See Chapter One for full disclaimer and author's notes.

Chapter Nineteen

Jack sat behind his desk, a stack of paperwork lay untouched in his inbox, his attention continually wandering out his window to the idle Stargate beyond. If he could will time to move faster he would have, without hesitation. Waiting for the mission to -035 to be completed had become an excruciating exercise in patience. It wasn't something he generally did well. In this case the waiting had become an almost physical pain.

Jack pulled back his sleeve to look at his watch, again. He knew that by now, if the team had been able to stay on their timetable, they should have secured the 'gate area and Teal'c's advance strike team should be well on their way to the temple. The plan had not entailed sending anyone back through until the operation was completed, unless they were unable to achieve their first objective, to secure the 'gate, or someone was seriously injured and needed the medical facilities available at the SGC. The fact that they hadn't received any contact with -035 requesting assistance with casualties boded well, but didn't alleviate his fears entirely.

Mentally running through the plan, Jack could almost picture where each member of the team was at that moment, and for the hundredth time that day wished to God he wasn't the base commander and instead had been with them. It wasn't the first time he regretted his decision to take over command of the SGC. At the time it seemed like the right decision, he just hadn't bargained on how hard it was going to be to stay behind.

Jack knew there were things that required his attention; work that needed to be accomplished, but he couldn't muster the energy to deal with it all right now. Instead, he allowed his mind to drift, wandering aimlessly through random thoughts and memories until one golden afternoon came to mind and he focused on the remembrance as it filled him with the pleasant warmth of remembrance.

The weekend had been long in coming, the usual five day week feeling as though it had been extended to twice it's normal length. Jack had been looking forward to Friday more so than most weeks, mainly since he had made plans to spend some time with Sam on Saturday.

It had been years since Jack O'Neill, career military man, had looked forward to the end of his work week, and the sensation was somewhat foreign, but not at all unpleasant. The anticipation of enjoying a Saturday afternoon in Garden of the Gods with Sam had Jack up and out of bed before 8 am and prowling the house looking for something to keep himself occupied for the next three hours until he could legitimately leave to pick her up. He felt something like a teenager again, going out on his first date, but couldn't seem to help himself.

He knew what was happening, but didn't dare attempt to put what he was feeling into words for fear that it might disappear under the weight of a name. But the tiny smiles that seemed to sneak up on him at inopportune times, the little flip of his stomach anytime his home phone rang, were all indications he couldn't ignore.

He had arrived little more than fifteen minutes early, and found Sam already dressed and ready to leave, a lunch packed and ready by the door.

"I thought we might stop and eat while we're out there. I know a great little out of the way spot with a killer view," Sam said, a shy smile gracing her mouth.

The killer view had turned out to be a spot off the normal hiking path that took them up a ways to a point where the landscape seemed to stretch out forever in front of them. Jack had thought he had seen most of the more scenic places in and around Colorado Springs, but this was truly spectacular. The deep reds of the Garden contrasted with the vivid blue of the cloudless sky combined for a vision that would soften the heart of the most hardened cynic.

"Whoa. You weren't kidding when you said it was a killer view, were ya?" Jack murmured.

Sam laughed softly. "This is one of my favorite places. I used to come up here whenever I could get away for an afternoon. Don't seem to have as much time for it lately."

"Well, we'll have to say something to your boss. Get him to back off on the work load a bit."

"Yeah, well, my boss is a pretty good guy. Well, one of my bosses. He fixed me up with a great job that let me stay in Colorado. And I'm not sure I can ever really thank him for that."

"From what I hear, it wasn't like he didn't have some selfish reasons of his own for making that happen."

Sam smiled as she pulled out the lunch she had packed. "Well, thank you anyway. Really."

Jack reached out and pulled Sam's hand into his own. "You're welcome. Really."

They enjoyed the meal in relative silence, taking in the spectacular scenery as they ate. By the time they finished, Sam was pleasantly relaxed, reclining up against a large boulder next to Jack as they watched the sun slowly dip through the cloudless afternoon sky.

"This was really nice, today," Sam said softly. "We really should do this sort of stuff more often. No work. No crises. Just a nice, quiet afternoon."

"Yeah, it was. And you're right, we should." Jack reached over and snaked an arm around Sam's shoulders and pulled her closer, her head resting on his shoulder. The contentment he felt, sitting there with Sam in his arms, surprised him. After all that had happened over the last several years, he never thought he could find happiness again. And yet, here it was, offered to him without reservation. What could he do but accept it?

Turning his head, Jack brushed his lips across the top of Sam's head, squeezing her slightly before relaxing again.

"Thank you, Sam."

"What for?"

"For saying yes to that first night out."

Sam chuckled softly. "No need to thank me for that. I think that might have been the easiest thing I ever did."

"Well, at least one of us had an easy time with that."

"Huh?"

