Sam had stayed late in her lab again, planning the last details of her departure. She reached into the refrigerator for the last bottle of blood and absentmindedly removed the lid. She was totally engrossed in the printout she was reading as she brought the bottle to her lips and drank. She frowned at the information, trying to decide what seemed off, but unable to find the answer.

She turned to go recheck the file on her computer and nearly dropped the dark glass container from which she was drinking. "Daniel! I-I didn't hear you come in," she stuttered.

Her teammate's brow was furrowed, and she knew instantly that he was puzzling something out. He looked from her to the open laptop several times before he spoke. "How long?" was all he said.

"How long?" she repeated, playing dumb. "How long what?"

"Take your pick," he snapped.

Still flustered, she recapped the bottle and replaced it in the fridge. "I don't know what you mean," she replied as she turned back to face him.

His gaze was stern as he stared at her intently. "Stop with the innocent act, Sam. Let's start with an easy one. How long have you been infected?"

"Infected?"

He slammed his fist on the workbench, his eyes blazing with anger. "Damn it, Sam, don't play games with me! I've already lost one of my best friends to this madness, and now it looks like I'm going to be losing another. Don't insult me by pretending you don't know what I'm talking about!"

Sam's shoulders sagged in defeat, but she still avoided his question. "How did you know?"

He gestured to his own lips. "Your lipstick isn't that red. Then there are all the high-necked shirts you've been wearing, not to mention your paler-than-normal complexion and constant fatigue." He turned momentarily to point to her computer. "Plus, you'd normally ask me instead of doing this kind of research yourself," he explained.

She nodded, unsure what else to say.

Daniel, however, wasn't going to be satisfied with less than the complete truth. "So tell me, when you were bitten? Was it Jack or did it happen back on the planet?"

She sighed heavily. "Does it really matter? What's done is done."

"Let's say it does matter," he retorted. "Was Jack really the one responsible for putting all of those people in quarantine, or were some of them your doing?"

"Of course not! I'd never let the colonel take the blame if I were responsible!"

"Okay. So tell me--when?"

She crossed her arms and poked at the floor with the toe of her boot, unable to look him in the eye. "It wasn't on the planet."

"So Jack did it?" he prompted.

She rubbed her forehead, not sure of what exactly to tell him. "Yeah, I guess so."

He frowned again. "You guess so? Come on, Sam, I thought you were going to level with me!"

She finally looked at him, her own eyes sparkling with anger. "I am!" She took a deep breath to calm herself before continuing. "I woke up the morning he went missing from his quarters and found the marks on my neck. I swear to you, I don't remember how it happened! There's nothing from the time I walked in the door until Janet called to tell me he was missing--it's all a big blank."

His frown deepened. "Nothing at all?"

She shook her head. "Nothing! I don't remember him even being at my house, let alone any of the details of how it happened."

He pondered her explanation for a moment, then suddenly his eyes grew wide. "It's only been a few days, Sam. Jack's transformation took over a week. Why?"

She turned away, too unsure of his reaction to be able to face him. "I-I think we might have fought. A little. There was too much blood on my shirt and skin to have come solely from the bite." She shrugged. "I guess some of it must have been his, and somehow, it found its way into my system."

Daniel paled, his concern shining from his blue eyes. "Did he. . .was he. . .?"

She shook her head. "I already told you I don't remember anything! Please, stop pushing me for answers I don't have! I remember getting home and setting my things on the counter. Then nothing until the phone woke me. I was in bed on top of the covers, still wearing the same clothes as the night before."

"I'm sorry," he mumbled in apology. Suddenly unsure as to what to say or do, his eyes began to wander around her lab. It didn't take long for her open laptop to catch his eye. He automatically began to read the screen, then whipped his head back around to face her. "How long until you're leaving?"

"Soon."

He nodded. "It'll be hard for them to find a cure without you."

She smiled for the first time since he'd entered her lab. "They'll do fine," she reassured him.

He quickly returned her smile. "Yeah, but it will take them a whole lot longer without you." He looked down at his feet when she began to tear up. "It's too bad they don't have a. . ."

She reached for his arm in concern when he stopped speaking mid-sentence, his eyes growing wide. "That's it! That's the answer! I know how to cure you guys! God, why didn't I see it sooner?"

Still holding onto his arm, she pulled him back when he started to leave. "Daniel! What are you talking about? You found the cure? How? Where?"

His eyes danced with excitement. "It was right there all the time! I can't believe I didn't see it before!" He pulled her over to a stack of photos next to her computer. After searching through the pile, he pulled out the one he needed and pointed to it.

Confused, Sam frowned as she attempted to follow him. "That's the stelae by the Gate, the ones that tell about the Goa'uld removal device."

He shook his head. "We-I assumed they were referring to the Goa'uld. The inscription doesn't actually specify the Goa'uld. It says, "Come hither to our sanctuary and be freed from the taint. Your autonomy and free will shall be restored to you." It's so obvious! Why didn't I see it before?"

She still wasn't quite following him. "So, if they're not referring to the Goa'uld. . ."

