Jack tossed the long-range Goa'uld communication orb in the air, catching it then tossing it again as he sat propped against a tree trunk on P78-294. His manner suggested unawareness, disinterest in his surroundings, but in fact he was on the alert for any sign of enemy Jaffa. They'd whiled away two days evading capture, he and Aetom, melting into the forest while Montu's Jaffa patrolled like scurrying lost ants. They were workers without the queen bee, running circles without direction; it was only a matter of time before they gave up... hopefully.

Jack tossed the orb once more, rolled it in his hands, and looked up through the sun-spotted tree canopy. For being hunted and snaked, it was turning out to be a fairly decent vacation. Hiding in the woods was almost like going up to Minnesota for a weekend, minus the cold and mosquitoes. After they had fled into the forest there was no longer reason for Aetom to continue his act as Gornam, so without fanfare he returned to Jack full control of his body. He had not asked command again but for a brief ten second communication to the Tok'ra council, otherwise giving Jack all the freedom an un-snaked human enjoyed. All things considered and given the circumstances, Jack was in a pretty good mood.

Jack set the ball down in the grass beside him, threaded his fingers around his bent knee and asked, 'How long will they keep at this?'

–Not for much longer. They will realize their god has been slain, not to rise again, and escape through the Chappa'ai, most likely to ingratiate themselves into the service of another Goa'uld.–

Jack nodded to himself. He looked over the terrain he'd navigated earlier that morning to come to this little patch of alien Eden. The grove of trees and grass he'd found and temporarily claimed was nestled inside a miniature valley, as though set in the depression of a fault line, craggy faces of stone rising from the south and west.

'Noticed something... my knees don't ache like they used to.'

–They wouldn't,– Aetom answered, –Tok'ra don't have arthritis or lingering old injuries.–

Jack flexed his knees, pleased to feel no creaking or stiffness, 'Will this go away when you're gone?'

Aetom almost seemed to sigh, –Not at first, but when I am not here to maintain your condition chronic problems will probably return.–

Jack stood and wiped grass from his pants. He bounced up on the balls of his feet a couple of times, feeling like the six-million dollar man. He'd not felt so young or strong for a long time, perhaps even never felt quite this untouchable in his life. He could certainly see some of the perks to having a Tok'ra symbiote. 'Shame... maybe I could borrow you every six months for a tune-up.' Jack meant it in jest, expecting an indulgent, long-suffering retort, but instead there was only pointed silence.

'Aetom?'

–Yes?–

Jack picked up the scattered items around the tree in preparation to depart. He slung the canteen and food pouch over his shoulder, tucked the dangling ribbon device into his belt, and palmed the communication orb as he asked, 'What's with you? You've been moping since we killed Montu. Don't tell me you MISS that snake.'

Aetom at once flared, emotions stirring from affected flatness at the remark, –Of course I don't.–

Jack started off through woods, as he made his way cocking his head left and right, listening for signs of Jaffa, his hearing enhanced and acute to the point he could swear he'd hear a dog whistle if the Goa'uld slaves had one. He almost wished they did... that would just be cool. 'Well, we'll be off this rock and with the Tok'ra soon enough and you can find a new host; you HAVE to be happy about that, I know I am.'

–I won't take that personally.–

'Hey, lighten up.' Aetom did not respond, prompting Jack to quip, 'I'm not going to ask what crawled up your ass since technically you're the one who kinda crawled up mine, but seriously, the mood is starting to grate.'

Aetom didn't reply and Jack frowned. Granted he hadn't been host to this symbiote for very long, a few weeks, but in that time he'd gotten to expect certain things from Aetom, one of which was answers to any question. Any time Jack asked something, even something personal, Aetom would answer without expecting the same courtesy in return.

'Come on, I'm sorry, all right?' Jack tried, figuring hell had to have just frozen over for him to apologize to a snake.

Aetom fumed darkly and Jack hastily amended, 'Didn't mean that, force of habit, I don't mind apologizing to a Tok'ra, but it WOULD be a cold day in hell before I apologized to a Goa'uld.'

Aetom's mood, at last, seemed to brighten a little and Jack pushed his way through the brush, still waiting for Aetom to tell him what was wrong.

When Aetom finally spoke, it brought Jack to a physical stand-still. –You scared me.–

Jack stood stock-still, thrown. 'I what? Scared you? How'd I do that?'

Aetom hesitated, reluctant to answer, but as always he finally spoke, –When we killed Montu... you were happy.–

Jack rolled his eyes and took a second to look around for movement of enemy soldiers then began walking again as he answered, 'What, and you weren't? Damn right I was happy, that snake got what he deserved.'

Aetom faltered, –You were not happy for him to die, you were happy to kill. There is a difference.–

Jack slowed to a stop again, beginning to understand. 'Look, Aetom, I thought you knew me well enough to have figured that part out. I never said my mind was a pretty place, I've never even claimed to be a good guy; you'd have to jump into Daniel to find that.'

Aetom returned, –You... are a contradiction.–

'Am not.'

Aetom, for the second time, reached into Jack's mind forcefully, drawing out two memories, presenting them juxtaposition for Jack to see. One was Special Forces, black ops Colonel O'Neill, raking a knife's edge through a man's throat on the leeward side of a desert dune in a Middle Eastern land, the other was Jack, Charlie's doting father, playing baseball with his son in the backyard and laughing.

'Stop,' Jack spat, pushing both images aside harshly, quickly growing angered by the course of the conversation, 'listen, I know who and what I am. Maybe that little episode with Montu shocked the pants off of you, but it didn't surprise me. I've done some really awful things; I'm capable of doing even worse things, I know that, too.'

–My fear was not for what you can do but for what causes you would commit such acts.–

'Oh, for crying out loud, is that all? Well, I can tell you right here and now, so break out the pen and paper. My country, my friends, my planet... not necessarily in that order. Sometimes Daniel gets me to tack on the defense of humanity in any pigeon-hole of the universe we find, and sometimes Carter makes me do it for the advancement of science, but just me, Jack O'Neill, it's a short list. I'm a simple guy.'

Aetom's answer felt like a smile as he said, –I can attest from personal experience that you are not a simple human, Jack. I was startled by what I felt from you when we killed Montu because it is against all that I had come to think of you.–

'Oh yeah, and what's that?' Jack asked in irritation.

Aetom moved away from the shadows he'd tucked into for two days, at once a disturbing but comforting presence, –That you are good.–

Jack had no immediate response to that, which gave Aetom time to continue, –You are an incredibly irritating, stubborn, obstinate human being, but a good one despite your many faults.–

Jack tried to think of a response, failed, then just blurted, 'Don't think you can sweet-talk your way into moving in permanently.'

Aetom laughed and Jack smirked in reciprocation, sensing the Tok'ra's mirth even as the somber disposition began to melt away.

–Rest assured, Colonel O'Neill, I would not want your company for the next hundred years.–

'Aww... I'm not that bad,' Jack teased in a mocking tone.

–You called me a tune-up.–

Jack snorted, 'Well, it makes me a Buick, so we're even. Hey, Aetom?'

–Yes?–

'Since we've survived and everything, guess I should thank you for saving my life.'

–No more than you saved mine, O'Neill. We worked well together.–

'Yeah... guess we did.'