allowing himself and Debbie to treat her so badly, without a hint of remorse for her suffering.
Hatred. He hated himself. He hated Ba'al for being the sick, twisted snake head that he was, but he hated himself. He never left a member of his team behind, never. It was never an option for him, and it never would be. Yet, here he was, sitting pretty in the infirmary whilst his once best friend was probably dying. Great job, Colonel, he thought bitterly.
Guilt. It wasn't Sam's fault, it was his and Debbie's. Poor Sam shouldn't even have been on the mission with them - he sure knew that she didn't want to be there! What he couldn't understand, above all else, was why she had done it. It was no secret that the bridges between them had been well and truly burned, and after everything he'd put her through he deserved the worst she could give him. She'd given her life for his - knowing full well that the gesture probably wouldn't have been returned. That made him so very sad. He closed his eyes to try and shut out the pain, but she was there in his minds' eye, huddled against the corner of the room. She was there, trying to ease his pain and getting shouted at by Debbie for her efforts.
"Yeah, sir, listen to me - please try and stay awake. Don't go to sleep."
"Tired," he mumbled.
"I know," Sam said, biting back tears of her own, "But do this for m…do this for Debbie."
He'd had no right to ask her to forgive him. How could he have expected her to do that? He thought of the years he'd spent trying to convince himself that he could live without her - was he just stringing himself along? What he was feeling now certainly seemed to suggest it.
"Jacob? We thought you were Ba'al!" Makepeace snapped, lowering his weapon.
"Sorry to disappoint you," Jacob replied dryly, "But did you really think he was going to wait here for you to kick him in the ass?"
"You mean he's gone?" Edelson asked, "We spent the best part of two days walking out here for nothing?"
"We've been tracking the movements of his ship," Jacob explained, "We know how many jaffa are on board, and we know how many men we're going to need to rescue Sam."
"How many?" Makepeace asked.
"More than we have here," Jacob said. "Come on - we have Tok'ra backup on board, and we need to move quickly. When Ba'al realises we're onto him, we're…"
"Screwed." McKay finished.
Still, he couldn't help but feel relieved that he wouldn't have to use the weapon. He would just have to endure the equivalent of a long-haul aeroplane flight with SG-3.
"Who's the short one?" Jacob asked Makepeace as they boarded the ship.
"Doctor Rodney McKay," Makepeace smirked, "Thinks he's smarter than Sam. Also fancies the ass off of her."
With that, he walked ahead, a shit-eating grin spreading over his face. Let McKay handle that one, he thought.
"Your lord requests your presence," the jaffa announced, standing at the door to her cell.
"Oh, great!" Sam said quietly, but this did not go unnoticed by the jaffa, who pushed her in the ribs with his staff weapon, laughing as the force knocked her over.
"Come now, Tau'ri, you mustn't delay him!"
Reluctantly, Sam got up and followed him, a hand pressed to her chest to try and dull the pain there.
The jaffa led her to a small room she didn't recognise and left her there, closing the door behind him. Adrenaline coursed through her veins. This didn't look like a torture chamber, but then again Ba'al had the power to control gravity, so anything was possible. And yet, there was no sign of the man himself. She backed herself up against the wall, so he couldn't get her from behind, and waited. She could feel the blood pounding in her ears as her heart raced.
Had she been set up by the jaffa? Taken to the wrong room, which would make her late and almost certainly incur a punishment for doing so. No, she didn't think so. This room appeared to be safe, but she didn't allow herself to relax. She couldn't afford to. Reluctantly, slowly, she walked away from the safety of the wall and into the centre of the room. It was then that she saw a door at the far end of the room, which she assumed she was supposed to go through.
She flattened herself against the far wall and inched closer to the door, staying alert for any sounds that would tell her who, or what, was inside.
"My love, are you going to remain outside of that door all day?" His smooth voice drifted out through the door, tinged with amusement. Gritting her teeth, Sam opened the door and went inside.
The room was obviously his private chamber, as it was the most luxurious she had seen so far. The man himself was stretched lazily on a couch, and had that irritating smirk plastered on his face that made her want to punch him. So confident, so self-assured. He needed a good kick up the ass.
"Well?" He asked.
"What do you require of me, my lord?" She reeled off, glaring at him.
"A little more grace, perhaps," he said, beckoning to her to approach him.
"Pour me some wine," he ordered, waving his hand to a tall glass on the table opposite him.
Pour it yourself, Sam thought, but went over to the table anyway. She began to wonder about the possibility of escape. Perhaps she could break the glass, injure him (she had very little hope of killing him) and make a run for it? No, that wouldn't work, there were too many jaffa. Was the wine a key? Could she put something in it? She was so immersed in thought that she forgot what she was supposed to be doing.
"Any time today, my love," he said testily.
She poured the glass and held it out for him to take from her, but his arms remained stubbornly folded across his stomach. Sam faltered - what the hell was she supposed to do now?
"My lord?" She asked, holding the glass closer to him, still trying to stay at arms length away from him.
"I cannot reach," he said innocently, his dark eyes burning into hers.
This was not a good situation. If she got any closer to him, he'd be able to grab her and…
"Which part of that did you not understand?" he asked, getting angrier.
Reluctantly, she drew closer to him, annoyed to see that her hand was shaking. She took a deep breath and tried to force it to be still, but she shaking moved to her legs instead. His hand shot out suddenly and grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer still.
"Thank you," he said, finally taking the glass from her. She took a step backwards but he pulled her closer again.
"Why do you always want to run away from me?" He asked. "I could hold the key to your happiness."
"I don't think so," Sam replied.
