STARGATE SG-1: House Arrest

Summary: Sequel to "Operation Checkmate". It's Jack's turn to be in over his head…

Season: 8

Disclaimer: I don't own the stuff, yadda yadda.

Author's Note: So, the penultimate chapter of the penultimate story in the series… Hope you like (as ever!) and hope y'all are looking forward to part three (when I get round to writing it, that it!). Please R&R as always. Thanx. Enjoy!

WARNING: Strong Language!

House Arrest: Chapter 7 – Priority One

Jack stared at the TV screen. How had it all come to this? Sam was asleep on the floor, where Simon had left her. She had spent the rest of the day there, crying most of the time. And Jack hadn't moved from watching over her. Just knowing it was all happening because of him compelled him to watch.

He wanted to see her at all times. To be there for her as much as he could. He only wished she knew he was there. Maybe that would give her the little extra strength she needed.

He knew if the scene was reversed and she was watching him, knowing she was there for him would make him feel as though he could fly.

"Watching like that won't help her, you know," a gruff voice came from behind him.

Jack turned around, in the direction of the voice, and saw Frakes leaning against the door post. His eye was sporting a rather impressive bruise. Jack turned back, intent on ignoring the man – not his favourite person at that moment in time.

Frakes entered the room, all the same.

"You know her well?" he asked, sitting on the arm chair near Jack.

Jack didn't respond; he kept watching Sam sleep.

"Course you do," Frakes answered himself. "She's your second in command. She's got spirit, I'll give her that," he added seeing the number of bruises and abrasions on her visible body.

"She's fighting for her life," Jack said coldly, seeing the pain on Sam's sleeping face.

"You mustn't blame yourself for this, Jack," Frakes stated, trying to sound sympathetic.

"I don't," Jack half lied. "I blame you."

Frakes looked at him in surprise.

"Me?" he queried.

"Yeah. You and Gibson."

Frakes understood. He turned his gaze away from his former subordinate. He should have known this was coming. Jack was a proud man and, no doubt, this was all knocking him sideways. Just how did he expect to cope with the truth!

"There was no other way," Frakes said, excusing his actions.

"Yes there was! It's called honesty, Phil!" Jack retorted.

"Do you have any idea what they would have done to us if we told the truth? We'd have –"

"You'd have got a slap on the wrist and that's it! You know it!"

Frakes sighed. There was no way Jack could understand. Everything always had to be black and white for him. And this was so murky, it barely made sense to Frakes, himself, anymore. Sure, there probably had been another way around it. If they'd really looked hard enough and planned for weeks, something else was bound to have shown itself. But in war, everything falls to the spur of the moment. Plans change quickly because they have to.

"It was a long time ago, Jack."

Jack glared at him, an expression Frakes had seen directed at many gung-ho subordinates, never at him.

"Try telling that to her," he said simply.

Frakes' attention was drawn once again to the screen.

Simon had just entered the room and hauled the girl to her knees. He stalked threateningly around as she kept her sleep-heavy, defeated eyes fixed on the opposite wall. Simon moved behind her and kicked her hard between the shoulder blades. She fell forward, exhausted from the effort of keeping her composure.

Frakes honestly regretted her fate, but there was little he could do about it. They couldn't have known he was unbalanced enough to lose his mind completely because of their accusations.

"Why did you do it?" Jack asked, pulling Frakes back to the present.

"Do what?" he asked, genuinely confused at what he could mean.

"Why did you call him?"

Frakes hazarded a glance at Jack. His face was completely set. One muscle in his jaw flinched as he gritted his teeth. He couldn't be fobbed off.

But he wouldn't like the truth either. The whole truth at least.

"You sure you want to know?" Frakes ventured carefully.

Jack didn't move. That was answer enough.

Frakes took a deep breath…

"You remember the operation?" he began. "After it all went wrong, we panicked. Our whole careers had been staked on that mission, Jack. There was a lot to lose, believe me."

Jack just looked at him unsympathetically.

"We used Simon as the scapegoat. He'd already been questioned about an intell leak before. I'll bet your Colonel never told you about that, did she?"

"You're assuming she knew," Jack snapped back.

