Title: When All Else Fails

Chapter: Three

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

XXXX

20 months 8 days since Sam's ascension:

He sat by the edge of the water, a pole lying limp in his hands, his feet dangling into the cool water. General Jonathan "Jack" O'Niell was alone, or so he thought, fishing in the lake behind his Minnesota cabin, enjoying the weeklong downtime the President had ordered him to take. After not missing a day of work in over a year he understood why he had done so, and was very thankful.

He kicked his feet slowly back and forth in the water, watching the ripples the motion caused. He had long since forgotten the fishing pole in his hands; it wasn't like anything would be biting anyway. He was more focused on the early spring sun beating down on him and the cool breeze that occasionally passed by, it was the perfect day.

An hour passed by slowly, then another, and soon the sun was beginning to set and the temperature had dropped at least 5 degrees. He picked up the rod from where it had been haphazardly dropped on the dock and walked to his cabin, setting the pole next to the back door. He grabbed a beer from his fridge and made his way back to the dock, once again sitting on the edge and slipping his feet into the now cooler water of the lake.

As he sipped on the beer he felt a breeze pass by, tousling his hair. It wasn't like the previous breezes, though; those had been soft and warm. This breeze was sharp and chilled him to the bone. He sighed into his beer and addressed her. "I always knew I'd get you here some day."

There was only silence, but the breeze once again hit his face.

"I don't think Oma would be too upset if you spoke, you know. Daniel did it a few times."

"That was different," he heard her say, it sounded like she was sitting right next to him, but when he looked he saw nothing.

"How was it different?"

"Daniel wasn't in love with you," her voice whispered. He looked down at the water and saw ripples, much like the ones that he had caused earlier, when he had been kicking his feet back and forth. So, she was sitting next to him, he wished that she would show herself, he was starting to rely on photos to remember how she looked.

"Yeah," he sighed, "too bad about that."

He heard a giggle, he wished he could see her smile. "No giggling."

"That doesn't work anymore, Jack. You're not my CO."

"Damn," he muttered. She giggled again.

"Oh, for cryin' out loud."

"What's so wrong with my giggling anyhow?"

He sighed, "It's too cute."

"Well?"

"You were my 2IC, cute wasn't exactly a way I was supposed to see you."

"Well, yeah."

This whole hearing but not seeing thing was starting to get to him. "20 months, Sam," he said, sighing. "20 long, lonely months." He paused, checking to see if he could see her yet, she was still invisible. "All that time, Sam, and this is the first time you've ever answered me when I talked. Why now?"

"I don't know, I was getting lonely too. I wanted to hear you voice, I figured you'd want to hear mine."

"But, you can see me and I can't see you? Somehow that doesn't seem fair." He slowly kicked his feet back and forth, sending his own set of ripples through the water.

She ignored him; "This place is beautiful. I should have come with you before."

"Yeah," he agreed, "you should have."

"I'm sorry Jack."

"Why?"

"I left."

"You chose life over death, Sam. I could never be angry with you for wanting to live. And, to tell you the truth, I'd be more angry with you if you had given up and let him kill you."

He felt a small weight on his hand and looked down at it. A milky white feminine hand lay on top of it, he followed the connecting arm up to her face, and their eyes met. "Energy has never looked better," he quipped.

She smiled that magnetic smile of hers, the one that he knew she reserved only for him, or at least she had before. She gave his hand a squeeze and began to fade away again, "Goodbye, Jack. I love you."

She was gone before he could reply the air around him had turned chilly, and he shivered. He pulled his feet from the water and watched as the last set of ripples disappeared into the lake. Sighing to himself he wrapped his arms around his body, in an attempt to warm up. He began to slowly make his way back into the cabin, glancing up at the bright, twinkling stars. She was up there somewhere, he told himself. Somewhere up there.

XXXX

22 months 19 days since Sam's ascension:

"So, what do the locals call this world again?" Jack asked as the Stargate whooshed forward.

"The planet is called Sianna, the country that the 'gate is located on is Acadia," Daniel replied, pulling on his vest.

"And, they're at the same level of technology as we are?"

"No," Major Roberts, the new CO of SG-1, replied. "They're about a decade or two behind us."

"But, they're the closest to us so far?"

It was Teal'c's turn to respond, "Indeed."

"Ok. Just checking." He paused, "So why am I going again?"

Major Roberts smiled, "They requested audience with you, Sir."

"Ah," he said, "Why?"

"Because you're the leader of this base," replied Daniel, walking up the ramp, headed towards the shimmering blue puddle. "You're important."

"Cool," he said, following him. Major Roberts, Captain Reese, and Teal'c following. They walked through the 'gate and ending up on P8Q-636, the planet called Sianna.

"So," Jack said, slipping on a pair of sunglasses, "these people speak English, right?"

"Their language is a mixture of English and Latin, but mostly English. There shouldn't be a problem, if somebody needs a translation, I'm there."

"Right, so where are we going?"

"The home of the defide."

"Defide?"

"Means "of the faith"."

"So what, he's like a priest?" Captain Reese asked.

"Basically, yeah."

"Why his house?"

Daniel led them down a worn, dirt path; "in Acadian society the defide is the ruler. Unlike earth they have only one faith, Christianity. To my understanding the Goa'uld brought them here around 1543 AD, I'm assuming that the small difference in the technology is a result of having to readjust to a new planet." He turned a corner, the rest followed.

"You sure you know where you're going?" Major Roberts inquired.

"I'm sure," was his reply as he turned another corner.

