Spoilers: "Divide and Conquer," "Abyss"
Notes: Pete does not exist )
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This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks were intended. Previously unrecognized 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.
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When Lt. Colonel Sam Carter woke up that morning, she never imagined that she would be sitting in a Goa'uld prison with General Jack O'Neill's girlfriend.
Kerry Johnson was the CIA liaison to the SGC, and she was nice enough. Sam just wasn't all that keen to play "getting to know you" in a dank room, guarded by two Jaffa soldiers outside. Especially when the woman was dating a man she had feelings for.
It had amazed Sam in the first place that Kerry had made the journey. It wasn't like the SGC let untrained civilians go through the Stargate willy-nilly. But Kerry's superiors felt that it was a good idea for her to travel through with SG-1 to get a little perspective. Unsurprisingly, Jack had objected. In the end, he was overruled and SG-1 plus Kerry left for their mission on PJ3-445.
Daniel immediately took off to look at some intricate totems that resembled those made by the Tlingits of Southeast Alaska. Teal'C followed closely behind, leaving Sam alone with Kerry, the last place she wanted to be.
The first time they met was at Jack's house for a barbecue. Kerry sat on his deck, holding his hand and talking. Watching the two of them, so natural and easy with each other, was like a knife in Sam's gut. She loved him. And had for so long that she couldn't remember when it started, only that it had always seemed to be there.
She respected his decision to move on with his life but it was devastating to her. That night after the barbecue she had gone home, curled up into a little ball on her couch and cried. A dream had died for her. During her pity party, Sam tried to convince herself that anything Jack felt for her once was over.
Her thoughts came back to the present. They walked to the Native village and were greeted warmly. After introductions were made, Kerry and Sam were asked to join the locals in a ceremonial feast of a halibut-like fish, and salmonberries. Compared to a lot of the meals Sam had eaten on other planets, it wasn't half bad. Things were going well. The other shoe dropped when she began feeling lethargic. Sam glanced over at Kerry and noticed that her head was nodding and her eyes were hooded.
Sam reached for her P-90 only to find that one of the locals was now in possession of it. She watched as Kerry struggled when several men grabbed her. Her last thought before getting knocked out from behind was that Jack was going to be pissed if she got his girlfriend killed.
"Colonel Carter, are you alright?" Kerry asked.
"Yeah, I'll be alright. I'm going to have a heck of a bump in a few hours though."
"While you were unconscious, I was trying to think of a way for us to get out of here. I think I may have found one." She went on to explain that the guards had taken all of their weapons after searching them but that they had failed to take her hair clip which, with a little work could be made into a lock pick.
Great, Sam thought. Jack's girlfriend is beautiful, resourceful and available. What the hell does he need me for? The answer - absolutely nothing.
They decided to wait for nightfall to make their escape. That left them with several hours of nothing to do and Kerry felt chatty. Sam wasn't particularly in the mood.
"Who do you think is keeping us here?" Kerry asked.
"More than likely, it's Ba'al. He's the only remaining system lord who has any real power."
"Ba'al? He the one who tortured Jack, isn't he?" Kerry asked, fear in her eyes.
Sam couldn't believe that Jack had told her about that. They were obviously a lot closer than she had thought. She was devastated to think that Jack was sharing his past with this woman, that she was getting a part of him that Sam had never had and now she never would.
"Yes," she answered tightly. "Ba'al has a penchant for torturing his prisoners, which is yet another reason we need to get out of here."
They fell back in to silence for a few moments. Once again Kerry was the one to break that.
"So do you have anyone special back on Earth?"
Sam hesitated before answering. She did have someone in her heart, he just wasn't available because of Air Force regulations and this woman. "Not really," she said.
"Not really? What does that mean?"
Getting up from the bench, Sam wandered over to the cell bars, keeping her back to Kerry so she couldn't see her face.
"It's complicated. Our jobs keep us pretty busy and there are a few issues that we've never sorted out. I kept thinking that something would change but it hasn't. So I guess the real answer is no, I don't have anyone special."
"Don't let your work be an excuse, Sam," Kerry advised. "You can't cuddle up to a report at night."
"Oh, you'd be surprised," Sam said wryly.
"Maybe Jack knows someone for you," Kerry suggested.
God, this woman could give Ba'al a run for his money in the torture department and she wasn't even aware of what she was doing. Sam schooled her expression and faced Kerry. "I appreciate the thought but I'm not sure that I want my CO playing matchmaker. I can take care of my own love life."
Sam hoped that her words would put an end to Kerry's romantic line of questioning. "It's almost dark enough now, she whispered. "Get ready."
X X X
Back on Earth, General Jack O'Neill was debriefing Daniel and Teal'C.
"What the hell happened? This was supposed to be a straight diplomatic mission. Tell me then how exactly Carter and Kerry did not come through that gate with you?"
His heart had dropped when he saw only Teal'C and Daniel returning. Carter was more than capable of taking care of herself and Kerry but that didn't mean that he wasn't going out of his mind with worry.
"O'Neill, Daniel Jackson and I were examining ancient totems when we were attacked by several Jaffa. We were able to kill several of them and escape. We searched for Colonel Carter and Agent Johnson, and saw them being led inside a large prison. We would have been unable to overcome such a large number of soldiers, so we returned through the Stargate for reinforcements."
"Well then, reinforcements you shall have. Take SG-3, 7, 13 and 16."
Teal'C nodded his head and left the room. Daniel stayed behind.
"Are you OK with this Jack? You don't need to worry. We'll get Kerry back."
Jack didn't want to tell Daniel that his first thought hadn't been about Kerry - it had been about Sam. He was wound up, inwardly afraid that she wouldn't make it back, that he would lose her permanently.
He felt guilty that Kerry was simply an afterthought whereas Sam ...
Sam was the last person he thought about before going to sleep and the first person he thought about when he woke up. She was so much a part of him that he couldn't imagine living without her. He was tired of all of it. The regulations. Seeing her everyday and not being allowed to touch her - except when catastrophe struck. Then he was allowed to hold her, only then.
Kerry appeared in his life during a lonely time. His duties as general kept him isolated. The need for human companionship was pressing and there she was.
Kerry was beautiful and funny and smart and a good distraction from his thoughts of Sam. If he couldn't have the real thing, he might as well try to have feelings for good woman who cared about him.
"I'm fine Daniel. Now, why don't you get some rest before heading back out there at 1800 hours." Jack guided the archaeologist out of the room and headed for his office. It was going to be a long day.
TO BE CONTINUED…