"You speak, but you know nothing about it. You have not even heard my offer, he took a sip of wine and waited, expectantly.
Sam laughed.
"Your offer? I made a deal with you once, and once only. I'm not doing it again, that wasn't what we discussed…"
He rose from the couch and stood in front of her, almost nose-to-nose.
"You gave me your life in exchange for the freedom of the other two. You are mine, my love, and I can do what I wish with you," he whispered in her ear.
"We're approaching the ship," Jacob said, "Now, as far as we're aware, Ba'al has about four personal jaffa in his service, and between 8-12 on the ship. The first four should only be centred around his personal quarters and the…torture room, so they should be easiest to find and take out. The others will be spread out through the ship, so take great caution."
"How long before we board?" Makepeace asked, anticipation building within him.
"Just under one hour," Jacob said, "Now, Doctor McKay, it might be better for you to remain here to…"
"No way," McKay replied quickly, "I've not just spent the last two days trudging through sand with these guys bitching about me and breaking my computer to have to sit it out at the last hurdle. I'm going with you."
Makepeace made an "Ooooooooh!" noise which McKay ignored, and Jacob raised his eyebrows.
"Okay, then, doctor if you're sure."
"You'll need to split into teams of five, with four focussed on defence and one to rescue major Carter. It is NOT a priority to kill lord Ba'al, you must get out of there with minimum risk to yourselves. He is a very powerful Goa'uld and has the ability to manipulate gravity, so whatever you do, do not approach him."
"Well, what if he's with Major Carter?" Makepeace asked.
"You'll have to approach him," Jacob said wearily, "If you can incapacitate him in any way do it, but I'll have no crusaders trying to kill him at the last minute - we can do that some other time."
"You seem confident," One of the Tok'ra said to Jacob, arranging his weaponry.
"No," Jacob said, "It's never wise to be confident with Ba'al - I have a great deal of respect for what he can do. He'll always be two steps ahead of us, you all need to keep that in mind."
"Yes, Jacob."
"We're drawing closer to the ship. Prepare to board in 40 minutes, Colonel."
She pulled away from him and took another step backwards, but this time he followed her until she was backed against the wall.
"I can offer you an eternal life of health and prosperity," he said softly, "You will have all the power you could ever wish for."
"And what do I have to do in return?" Sam asked, sarcastically, though she already knew the answer and had no intention of becoming one.
"Become the host for my new queen," he finished, "We could rule the galaxy together."
He pressed his lips over hers, still holding her against the wall. A shudder of revulsion went through her and she turned her head away.
"What do you say, my love?" He asked.
"Over my dead body!" She replied.
His eyes narrowed, and he raised the ribbon device to her forehead.
"I am certain that could be arranged."
The pain was blinding, forcing her eyes shut and travelling through her body in hot waves, forcing her to the floor. She could still hear him laughing as she lost consciousness.
"My Lord!"
Ba'al turned around angrily to find a jaffa standing just inside the door of his quarters.
"I do not recall granting you permission to enter," he snarled.
"Forgive me, my lord, but there are Tok'ra aboard the ship," the jaffa said, bowing his head.
"What?" Ba'al snarled.
"Approximately 20 of them, my Lord. They have already taken out nine jaffa, and are heading this way."
"They have come for the prisoner?" Ba'al asked, looking back down at Sam on the floor.
The jaffa nodded.
"Well," he said thoughtfully, dragging Sam up off of the floor, "They will have had a wasted journey."
"Keep going!" Jacob shouted, "We're almost there."
"McKay seemed pretty pissed that you left him out of the rescue team," Makepeace said.
"I don't care," Jacob replied, "Now, this is his chamber. I don't sense the presence of a symbiote, I think it's safe to go in."
They were disappointed to find it empty, and Jacob smacked his fist into the wall, cursing.
Makepeace was knelt on the floor, looking carefully at it.
"Jacob - there's blood here. He must have only just left."
"Go!" Jacob yelled, scrambling out of the room, fear giving him another burst of energy.
McKay frowned at the other Tok'ra, who were satisfied that the jaffa had been taken out and were waiting for further orders from Jacob.
"What if he needs our help?" McKay pestered, "Shouldn't we do something?"
"We have our orders to remain here until Jacob tells us," one of them replied snootily.
"Yeah, whatever," McKay replied under his breath, waiting until their backs were turned before sneaking out of the room, drawing his gun.
"I'll be damned if I'm going to sit on my butt and wait for orders from a Tok'ra," he sniffed, and continued down the corridor, keeping himself flat to the wall.
"Stop!"
He heard a voice yell from around the corner. He instantly recognised it as Jacob's and flinched. He crept closer to the end of the wall, but didn't look round.
"Do you believe you have won, Tok'ra shol'va?"
That had to be Ba'al. The Goa'uld had very distinctive speech - like they'd been smoking too many woodbines. His heart began to beat faster. Oh shitbuggerblastdamn! He was standing just meters away from a system lord.
"Let her go," Makepeace said, "And we won't kill you."
Ba'al laughed loudly, all the time holding Sam firmly in his grasp.
"You think you can kill me?"
He quickly raised the hand which held the ribbon device and used it on Edelson, who was knocked back against the wall from its force. Before Jacob could fire on him, he'd activated his shield and was standing there, smirking.
McKay carefully looked around the corner and saw what was happening. Shitshitshitshit….
He pulled the knife from his utility belt and looked at it. This was the only weapon that could penetrate a Goa'uld force shield, but his aim was crap. If he could just incapacitate the guy…
"You have had a wasted journey," Ba'al said, turning around to leave.
McKay took aim, and threw the dagger.