Major Roberts ran a hand through her short, brown hair haphazardly, pulling it out of her face. She was shorter than Sam, by an inch, maybe two. Her hair was longer, but not by much. It was a medium shade of brown, her eyes were light green, and she was younger than she looked, only 34. She had become the CO of SG-1 around a month after Jack woke from his coma; she came with high recommendations. Jack was hesitant at first, he hadn't wanted Sam's position to be taken but he wasn't being realistic, she wasn't coming back, there was no reason to keep her job open.

Captain Reese was a tall man, over 6-foot. It was strange, really, the CO was a petite, and according to many of the men of the base very attractive and her 2IC was half a foot taller than she was. Reese was not only tall but very well built, he might even give Teal'c a run for his money. His hair was a darker shade of blonde and his eyes were the same brown as Jack's. He was a young man of only 29.

To Jack it was funny, the differences between the Commanding Officer and her Second in Command. One would think that Reese was the CO of the team, upon meeting them for the first time. But, in reality Roberts had him wrapped around her finger, and he followed her orders with 110 precision. It reminded him of when Sam had been his 2IC, but even Sam was defying every now and then, although it was never anything major. With Reese, however, it was doubtful he would ever go against an order.

Reese had started at the SGC years back, when he was a Lieutenant, as a member of SG-8. When he was promoted to Captain he was asked to join SG-1, and who would turn that opportunity down?

They approached what Jack assumed was the defide's home. It was similar to one you would find on Earth; a cabin made out of dark wood. No doorbells, Daniel informed them, they hadn't invented them yet. So, Jack knocked and a few seconds later a man around his age, with slightly graying hair answered the door.

"Ah," he said when he saw Daniel. "Doctor Jackson, nice to see you again. Come in, come in."

The five entered the house and the defide showed them into what Jack assumed was the living room.

"Do any of you thirst?" He asked, even more formal than Teal'c.

Each shook their head and sat. The defide sat as well. "I assume that this man is the leader of your Stargate program."

"Yes," Jack said, "I'm General O'Neill."

"It is nice to meet you, General. I am Defide Alani."

"Alani?"

"Trintan Alani is my full name."

"Jonathan O'Neill, most just call me Jack, you can call me General."

"And you can call me Defide."

Jack nodded and sent a "is this over almost over" look towards Daniel, who shrugged. "Defide Alani, you spoke of a technology your scientist were working on, something called the Unagi?"

"Yes, yes, Unagi. It is a device that allows one to read another's thoughts."

"Really?" Jack asked, his interest peaked.

"It is still in the experimental stages, General."

Jack eyed the man suspiciously, "If you say so."

Around that time Teal'c and Captain Reese both stood abruptly and began to make their way towards the doors of the house; Teal'c to the front, Reese to the back. It was then that Jack understood why they were behaving so strangely. Heavy footfall could be heard in the distance, barely audible but when one heard it they knew immediately who and only who those heavy steps belonged to; Jaffa.

Jack stood and hovered over the Defide, "Who's coming?" He demanded. When the man did not answer him he pulled him out of his chair, "WHO IS COMING?!?" He yelled.

"I had no choice," the man said in a small, weak voice. "They gave me no choice."

"WHO?!?"

"The one you call Ba'al," he answered, shaking in Jack's grip. "He threatened our planet, I had no choice."

Jack let go of him and he fell to the floor, "Daniel, Roberts, get ready. We've got company." He followed Teal'c to the front door and peered out. They weren't coming from that direction, "Reese?!" He called out.

"They're coming in this direction, Sir! Less than a click away."

"Shit," he muttered, "How many?"

"From what I can tell nearly a hundred."

A string of curses came from both Jack and Roberts. Nobody had time to pay mind to the dirty words coming out of such a petite woman as Roberts, however. "Out the front then!" He yelled.

Daniel was the first to exit, followed by Reese and Roberts. Teal'c stayed behind with him as Jack went once again into the living room to seek out Alani. He was still lying on the floor, shaking.

"Get up!" Jack yelled out at him.

He stood slowly, "I am sorry."

"Yeah, well. You'd better be. Get out of here."

He looked at him confused.

"Look," Jack sighed, "if they come and we're gone they'll kill you. Get out of here, follow my people." When Alani didn't move he shouted out at him again, "GO!"

Alani scurried out the door and Jack made his way to the back to check on how far away they were, it was going to be a close call. "Come on Teal'c," Jack said, going back towards the front, "let's get out of here."

They got to the front door just as a blow from a staff hit him in the leg, he fell down immediately. Teal'c stopped shot at the man who had hit him with the zat gun, then began to help him up. "No!" He called out, "Get out of here, Teal'c."

"I will not leave you, O'Neill." Teal'c said, pulling him up.

Jack let out a painful grunt; the sounds of Jaffa footfall were getting closer. "I won't let them get you too, Teal'c. Go, and that's an order."

"Very well," he said letting him down slowly, a painful look in his eyes. "I will return with help, O'Neill."

"I'll hold you to that," he said as Teal'c nodded and ran out the door. As he lay on the ground the sounds of metal hitting hardwood floors rang in his ears and he began to pull himself towards the hallway, hoping to escape capture. But, it was a halfhearted attempt and before he made it halfway to his destination he felt the electricity of a zat gun pass through his body, then he gave way to the darkness.

XXXX

A/N: Dun, dun, dun. Evil Laugh. Don't 'cha just love cliffhangers? Let me know how you like it so far, if it's total crap tell me so, I'll try and fix it. Flames are allowed, but not exactly necessary! Hey, guys, I don't speak Latin, so if defide doesn't mean :of the faith" then it's my dictionary's fault, blame it. I read the definition as a fluke anyway, I was looking up something else. But, anyway... yeah. I took French in school... which probably couldn't tell you much about that language either. Oh, and if you're wondering about "John Doe", i'm about half way through with the next chapter. So be patient, maybe by the end of the day today or the beginning of tomorrow it will be out. Maybe.