"Oh, she knew. She was his co-pilot. She was the one that defended him to the last. And he was innocent on that occasion –"

"And this," Jack reminded him. "You made up the charges after Checkmate."

Frakes smiled. "Yes we did. And it was pretty convincing evidence at that… We had every intention to warn him before hand that he was going to be dismissed. We were even going to compensate him. But we couldn't get to him before the charges were brought against him and after his dismissal, he disappeared. He only showed up long enough to try and kill us. We never got the chance to explain it to him."

Frakes watched Jack for a moment, trying to gauge whether his story was being bought. As usual, Jack's reaction was hard to judge. He was good at hiding things. Especially from people he didn't trust.

"I called him earlier in the hopes that I could talk him down. Give him what he rightfully deserved in exchange for letting the girl go."

Jack's fists tightened on hearing him refer to Sam as 'the girl' yet again.

"Let me guess," he said eventually. "It backfired?"

"I'll say!" Frakes quipped with humour in his voice. Jack wasn't impressed.

"It had the opposite effect, I'm afraid… If I'd known he was so unreasonable I wouldn't have tried, I promise you. I don't want this to end in more deaths."

Frakes was feeling rather impressed with himself. The story was certainly convincing enough, despite it falling far from the truth. Jack finally seemed to be accepting it, but still looked as mad as ever.

"You thought he could be reasoned with!" Jack spat, pointing angrily to the screen. Simon was pacing round Sam again. This time, she was curled on the floor trying to protect herself. Jack could see his lips moving as he taunted her; every so often landing a crippling kick into her abdomen.

"I thought I'd at least give him the benefit of the doubt!" Frakes defended.

Jack sighed and shook his head. He couldn't believe how naïve he was being.

"I swear to God, Frakes. If she dies…" he cut himself short, unable to fully articulate the rage that would be brought down on his former commander if the worst came to the worst.

Frakes looked at him in silence. He could see the hurt all over his face and body at the thought of losing her. Jack breathed quickly and shallowly trying to keep himself from breaking something in frustration. It was more than amusing for Frakes to watch. It was victory.

If he only knew how easy he was making things…

"You love her," Frakes said simply, barely masking the triumph in his voice.

Jack didn't respond. It was true. No amount of denial – whether outward or simply to himself – was going to change that fact.

Frakes let out a little laugh. "My goodness. The irony. Jack, you've got to be out of your mind!"

Jack turned his eyes to Frakes, slowly and deliberately. "You think I planned on falling for her!"

Frakes laughed out right this time. "This is priceless!" he cooed. "Of all the people… She's a scientist! I never would have…"

He stopped taunting only to laugh more at the sheer thought of them. And the thought of what it meant for him.

Jack just glared. His finger nails dug sharply into his palms as he tightened the grip on his fists. He really wanted rid of this man. Preferably in a nice, long wooden box! But he'd settle for anything at that point.

"You'd better take care, Jack," Frakes warned, finally controlling his amusement. "Things like this aren't exactly smiled on in your line of work. You want to watch who knows about it. Wouldn't want you to get into trouble, now, would we?"

He stood up and headed for the door. When he was nearly there, he stopped and turned to face Jack again.

"Just be careful, Jack," he said. "She's not the only thing at stake here."

Finally, he left. Jack shut his eyes in shame. He had slipped up. For years, he had been carefully negotiating his feelings for Sam, skirting around them, keeping her at arms length so neither of them were ever caught off guard. But nothing was hidden now. Not with her life so dangerously held on the line. His emotions had suddenly and spectacularly sprung to the surface.

And now Frakes knew. Jack could tell his words of caution would not be the end of the matter. It was the sort of thing that the old man could run with for months.

Even if they did get Sam back, with Frakes still around, this wouldn't be over. Not by a long shot.

'She's not the only thing at stake here.' He repeated Frakes' last statement in his mind.

What else was there? As far as Jack was concerned, this had never been about anything but her. What could he possibly mean?

But Jack didn't care. He didn't care what Frakes was up to – and he was up to something. Just so long as he got her back.

That's all that mattered now.

Author's Note: Intrigued? I hope you are. Don't forget to review! Thanx.