Jacob gasped as Ba'al flinched suddenly, dropping Sam on the floor with a loud thud. He reached around behind his back and his hand came back sticky with blood.
"This is not over!" he promised, in a suitably dramatic voice, before collapsing to the floor as well, revealing….
"DR MCKAY?" Makepeace screeched.
McKay was standing there, staring at Ba'al like a rabbit caught in car headlights.
"Well, I'll be damned," Jacob said, "The little science buff saved the day."
McKay quickly snapped out of his trance and dropped to Sam's side on the floor.
"She's still breathing," he said, feeling for a pulse, "But her pulse is weak. We need to get back on the ship quickly."
"Roger that," Jacob replied, bending down and pulling his daughter into his arms. "Someone get Edelson, and let's haul ass back to the ship."
"Sam?"
She opened her eyes wearily, surprised to see her father looking down at her.
"Dad?" she asked, "Is that really you?"
"Yeah," he smiled, stroking a hand through her hair, "We're taking you home. You're okay."
Her eyes drooped shut again, but when she felt someone touching her hand they snapped open again.
"Hey, lover!"
She looked at him in disbelief.
"Just when I thought today couldn't get any worse…" she groaned.
"You love me really," he smiled.
"Yeah, when hell freezes over," she said, wincing as the pain of her ordeal finally started to get through.
"Do me a favour, honey, and shut up for once in your life," McKay said, looking concerned rather than amused. Sam merely nodded and closed her eyes.
That was when he knew she was in a bad way - he'd gotten no acid reply to calling her 'honey.'
"Now," came a voice from behind him, "She might not have kicked your ass for saying that, but if I hear it again, I will."
McKay blushed as Jacob Carter sat beside him.
"Ah, now, I…"
"You did good, McKay," Jacob said, slapping a hand on his shoulder.
"I…thanks," he replied, for once lost for words.
To Be Continued…
Author's Note: Again, sorry about the delay. Please send feedback to Well done for getting this far in the series. Who wants another chapter??
Rating: R (Violence)
Feedback:
Spoilers: Emancipation, Abyss
You need to have read 'Full Circle', 'Circles of the Mind' and 'Splitting the Circle.'
Summary: Jack and Debbie are home and safe, but Sam is suffering for the sacrifice she made to save them.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Details: Jack/Other, Sam/Other UST, Sam/Jack UST, Angst, Drama, Future Season. MCKAY WARNING: He really is nice in this one - so once again, if you hate him, don't read it.
Author Notes: Yep, Colonel Makepeace shouldn't be in this story…but I kind of forgot the events of 'Shades of Grey'. Oops.
WARNING: Contains mild scenes of torture. I've not been too graphic, but I'll warn you anyway. Also contains McKay.
Archive: Gateworld,
Empty Circles
Copyright © Ruth, 2004
"Take them to the gate," Ba'al commanded, "Ensure that they make it through - I do not wish to see them again."
The jaffa left, leaving Sam alone with Ba'al.
"I knew you would come to your senses," he smiled, grabbing hold of her wrist and twisting it painfully, pulling her towards him. "Now, to begin your duties as Lo'tar you must first be…properly attired."
His eyes looked down her body, and he smirked at the military uniform, before easing his gaze back up in a long caress.
Sam felt herself shudder, and bit her lip against the pain in her wrist. He still showed no signs of letting go.
As if reading her thoughts, he relinquished his hold of her wrist, enjoying the hiss of pain she failed to conceal from him.
"You will find clothing in the next room. I expect you back here very shortly. Please do not disobey my first order. I believe you would come to…regret it."
Sam gritted her teeth, visions of the blue creation she'd had to wear for the Shava'dai flashing through her head. Still - this whole situation had been her fault, hadn't it? She was paying the price for her mistake, and she deserved everything she got.
Makepeace and his team trudged along, unaware that Jack and Debbie were being escorted back through the gate just a few miles away from them. McKay was dangerously close to being throttled by the other members of SG-3, but continued on, unaware of Edelson grinding his teeth.
He was doing this purely to get her back -his research couldn't continue without a lab partner. There was nothing more to it than that.
Liar, he told himself. You're scared for her, and you know it.
But did his feelings end there? He wasn't certain. They had both admitted their initial attraction to one another, and he'd always been one for flirting, but in the years that he'd come to know her he had found the time to respect her. She'd worked so hard for everything she had, and there were still people in the SGC who worked against her.
Dammit, he was thinking too much again.
The only reason he was doing this was to get her back - back in their lab, so he could carry on working. Work was simple to him. Facts and figures were so much easier to deal with than people - and his own feelings. Being shut up in a science lab kept him from making emotional attachments, stopped him from becoming like the guys he'd gone to college with - but above all else, it made him lonely.
Never bothered you before, McKay, he snapped, why start now?
But now was different. Makepeace's words from earlier had stung him.
"She's got more brains than to go out with you!"
Stupid dumb-ass marine. Like he could find his own butt in the dark with a torch and a map. He didn't know what he was talking about. But part of McKay knew he was right - what chance did a guy like him have with a woman like her? Even now that O'Neill was out of the picture, his chances weren't looking good.
Not that he felt that way for her, anyway. Of course not.
He was only going to get her back home, to carry on his work.
Liar.
To begin with, her work as a Lo'tar was nothing more than that of a chambermaid. In the few hours that she had been working for him - and that was a scary thought, her working for him - she hadn't encountered anything particularly dangerous or foreboding.
This worried her. What was he planning to do with her? Was he building himself up for something terrible, or would he spring it on her when she was least expecting it? Another shudder ran through her as she heard his footsteps behind her.