"You have no idea how long I worked to figure out some way to ask you out."

"How did you finally come up with it?"

"Ah… well… I didn't, actually."

"You didn't? Don't tell me, you asked Daniel."

"Give me some credit, okay? I don't ask Daniel about everything. I actually gave up trying to plan out what I was going to say and just dialed the phone. I figured I usually work pretty well when I'm on the spot. I'd think of something once I was actually talking to you."

Sam laughed, her shoulders shaking under his hand.

"It's not that funny."

"Jack, that is you, through and through. And yes, it is that funny."

"Yeah well… anyway. Worked out, didn't it?"

"Yes, it did. Better than I could have dreamed, actually."

"Yeah. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Like your Dad to show up and kick my ass or something."

"Dad would never do that."

"Easy for you to say, it's not your ass he'd want to kick."

"Dad likes you more than he lets on. There aren't too many people he'd let get away with calling him 'Dad'."

"Really?"

"Really. Trust me on this."

"Yeah, well, still not the same thing. It's one thing to like someone, it's a totally different story when they start dating your only daughter."

"Relax, Jack. I'm sure Dad'll be fine with it. Once I'm able to tell him," Sam trailed off wistfully. It had been months since she'd seen or heard from her Father. Once the separation wouldn't have bothered her at all, she'd gone longer without any contact with him. But over the last few years, as their relationship had become much closer, Sam began to feel the stretches of silence more deeply.

"I'm sure we'll hear from him again before too much longer. The… organization he belongs to will need us for something eventually and then they'll come knocking, just like always."

"I know. It's just been so long since I've heard from him."

"I'm sure he's just fine. Jacob seems to have a knack for surviving," Jack said, rubbing Sam's arm reassuringly.

"I know. I'll just feel better once we've heard from him."

"So. You ready to head back?"

"Not really. Best part about this spot is the sunset."

And so they sat, as the sun dipped beneath the horizon, casting the Garden into burnished golds and reds. The pressures of work and the war with the Goa'uld were far from their minds. The sunset view reserved just for them and as Jack glanced over at Sam, her face and hair seeming to glow with the golden hues of the setting sun, he was struck by her radiance. In that perfect moment, he knew there was no place else he wanted to be.

Jack pulled himself from his daydream. It was approaching 0930 hours, time for the team's first status check. Reynolds would be dialing the 'gate any moment with a report. It was a bit unusual for a field team to check in with the SGC frequently while on a mission, but this operation was different. The fate of the planet hung in the balance. If it appeared as though they were going to need reinforcements, that information had to be relayed immediately to the SGC where a secondary team was on stand by, ready to deploy at a moment's notice.

Almost at the stroke of 0930 the 'gate began to spin, chevrons simultaneously flashing the dull red that indicated an incoming wormhole.

"Off world activation. General O'Neill to the control room."

Jack nearly sprang up from his seat, descending the stairs at a fast trot just as the seventh chevron locked in place and the wormhole burst open.

Sergeant Harriman never looked up from his console, but seemed to instinctively know the General was behind him and began his report.

"It's Colonel Reynolds, Sir."

"Let's hear it."

"Yes, Sir," Harriman replied, flipping a switch to transfer the transmission to the overhead speakers.

"Alpha leader to Sierra Golf Charlie, come in please."

"This is O'Neill, go ahead Alpha leader."

"Secondary objective secured, Sir. Bravo team on schedule to secure and eliminate the primary objective. Two wounded. No casualties to report."

"Your wounded need to be brought through and replaced?"

"The Lieutenants would prefer to stay here, Sir. Couple of staff burns, the Doc says they're good to go."

Lieutenants. So not... The tension that had been riding in Jack's gut since the team had stepped through the 'gate thirty minutes ago loosened at the report and he breathed a sigh of relief. No casualties. They're okay. Thank God.

"Understood. We'll check in again in another thirty. Call if you need anything."

"Wilco, Sir. Alpha leader, out."

"Shut it down, Sergeant," Jack ordered, turning to climb the stairs back to his office, preparing to wait out another thirty agonizing minutes. The first, and to his mind most dangerous, hurdle had been cleared and so far they'd been incredibly lucky. To go from projections of five to fifteen percent casualties to none in the first wave was amazing. He could only hope that their luck would continue to hold.

SG1-SG1-SG1-SG1-SG1

Creeping silently down the deserted hallway, Teal'c kept his sensitive hearing tuned to the sounds around them, seeking any indication that there might be trouble ahead. They had been moving slowly but steadily for several minutes, cautious not to make too much noise or move too quickly and risk detection.

Sam felt as though she'd been freed from a restraint jacket and was finally able to move and breathe again. She couldn't have imagined that simply facing that damned room would have been so cathartic, but she wasn't about to argue with the result. Focusing her attention on the corridor ahead, she was barely aware of the dull sound of machinery ahead and knew they were getting close.

