3?
It was weeks until Daniel discovered what Blue was asking. When he came into the tent, surprised to see all three men conscious, he asked them all the same question. Daniel was finally able to answer. "We are just traveler's. We mean no harm." He was able to say in Blue's language.
Blue looked at him, then ordered one of his 'henchmen', as Jack had begun to call the guards, into the tent. The henchman was carrying Jack's weapon. "No harm?" Blue asked, pointing to Daniel.
"Stop it!" Jack shouted, as he always did when Daniel or Teal'c were being tortured. "Leave him alone!"
Blue turned his attention to Jack. "I've grown tired of them." He stated, leaving the tent. The henchmen gave them sardonic smiles.
…
"We were left for dead." Daniel said, tears streaming down his face. Sam squeezed the hand that she had been holding for the last two hours. "I woke up, I don't know how long later, and Jack and Teal'c were gone. There was no guard at the doorway. I waited until night, then forced myself to search every tent for them. I didn't find them anywhere. I knew that no matter what happened to them, I could not get them myself. I was too weak. So I took the chance and dialed home, surprisingly unnoticed. Sam, I'm not sure if they made it or not." Daniel said remorsefully. "I failed them." He began to sob and Sam gathered him in a hug. It wasn't long before he was asleep, exhausted from everything that had happened to him.
After he was sleeping peacefully, Sam asked Siler to watch him as she went to talk to Hammond. "Sir, they might still be alive."
Hammond gave her an apologetic look. "We can't go looking for them Major Carter."
"Sir! We can't just give up!"
Hammond shook his head. "I heard his whole story. So did the President. He does not believe they are alive, nor does he think we should send out yet another rescue team. Our other teams were lucky not to be caught; the next ones may not be so lucky. We can't take that chance."
Sam plopped herself in a chair, willing herself not to cry. "He's my husband." She said quietly.
"I'm sorry Sam."
…
Two months later Sam was spending a lot of time with Daniel. He was much better, feeling about ninety-five percent he said. It helped him to be with Sam. She was his connection with Jack, and knowing that the baby she carried was their last link to Jack made Daniel become her watchdog. He helped her decorate the baby's room, spent long nights with her when the grief was too overwhelming. He'd practically moved into her and Jack's house. She even bought him a toothbrush for those nights they fell asleep on the couch after a long night of sobbing.
It was the day that they were shopping for a crib that she got the call. "We're on our way." She said. "Teal'c's just arrived at SGC, via Thor." She told Daniel. They left the store immediately and rushed to the complex. They found Teal'c, thermometer in mouth, at the medical bay. Hammond, Janet, and Thor were all gathered around him.
"I assure you, he is in perfect health." Thor was saying.
"This is just a preliminary thing Thor." Hammond said.
"Teal'c, what happened?" Sam asked as soon as she walked into the room.
"We found him unconscious while we were doing a routine scan of the planet. We brought him back and cleaned him, and when he awoke sometime later he told us O'Neill was still on the planet. We scanned the planet several times, but could not find O'Neill's signature." Thor answered.
Daniel, who had already hugged Teal'c, asked, "Where did you go?"
Teal'c, taking the thermometer out of his mouth, said, "They took us for more torture the following morning when they realized we were awake. You had not woken, so they left you to die. Thor found me back in the tent after you had, apparently, escaped."
"Jack?" Sam asked, unable to say anything else.
Teal'c lowered his head, then looked at her. "I'm afraid I do not know what happened to O'Neill. He never returned to the tent. And as Thor said, they did not see his signature."
Sam shook her head. She would not believe that he was dead. Never. And she would make sure her child knew that she would never give up hope.