"I do hope that this task is not boring you, my love," he said smoothly, stroking a finger down her cheek.
She glared at him, hating it when he touched her, when he called her his love. Damned Goa'uld arrogance - she was no more his than she was anybody else's.
"As my Lo'tar, you are required to carry out these duties with good grace," he continued.
"You never mentioned that before," Sam retorted, without thinking.
The back of his hand caught her face again and sent her sprawling to the floor. He stood above her, a smirk on his lips.
"I do not appreciate the sharpness of your tongue," he said, "I am your lord, your master! If you persist in talking to me in this way I will have no choice but to remove it!"
Sam swallowed, and fought the urge to put a hand to her mouth.
"Get up," he spat, "And follow me."
Sam decided that it might be better for her to keep quiet, so she obediently followed him, a feeling of dread growing inside of her.
"Unscheduled off world activation!"
General Hammond rushed to the gate room, standing beside Sergeant Davis.
"I'm receiving SG-1's iris code."
"Open it!" Hammond ordered, before joining Dr Fraiser, Teal'c and Daniel at the base of the gate.
As the iris opened, they all held their breath. Two figures emerged from the gate - but there was no sign of a third.
"Help!" Debbie shouted, "He needs medical attention, he's seriously hurt!"
Janet rushed forwards with a gurney, and Jack was taken away. Daniel's face paled as the gate shut down.
"Where's Sam?" He asked Debbie, who was looking at him like something she'd scraped off the bottom of her shoe.
Debbie looked behind her at the gate, and had the nerve to shrug. Teal'c glared at her, and clenched his fists at his sides.
"YOU LEFT HER BEHIND?" Daniel yelled in disbelief.
"The guards took us and dumped us at the gate," Debbie retorted, taking a step forwards in an attempt to intimidate him, "I don't know where she was!"
"And you made no attempt to make further enquiries?" Teal'c questioned.
"No, I made no attempt to make further enquiries," Debbie sneered, mocking him, "She wasn't with us when we came through the gate. This is all her fault anyway…"
General Hammond's eyes widened at this, and Teal'c's hands clenched a little more. Daniel, however, was not quite so controlled.
"HOW DARE YOU?" He shouted, placing his hands on her shoulders and shoving roughly, "HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT?"
"Easy, doctor Jackson!" she smirked, poking him in the chest with her finger.
"You…" he snarled, about to lash out again when Teal'c grabbed hold of him.
"Get the hell off of me!" he protested, but Teal'c held him fast.
"She is not worth the expenditure of your energy, Daniel Jackson," he replied quietly.
General Hammond observed everything, turning away as Debbie walked down the ramp and towards the infirmary.
"I'll be happy to give the de-brief, general," she said, casting a smirk back at Daniel and Teal'c.
"Thank you, Colonel, but I think I've heard enough from you for one day," Hammond replied, his arms folded and his mouth set in a grim line.
The door slid shut behind her and Daniel finally relaxed, allowing Teal'c to release him. He felt himself trembling, but not of fear - of anger.
"They left her behind," he said quietly, "She's on her own…with Ba'al."
"Major Carter is strong," Teal'c said, trying to console Daniel, "She will not give up easily."
"SG-3 and Doctor McKay are on a rescue mission," Hammond added, "They should be there before long. I'm sorry, son, I can't offer you any more than that."
"What does confuse me," Teal'c said, "Is why Ba'al would let Colonel O'Neill and Colonel Welling go. He does not strike me as a charitable man."
Daniel closed his eyes, and tried to get his shaking under control.
"Maybe we'll learn more when Colonel O'Neill regains consciousness," Hammond said, also looking at the gate, "But I'm afraid that all we can do until then is wait."
The pain shot through her like a stream of fire. Once again she found herself in the torture chamber, feeling her life and her fight spilling out of her with every blade, with every strike.
She consoled herself with the thought that Jack and Debbie would be home by now. At least some good had come from this - and she was just repaying her debt. If it hadn't been for her, they would never have been captured in the first place. She should have been the last one left - this was her place. Debbie's was with Jack.
She knew that now. Even though it still left a dull ache, she had finally grasped the fact that he had moved on. Lying to herself about her own beliefs was no longer helping - She had gotten herself into this mess, and for once, Jack was not going to be the one to get her out.
He was impressed by her strength. He'd been using the sarcophagus sparingly this time, seeing how far he could push her towards death before he rescued her from the brink of it and restored her to health. He was impressed with her decision to give her life for O'Neill's. Surely with another woman on the scene, she would have given up? But no.
He knew. He had felt it from the first time he had laid eyes on her. Her feelings ran deep, deeper than his, and without knowing it she had provided him with the perfect weapon. A great advantage over her. The ability to use her love for him against her. She was turning out to be intensely enjoyable. He fed off of her pain, her suffering. Every cry made him stronger.
He dropped the knife that he was holding and went over to her. A smile appeared and quickly broadened on his face.
After everything she had been through, she was still fighting. He touched his fingers to her throat and felt her pulse racing just beneath her skin. Her eyes were squeezed shut, but he knew that this would not free her from the onslaught of pain.
"You fascinate me, my love," he said quietly, his fingers sliding down her body until he reached a wound in her chest. He pulled his hand away and studied the blood on his fingers, looking back up at her. He was pleased to see that her eyes were once again open and she was glaring at him.
Slowly, deliberately, he licked her blood off of his fingers.
"You asked for this," he smiled. "You knew exactly what you were letting yourself in for. You did it to save your precious Colonel - and look what he's done! He's run off with the other woman and left you on your own."
"Go to hell," she repeated.
He backed away from her.
"I am tired of this," he said, "You shall return to your quarters and wait for my further instruction. Is that understood?"
