Sabrina gave a frightened cry when Jaffer and Jack (the dog) appeared at her small campsite, but Joshua was close by and quick to reassure her. Jaffer and Jack helped, too, by simply being themselves, and even a frightened villager couldn't help but be charmed when the two labs were flirting outrageously with her. Of course, part of that was that she had several large sticks with meat on them that she'd cooked over her fire to feed Joshua and Ian with when they returned. Like Ian and the others, the dogs hadn't eaten all that much that day, either, and they were at their classic best now, complete with big, mournful eyes and drool.

There wasn't enough to go around, but SG-1 had brought their own supplies and there was plenty of MREs to make a warm, filling meal – which Daniel started immediately, even as Jack filled dishes with food for the dogs so they wouldn't make such a dent in the people food. Jaffer eyed his bowl with a mournful look at Jack, then sighed and started wolfing it down. He was hungry enough to eat what he'd been given, but there was no way he wasn't going to mooch some of Jack's dinner off him as well.

Sabrina watched Ian carefully – almost cautiously – and Jack noticed it, and wondered why she seemed so afraid of him. Of course, there was always the chance she wasn't afraid of Ian, but of finding out that there was nothing he could do to help her. As miffed as Jack was about being stuck out in the little camp – and that Joshua had pretty much blackmailed Ian into being forced to try and help – he couldn't help but see a little amusement in the situation, now that he knew Ian was all right and that they'd be able to check in in the morning and not have to tell Hammond that he'd lost a member of his team.

Ian, for his part, was uncomfortable and sullen and he was staying as far away from Sabrina as he could – as if he hoped that she'd forget his promise.

And it almost looked as if she and Joshua had. They didn't mention it through dinner (which was a mixture of MREs and snake meat – added to a few rolls that Sabrina had made while she'd waited for Ian and Joshua to return) and there was no mention of it while they cleaned up the dishes and banked the fire. But when Ian left to go with Teal'c and the dogs to do a quick check of the area before they were going to turn in, Sabrina looked at Joshua.

"Do you think he has forgotten?"

The villager looked at Jack and Daniel, and then at his wife, but before he could answer it was Braxton who spoke up.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves for forcing him into a promise he did not want to make."

Sabrina flushed, but Joshua didn't look repentant.

"We need his help."

"He has better things to do than-"

"Like healing your son?"

"I have-"

"Guys." Jack interrupted, not at all willing to listen to an argument. Both men fell silent and looked at him, but Jack looked at Sabrina. "He hasn't forgotten."

She looked down at her hands for a moment, and then up at Jack.

"I don't mean to force him into anything… but I need his help."

"We shouldn't have to force him, anyways," Aaron said from his spot at the back of the lean-to. He and the other villagers had been silent thru out the meal, but had been more than willing to help when they were needed. It was apparent to Jack that the villagers on the planet – at least those in the area – got along fairly well most of the time, because this was the first sign of animosity he'd seen. "He's the Messiah," Aaron said, stubbornly. "Don't the legends say he's supposed to come to help us?"

"He's not who you think he is," Jack said, sighing. There was no way he was going to convince them, but he had to keep trying.

"He has strange beasts…"

"The black one is mine and the yellow one belongs to Teal'c."

Joshua looked at Daniel for confirmation, and the archeologist nodded.

"But he's tamed the Jaffa," Peter said.

"Teal'c's his own man," Daniel said. "He's our friend. That doesn't mean he's tamed – any more than you are. You tame animals, not people."

"He healed my son." Braxton said.

"That doesn't mean he's who you think he is."

"Mortal men cannot heal like that."

"Ian's mortal," Jack said, scowling. "You saw the cut on his head."

"He's a godling," Aaron said, stoutly. "He's not completely immortal."

Daniel started to say something, but he was interrupted by the arrival of Ian – without Teal'c or the dogs.

"Where's Teal'c?" Jack asked.

"He's going to collect more wood," Ian said, scowling. It was obvious that he'd heard the arguing – and Jack was sure he'd heard what they had been arguing about. He didn't say anything, though. Instead, he looked at Sabrina. And boy, did he look uncomfortable. "Come with me."

"Where are you going?" Joshua asked.

"None of your fucking business."

Daniel frowned, but although Joshua looked like he wanted to know more, everyone could see he was afraid – or at least reluctant – to ask.

Looking frightened, Sabrina rose gracefully to her feet and followed Ian out of the lean-to.

"Don't go too far," Jack called after them.

"We won't."

Daniel started to get up as well, but Jack waved him back to his seat.

"But I want to see how he-"

"Daniel, just leave him alone, okay? He doesn't need an audience."

And it was probably just as well that he not have one. Especially the mood he was in. Jack wasn't even worried that Ian would do anything inappropriate. Not with the mood he was in.

Daniel sighed, but he sat back down. Maybe he could cut his finger or something when they got back to the SGC and have Ian fix that – just to see how it worked.

OOOOOOOO

"Where are we going, my Lord?"

Ian scowled.

"Stop calling me that."

"Forgive me. I-"

"Look, just call me Ian, okay? That's my name. It's not that hard to remember."

Jesus, they'd already had this conversation, for crying out loud.

"I'm sorry."

"Fine."

"Where are we-"

"Just out of the light."

"But you won't be able to see-"

"I don't need to. Just do what I say, okay? And don't trip in that hole there. I'm not fixing anything more than I have to."

"I don't understand…"

Ian could barely see her in the faint light of the now somewhat distant little fire – which was fine with him.

"You don't have to understand," he snapped, and then sighed, knowing that he didn't have to be quite such a jerk with her. "Look… just stand still. Okay?"

She nodded, and he could almost feel her nervousness.

"I'm going to touch you. Don't panic, okay?"

When his hand touched her midsection, she did jump a little – and then trembled, and Ian sighed.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

"I know."

She didn't sound like she knew, though. She sounded terrified. And Ian hated that. Even through his anger.

"Stop that."

"I'm sorry."

"And stop apologizing."

"I can't help it." She snapped, sounding annoyed, now. Which was better than having her afraid, at least.

Her breath caught when his hand slid under her loose shirt, and she tensed, becoming so still that he could feel her trembling even more now, but his hand didn't move any higher – or lower.

"I just need contact with bare skin," he explained, closing his eyes. "Hold still."

"Yes, Lord."

He didn't even bother to correct her this time. He'd already started, and he hadn't heard her.