He smiled broadly. "The nanites, Sam. The device is a way to remove the nanobots and cure the vampirism!"

Her smile matched his for a moment, then fell. "There's only one problem, Daniel. According to all the tests and readings I took, the device isn't working."

Jack hung limply in the chains as his captor circled around him, reveling in his pain. She ran a finger lightly across his bruised and swollen cheek. "If you are so reluctant to speak of the worlds you have visited, let us discuss the System Lords. You will tell me what Ra and the others are up to these days."

She'd avoided using her ability for compulsion, wanting to instead break him using good old-fashioned torture. She was counting on his need for blood to help with the process, but so far, he'd held his ground and refused to beg for it. When he remained silent and didn't provide the information, her anger again went up a notch. She resumed pacing in a circle around him, attempting to work off some of her ire. It took a moment to regain her self-control, but she managed to quell the urge to use her powers and force the answer from him.

"You are an intriguing puzzle, my pet. Tell me how you persuaded the First Prime of Apophis to abandon his post and join you." She again stopped directly in front of him, running her hands over his exposed chest. "Apophis must surely be furious with you! How is it you roam so freely about the galaxy without fear of his retribution?"

Jack snorted weakly, his body nearing its limits of endurance. "Why would I waste my time worrying about a dead snake?"

She stopped short at that bit of information and crossed the room to the table with the pitcher and goblets. She quickly refilled his cup and returned to her position in front of him once again. "So, you would have me believe that you have killed one of the gods?" she asked incredulously.

"Lady, I don't give a rat's ass what the hell you believe." The effort of speaking left him gasping for air. Still, he raised his head defiantly to look her in the eye and forced himself to continue. "And you're not gods, just a bunch of body-hijacking snakes with severe delusions of grandeur and egos bigger than the Milky Way."

Her rage burned in her eyes, but she held her temper. Seeing that he was at the end of his reserves, she held the cup to his lips and watched him eagerly down the contents. It was just enough to barely keep him going. Leanansidhe slowly sauntered back to replace the container on its tray, giving his body time to use the fluid he'd consumed.

She smiled seductively as she turned around to face him. "Ra must be quite grateful to you for ridding him of his long-time enemy. Though I'm surprised he hasn't attempted to conquer your planet. It's not like him to leave such a threat unchallenged."

He smirked at her, his defiance still shining from his eyes. "Oh, I wouldn't waste my time worrying about ol' Ra. He's not exactly up to doing any challenging these days either."

The Goa'uld laughed as she started toward him. "You go too far with this, my pet." She walked behind him and began to massage his shoulders, leaning forward until her mouth was right next to his ear as she spoke. "If you insist on continuing with these wild fantasies of yours, I shall be forced to punish you."

He clenched his teeth hard with the effort to ignore the effect her touch was having on his body. Tendrils of pleasure warred with the pain from his injuries as her hands traveled over his back and around to stroke his chest. Her voice again purred in his ear, heightening the sense of ecstasy. "Now tell me truthfully, my pet. How many of the System Lords have you really slain?"

Unable to resist her impulsion, he answered. "I don't know. I stopped counting them after awhile."

Enraged by his answer, she slipped around in front of him and grabbed his chin. "How are you able to resist?" She gasped as she looked into his eyes, seeing that he was securely under her spell and being truthful in his answer.

Her anger evaporated instantly as excitement began to build in its place. "Tell me which of the gods you have terminated."

There was no hesitation in his answer, so firmly under her control was he. "Ra was the first. Then there was Seth, Hathor, Her'u'ur, Cronus, Marduk, and Apophis."

She frowned slightly at his response. "Then I suppose Sokar has taken Ra's place as the most powerful of the System Lords."

His eyes were glazed with rapture from her continued caresses, but he instantly responded to her query. "No, the Tok'ra blew up Netu and took out Sokar and his ship in the process."

She paused at that news, but not long enough to release him from her hold. "So the Tok'ra are still out there making a nuisance of themselves. Tell me, which other of the gods have perished?"

She began to trail kisses along his neck, her passion growing with his every word as he answered. "Nirrti's dead. So is Isis. And Osiris was removed from his most recent host by the Tok'ra--don't know where they took him or what they did with him, though. Svarog was zapped away by the Sentinel, don't know if he's dead or not."

She pulled back to again look into his eyes. "Is that all?"

He nodded. "All that I know of."

Leanansidhe smiled in approval. "Good. There is much planning to be done." She leaned in to again kiss and lick at his neck. "But first, a little pleasure."

She bit down and began to drink his blood, overwhelming his senses. Too weak to handle the overload, his body began to shut down. She pulled back abruptly, sensing his distress as his breathing became erratic. Cursing, she quickly retrieved the pitcher of blood she'd been slowly feeding him and allowed him to drink it all.

She smiled as his eyes slid shut, pleased he appeared to be slowly recovering. "Rest now, my pet. For when you have regained your strength, we have plans to make." Her eyes sparkled with excitement at the prospect. "And you, my precious one, have many more gods to slay for me."

-tbc-

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who is still following this little escapade! More to follow tomorrow. :)