Sam nodded.
He snarled, dissatisfied, and grabbed hold of her wrist, twisting it.
"Is that understood?"
"Yes…my lord," she ground out from between her teeth.
"How much further is it?" McKay asked in disbelief, "We've been walking for miles!"
"I do hate to agree with the snivelling little wretch," Edelson added, "But he has a point."
"According to the info we gathered, it should only be a little further," Makepeace said, "But I can't see any sign of a Goa'uld ship."
"And it's kind of hard to misplace one," McKay said.
"Yes," Makepeace agreed, somewhat testily, "So the ship must have moved."
"Or you got the wrong information," McKay sneered.
"You said it yourself, Doctor, it's hard to lose a Goa'uld mother ship. We're gonna keep looking until we find it, is that understood?"
"Crystal clear, my friendly Colonel," McKay shot back.
"Let's just get something crystal clear, shall we?" Makepeace said quietly, "I am not your friend."
"Good - that makes two of us!"
Jack groaned and put a hand to his head. Where the hell was he? The last thing he remembered was sitting in that damned Goa'uld cell after being tortured by Ba'al. He didn't think he was there any more. Gingerly, he opened his eyes and saw Dr Fraiser looking down at him.
"Colonel? You're back at the SGC. Nice to see you're back with us."
He grunted in reply and tried to sit up, but the pain in his chest stopped him.
"I'm going to advise you to stay where you are," Janet said, a small smile on her lips, "Not that it'll make much difference, I don't suppose."
"Jack?"
He turned his head to the side and smiled as Debbie approached him.
"Oh my - thank god you're okay!" she gasped dramatically, throwing her arms around him.
Janet frowned, having been told about the gate room incident by Danny and Teal'c earlier. Debbie had never been a friend of hers, but she'd just gone even lower in Janet's ranking. She wondered how long it would be before Jack remembered what had gone on and started to ask questions. She didn't have to wonder for long.
"You got out?" Jack asked Debbie, holding her hand tightly in his.
"We both got out," she smiled, squeezing his hand, "Everything will be okay."
Janet bit her lip to stop herself from snapping at her. Jack would have to remember in his own time, not after some outburst from her. Quietly, she left the two of them alone together and went to find Daniel.
It didn't take her long. He was sitting in his lab, a cup of coffee untouched at his side.
"Hey," she said quietly.
"Hey," he replied, offering her a chair beside him and continuing to stare at the wall in front of him.
"Jack's woken up," Janet smiled weakly.
"And I suppose Debbie is all over him?" Daniel asked.
Janet was shocked at the venom in Daniel's voice, and laid a hand on his arm.
"Daniel, we don't know enough about the situation yet…you shouldn't blame him."
"Why not?" He asked, "What has Sam done in all of this to be blamed? She got hurt by Jack, bullied by the pair of them, then she managed to move on only to have to go through it all again - and be captured by Ba'al!"
"She's strong," Janet offered, "She'll be okay."
"Everyone keeps saying that," Daniel replied bitterly, "She's strong. She'll be okay. Maybe she isn't, Jan. Maybe she shouldn't have to be! We always assume that she'll go back to normal, she can deal with whatever life throws at her. Maybe she deserves the chance to be weaker for a change, to have people look after her. She's only human, like the rest of us."
Janet didn't reply, but pulled Daniel into her arms. His despair finally got the better of him, and he relaxed in her arms, fighting back the urge to cry.
"How could they leave her behind?" He asked brokenly. "How?"
"I'm sorry to have to do this son," General Hammond said, "But we need to try and find out what happened."
"You mean…Carter didn't come back with us?" Jack asked, rubbing a hand over his face.
"No," General Hammond replied. "We've had no word from her since you left for the start of the mission."
Jack was silent, staring down at the bed sheet as if it contained the answer to his problems. Hammond felt a brief twinge of guilt, but brushed it aside, remembering the way he had treated Major Carter a couple of years back.
Debbie was seated beside Jack on the bed, still holding his hand. Daniel was standing against the wall, arms folded and a bleak expression on his face. Janet and Teal'c stood either side of him.
"We were in the cell," Debbie began, "You were bleeding, badly, you were in a really bad way. She was with Ba'al."
"She?" Daniel enquired, "You mean Sam?"
"Yes, I mean Sam!" Debbie snapped, "Who else did you think I was talking about?"
"She has a name," Daniel ground out through his teeth.
"Whatever. Anyway, we were in the cell, and then these jaffa came in and said we were to be escorted to the gate. They took us there and just sort of…left."
"There was no mention of Major Carter or what happened to her?" Hammond probed.
"No," Debbie replied. "The last time I saw her was when Jack was…"
"With Ba'al," he finished.
"I don't understand," Hammond said, "Why would Ba'al let the two of you go, but not Major Carter?"
Jack groaned and put his head in his hands, realisation and a memory hitting him with the force of a heavy truck. Her voice rang in his memory, and he was filled with dread.
"I might be able to cut a deal…to get you out of here."
"I'll do it, I will. But you'll be safe. Debbie can go with you, you can get back to the SGC."
"Colonel?" Hammond asked, "Colonel, what is it?"
Jack pulled his hands away from his face, but couldn't bring himself to look Hammond in the eye.
"I…remember something. D…Colonel Welling was with Ba'al, I was in the cell with Sam. She mentioned something… about a deal."
"What kind of deal, son?" Hammond questioned.
"She said that she could get me and Debbie out of there, back here and safe."
"By doing what?"
"Ba'al mentioned something about a better offer from someone, for our freedom," Debbie said.
"Our freedom?" Janet asked.
"Mine and Jack's," Debbie replied.
Daniel gritted his teeth.
"Dammit," Jack croaked, "I told her not to. I made it an order!"
"Then it is most likely that Major Carter offered her life to Ba'al in exchange for your freedom," Teal'c said, sombrely.
The colour drained from Daniel's face, and he left the room quickly. Janet cast an agonised glance after him, but didn't follow.
"Nobody made her!" Debbie retorted, annoyed at the reactions of the people around her.
Jack wrenched his hand from hers and turned away, trying to bury his head in the pillow.
Teal'c bowed his head sadly, and left the room to find Daniel. Janet retired to her office, leaving Jack, Debbie and Hammond alone.
"I don't hold either of you to blame for this," Hammond said, "But Jack, when you're feeling up to it I will need a formal debrief from you."
"Yes, sir," Jack replied.
"Why do you need a statement?" Debbie asked, "We already told you what we know!"
"It's just procedure, Colonel," Hammond replied coolly.
"It wasn't his fault," she snapped, "Or mine!"
"Colonel, I hope you're not implying that the blame lies with Major Carter!"
"She blew our cover!" Debbie snapped, "She should have sensed the presence of a Goa'uld, she could have helped us to escape. But no - she just sat there."
Hammond turned around and left the room before he did something he would come to regret.
She woke up in the small cell where the three of them had been kept. So much for being a Lo'tar, she thought. It was no different to being a prisoner, you just had to dress up for it.
She wore a tight-fitting black gown that was not unlike his, with a skirt that flared out at the bottom. She supposed it was marginally better than the blue monstrosity the Shava'dai had provided her with - even if the company wasn't.
Her cheek stung from the many blows he had dealt her, and she picked absently at a spot of dried blood on the front of her gown. The sarcophagus had done the trick with her wounds - though she had wondered if she would ever get in it. Ba'al had seemed to realise that keeping her out of it prolonged the agony, and so he enjoyed it more.
She looked at the four walls surrounding her, that seemed to close in on her, and sighed. She clenched her hands into fists and, for the first time since she had made the deal with Ba'al, she allowed herself to cry.
"Hold on," Makepeace said, stopping suddenly, ignoring Edelson as he crashed into the back of him.
"According to this, the ship is just over the crest of that hill."
"Proceed with caution," Makepeace said, in a harsh whisper, "We don't know how many jaffa he has stationed outside, let alone inside."
McKay ran a hand over the sidearm he carried, nervously. Had this been such a good idea after all? When facing a jaffa would he be able to defend himself, or would he just squeal and run behind one of the marines? Shit, he wasn't really cut out for this part of the job.
They walked as far as they could go before dropping down on their hands and knees, crawling to the top of the hill and looking over.
When Makepeace saw what was there, you could have heard his string of expletives on Tollana.
After hours of persuasion, Debbie had finally left him alone. His emotions were so mixed, he didn't know which one to try and confront first.
Anger. Fear. Hatred. Guilt.
Anger. Anger at himself, at Debbie, and Carter. Dammit, he'd told her not to do it - he could still remember her pale face in the darkness, telling him she could make the deal. He'd ordered her not to - but she'd done it anyway. He was angry at Debbie for laying the blame completely on Sam. How could it have all been her fault? He was angry at Debbie for her insensitivity - he couldn't hold a candle to her! Most of all, he was angry at himself. He had been the CO in charge, he should have stopped them being captured and he should never, ever have allowed Sam to be left behind.
Fear. He was scared for Sam. He had first hand experience of what Ba'al was capable of, and it wasn't good. Hell, he'd got so desperate that he wanted Daniel to help him ascend - and she didn't even have Daniel there. He was afraid of the man he had become - allowing himself and Debbie to treat her so badly, without a hint of remorse for her suffering.
Hatred. He hated himself. He hated Ba'al for being the sick, twisted snake head that he was, but he hated himself. He never left a member of his team behind, never. It was never an option for him, and it never would be. Yet, here he was, sitting pretty in the infirmary whilst his once best friend was probably dying. Great job, Colonel, he thought bitterly.
Guilt. It wasn't Sam's fault, it was his and Debbie's. Poor Sam shouldn't even have been on the mission with them - he sure knew that she didn't want to be there! What he couldn't understand, above all else, was why she had done it. It was no secret that the bridges between them had been well and truly burned, and after everything he'd put her through he deserved the worst she could give him. She'd given her life for his - knowing full well that the gesture probably wouldn't have been returned. That made him so very sad. He closed his eyes to try and shut out the pain, but she was there in his minds' eye, huddled against the corner of the room. She was there, trying to ease his pain and getting shouted at by Debbie for her efforts.
"Yeah, sir, listen to me - please try and stay awake. Don't go to sleep."
"Tired," he mumbled.
"I know," Sam said, biting back tears of her own, "But do this for m…do this for Debbie."
He'd had no right to ask her to forgive him. How could he have expected her to do that? He thought of the years he'd spent trying to convince himself that he could live without her - was he just stringing himself along? What he was feeling now certainly seemed to suggest it.
"Jacob? We thought you were Ba'al!" Makepeace snapped, lowering his weapon.
"Sorry to disappoint you," Jacob replied dryly, "But did you really think he was going to wait here for you to kick him in the ass?"
"You mean he's gone?" Edelson asked, "We spent the best part of two days walking out here for nothing?"
"We've been tracking the movements of his ship," Jacob explained, "We know how many jaffa are on board, and we know how many men we're going to need to rescue Sam."
"How many?" Makepeace asked.
"More than we have here," Jacob said. "Come on - we have Tok'ra backup on board, and we need to move quickly. When Ba'al realises we're onto him, we're…"
"Screwed." McKay finished.
Still, he couldn't help but feel relieved that he wouldn't have to use the weapon. He would just have to endure the equivalent of a long-haul aeroplane flight with SG-3.
"Who's the short one?" Jacob asked Makepeace as they boarded the ship.
"Doctor Rodney McKay," Makepeace smirked, "Thinks he's smarter than Sam. Also fancies the ass off of her."
With that, he walked ahead, a shit-eating grin spreading over his face. Let McKay handle that one, he thought.
"Your lord requests your presence," the jaffa announced, standing at the door to her cell.
"Oh, great!" Sam said quietly, but this did not go unnoticed by the jaffa, who pushed her in the ribs with his staff weapon, laughing as the force knocked her over.
"Come now, Tau'ri, you mustn't delay him!"
Reluctantly, Sam got up and followed him, a hand pressed to her chest to try and dull the pain there.
The jaffa led her to a small room she didn't recognise and left her there, closing the door behind him. Adrenaline coursed through her veins. This didn't look like a torture chamber, but then again Ba'al had the power to control gravity, so anything was possible. And yet, there was no sign of the man himself. She backed herself up against the wall, so he couldn't get her from behind, and waited. She could feel the blood pounding in her ears as her heart raced.
Had she been set up by the jaffa? Taken to the wrong room, which would make her late and almost certainly incur a punishment for doing so. No, she didn't think so. This room appeared to be safe, but she didn't allow herself to relax. She couldn't afford to. Reluctantly, slowly, she walked away from the safety of the wall and into the centre of the room. It was then that she saw a door at the far end of the room, which she assumed she was supposed to go through.
She flattened herself against the far wall and inched closer to the door, staying alert for any sounds that would tell her who, or what, was inside.
"My love, are you going to remain outside of that door all day?" His smooth voice drifted out through the door, tinged with amusement. Gritting her teeth, Sam opened the door and went inside.
The room was obviously his private chamber, as it was the most luxurious she had seen so far. The man himself was stretched lazily on a couch, and had that irritating smirk plastered on his face that made her want to punch him. So confident, so self-assured. He needed a good kick up the ass.
"Well?" He asked.
"What do you require of me, my lord?" She reeled off, glaring at him.
"A little more grace, perhaps," he said, beckoning to her to approach him.
"Pour me some wine," he ordered, waving his hand to a tall glass on the table opposite him.
Pour it yourself, Sam thought, but went over to the table anyway. She began to wonder about the possibility of escape. Perhaps she could break the glass, injure him (she had very little hope of killing him) and make a run for it? No, that wouldn't work, there were too many jaffa. Was the wine a key? Could she put something in it? She was so immersed in thought that she forgot what she was supposed to be doing.
"Any time today, my love," he said testily.
She poured the glass and held it out for him to take from her, but his arms remained stubbornly folded across his stomach. Sam faltered - what the hell was she supposed to do now?
"My lord?" She asked, holding the glass closer to him, still trying to stay at arms length away from him.
"I cannot reach," he said innocently, his dark eyes burning into hers.
This was not a good situation. If she got any closer to him, he'd be able to grab her and…
"Which part of that did you not understand?" he asked, getting angrier.
Reluctantly, she drew closer to him, annoyed to see that her hand was shaking. She took a deep breath and tried to force it to be still, but she shaking moved to her legs instead. His hand shot out suddenly and grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer still.
"Thank you," he said, finally taking the glass from her. She took a step backwards but he pulled her closer again.
"Why do you always want to run away from me?" He asked. "I could hold the key to your happiness."
"I don't think so," Sam replied.
"You speak, but you know nothing about it. You have not even heard my offer, he took a sip of wine and waited, expectantly.
Sam laughed.
"Your offer? I made a deal with you once, and once only. I'm not doing it again, that wasn't what we discussed…"
He rose from the couch and stood in front of her, almost nose-to-nose.
"You gave me your life in exchange for the freedom of the other two. You are mine, my love, and I can do what I wish with you," he whispered in her ear.
"We're approaching the ship," Jacob said, "Now, as far as we're aware, Ba'al has about four personal jaffa in his service, and between 8-12 on the ship. The first four should only be centred around his personal quarters and the…torture room, so they should be easiest to find and take out. The others will be spread out through the ship, so take great caution."
"How long before we board?" Makepeace asked, anticipation building within him.
"Just under one hour," Jacob said, "Now, Doctor McKay, it might be better for you to remain here to…"
"No way," McKay replied quickly, "I've not just spent the last two days trudging through sand with these guys bitching about me and breaking my computer to have to sit it out at the last hurdle. I'm going with you."
Makepeace made an "Ooooooooh!" noise which McKay ignored, and Jacob raised his eyebrows.
"Okay, then, doctor if you're sure."
"You'll need to split into teams of five, with four focussed on defence and one to rescue major Carter. It is NOT a priority to kill lord Ba'al, you must get out of there with minimum risk to yourselves. He is a very powerful Goa'uld and has the ability to manipulate gravity, so whatever you do, do not approach him."
"Well, what if he's with Major Carter?" Makepeace asked.
"You'll have to approach him," Jacob said wearily, "If you can incapacitate him in any way do it, but I'll have no crusaders trying to kill him at the last minute - we can do that some other time."
"You seem confident," One of the Tok'ra said to Jacob, arranging his weaponry.
"No," Jacob said, "It's never wise to be confident with Ba'al - I have a great deal of respect for what he can do. He'll always be two steps ahead of us, you all need to keep that in mind."
"Yes, Jacob."
"We're drawing closer to the ship. Prepare to board in 40 minutes, Colonel."
She pulled away from him and took another step backwards, but this time he followed her until she was backed against the wall.
"I can offer you an eternal life of health and prosperity," he said softly, "You will have all the power you could ever wish for."
"And what do I have to do in return?" Sam asked, sarcastically, though she already knew the answer and had no intention of becoming one.
"Become the host for my new queen," he finished, "We could rule the galaxy together."
He pressed his lips over hers, still holding her against the wall. A shudder of revulsion went through her and she turned her head away.
"What do you say, my love?" He asked.
"Over my dead body!" She replied.
His eyes narrowed, and he raised the ribbon device to her forehead.
"I am certain that could be arranged."
The pain was blinding, forcing her eyes shut and travelling through her body in hot waves, forcing her to the floor. She could still hear him laughing as she lost consciousness.
"My Lord!"
Ba'al turned around angrily to find a jaffa standing just inside the door of his quarters.
"I do not recall granting you permission to enter," he snarled.
"Forgive me, my lord, but there are Tok'ra aboard the ship," the jaffa said, bowing his head.
"What?" Ba'al snarled.
"Approximately 20 of them, my Lord. They have already taken out nine jaffa, and are heading this way."
"They have come for the prisoner?" Ba'al asked, looking back down at Sam on the floor.
The jaffa nodded.
"Well," he said thoughtfully, dragging Sam up off of the floor, "They will have had a wasted journey."
"Keep going!" Jacob shouted, "We're almost there."
"McKay seemed pretty pissed that you left him out of the rescue team," Makepeace said.
"I don't care," Jacob replied, "Now, this is his chamber. I don't sense the presence of a symbiote, I think it's safe to go in."
They were disappointed to find it empty, and Jacob smacked his fist into the wall, cursing.
Makepeace was knelt on the floor, looking carefully at it.
"Jacob - there's blood here. He must have only just left."
"Go!" Jacob yelled, scrambling out of the room, fear giving him another burst of energy.
McKay frowned at the other Tok'ra, who were satisfied that the jaffa had been taken out and were waiting for further orders from Jacob.
"What if he needs our help?" McKay pestered, "Shouldn't we do something?"
"We have our orders to remain here until Jacob tells us," one of them replied snootily.
"Yeah, whatever," McKay replied under his breath, waiting until their backs were turned before sneaking out of the room, drawing his gun.
"I'll be damned if I'm going to sit on my butt and wait for orders from a Tok'ra," he sniffed, and continued down the corridor, keeping himself flat to the wall.
"Stop!"
He heard a voice yell from around the corner. He instantly recognised it as Jacob's and flinched. He crept closer to the end of the wall, but didn't look round.
"Do you believe you have won, Tok'ra shol'va?"
That had to be Ba'al. The Goa'uld had very distinctive speech - like they'd been smoking too many woodbines. His heart began to beat faster. Oh shitbuggerblastdamn! He was standing just meters away from a system lord.
"Let her go," Makepeace said, "And we won't kill you."
Ba'al laughed loudly, all the time holding Sam firmly in his grasp.
"You think you can kill me?"
He quickly raised the hand which held the ribbon device and used it on Edelson, who was knocked back against the wall from its force. Before Jacob could fire on him, he'd activated his shield and was standing there, smirking.
McKay carefully looked around the corner and saw what was happening. Shitshitshitshit….
He pulled the knife from his utility belt and looked at it. This was the only weapon that could penetrate a Goa'uld force shield, but his aim was crap. If he could just incapacitate the guy…
"You have had a wasted journey," Ba'al said, turning around to leave.
McKay took aim, and threw the dagger.
Jacob gasped as Ba'al flinched suddenly, dropping Sam on the floor with a loud thud. He reached around behind his back and his hand came back sticky with blood.
"This is not over!" he promised, in a suitably dramatic voice, before collapsing to the floor as well, revealing….
"DR MCKAY?" Makepeace screeched.
McKay was standing there, staring at Ba'al like a rabbit caught in car headlights.
"Well, I'll be damned," Jacob said, "The little science buff saved the day."
McKay quickly snapped out of his trance and dropped to Sam's side on the floor.
"She's still breathing," he said, feeling for a pulse, "But her pulse is weak. We need to get back on the ship quickly."
"Roger that," Jacob replied, bending down and pulling his daughter into his arms. "Someone get Edelson, and let's haul ass back to the ship."
"Sam?"
She opened her eyes wearily, surprised to see her father looking down at her.
"Dad?" she asked, "Is that really you?"
"Yeah," he smiled, stroking a hand through her hair, "We're taking you home. You're okay."
Her eyes drooped shut again, but when she felt someone touching her hand they snapped open again.
"Hey, lover!"
She looked at him in disbelief.
"Just when I thought today couldn't get any worse…" she groaned.
"You love me really," he smiled.
"Yeah, when hell freezes over," she said, wincing as the pain of her ordeal finally started to get through.
"Do me a favour, honey, and shut up for once in your life," McKay said, looking concerned rather than amused. Sam merely nodded and closed her eyes.
That was when he knew she was in a bad way - he'd gotten no acid reply to calling her 'honey.'
"Now," came a voice from behind him, "She might not have kicked your ass for saying that, but if I hear it again, I will."
McKay blushed as Jacob Carter sat beside him.
"Ah, now, I…"
"You did good, McKay," Jacob said, slapping a hand on his shoulder.
"I…thanks," he replied, for once lost for words.
To Be Continued…
Author's Note: Again, sorry about the delay. Please send feedback to Well done for getting this far in the series. Who wants another chapter??