Teal'c paused just before the conjunction of two hallways and eased himself down on one knee before peering around the corner. The opposite corridor appeared empty and he signaled behind him to Sam and Daniel that he was going to turn down the right hand passage. Sam and Daniel both nodded, keeping their eyes roving in all directions, ever vigilant that they could be discovered at any moment.

Teal'c again led the way. If their assumptions and recollections about the inside of the temple had been correct, the laboratory they sought was only a few yards down the hallway. Pressing himself against the corridor wall, he moved silently toward their objective. If all went well, they would be in and out in moments and headed toward the 'gate in just a few minutes, the temple laboratory would blow just about the time they reached Reynolds and the rest of the team.

Slowing to a stop as he reached the doorway they had targeted, Teal'c lowered himself to a knee and glanced over his shoulder at Sam. She nodded and pulled a small instrument from her vest pocket. Similar to the device she had used when they had discovered the crystal skull on P6X-011, the hope was that whatever energy this weapon used, it would be powerful enough and similar enough to other technologies they had encountered to be detectable on Sam's equipment.

Adjusting the controls, Sam searched for any indications that there was a power source nearby capable of fueling a weapon that could wipe out entire cities. When she was researching a way to detect the energy, she surmised that any weapon that could do what this weapon purportedly could do would need tremendous amounts of energy. Amounts of energy that should be detectable, especially this close.

Cycling through the various ranges of radiation and energy spectrums, the readout barely flickered and Sam was beginning to wonder if her assumptions were wrong and they wouldn't be able to detect the weapon as easily as they had hoped. She was nearly through the gamma band and ready to move onto the next series of checks when the indication suddenly spiked and continued to escalate off the scale. Sam's eyes widened at the readings. There was definitely an intense power source on the other side of the wall.

Sam looked up, caught Teal'c's eye and gave him a thumbs up. Teal'c nodded and rose, positioning himself on the opposite wall from the door, making room for Daniel who slid into position to key the door latch from alongside the doorway where he would be unseen by anyone inside. Sam moved to take up her position next to Teal'c where they would be in a position to fire into the room, but would not be directly in the line of fire themselves.

Teal'c pulled a Jaffa stun grenade from his vest and armed it, then raised his arm, looking directly at Sam and then Daniel. Receiving nods of acknowledgement from both, he dropped his hand and prepared to lob the grenade into the room. Daniel smoothly punched the keys to open the door then turned hurriedly away from the open doorway. Teal'c tossed in the grenade and then he too turned away from the brilliant flash of light as the grenade detonated and hopefully incapacitated anyone in the room.

As the flash faded from her awareness, Sam allowed her eyes to open a fraction as she raised her weapon into position and gazed into the lab. She could see several benches and low tables strewn with pieces of zat'nikatels, staff weapons, and power crystals, but no Jaffa. Easing herself further into the doorway, Sam was tense with anticipation, wary that Jaffa could still be on them in a moment if they weren't careful.

Glancing over at Teal'c, Sam nodded and waved a hand signaling her position was 'all clear' and saw him mimic the gesture. They both moved silently and swiftly into the room, training their weapons at each corner until they were satisfied that no conscious Jaffa were in the vicinity.

Teal'c dug the toe of his boot into the side of an unconscious warrior and rolled him over onto his back. There were only two of them in the room, they were definitely Ba'al's Jaffa and were definitely out cold. Daniel had followed them into the room, but continued to keep his attention on the corridor as he activated the key pad and closed the door.

Sam had lowered her weapon and had her scanner cradled in her hand as she swept the room. The weapon was definitely in here somewhere, but wasn't exactly out in the open. Nothing she had seen so far looked like any sort of weapon of mass destruction. She tuned the instrument again, tightening the range until she could use it as a homing beacon to zero in on the power source they were looking for.

Pivoting slowly around the room, Sam scanned carefully. She had expected the power source to be large enough that it would be immediately recognizable, but so far she'd only seen the usual Goa'uld technology present. Running her eyes along the workbenches and tables, Sam noted a number of zat'nikatels and staff weapons in various stages of repair.

Just as she was about to turn toward the center of the room, the glint of a Goa'uld hand device caught her eye and she turned back. Picking it up, she noticed immediately that it was slightly bulkier than the hand device they had back at the SGC. An odd extra control button had been installed near the wrist of the device, giving the device its additional weight. Sam absently tucked the weapon between her jacket and her vest, hoping to get it back to the SGC where she could study it further.

The lab wasn't all that big, perhaps slightly larger than her own lab quarters at the SGC. There simply weren't too many places to hide or disguise the weapon. Taking a step further into the room, the meter on Sam's scanner twitched and then began to rise steadily as she came closer to the table at the center of the workspace.

"I think I've got it," Sam said, her voice low but still echoing slightly in the enclosed room. "There's something under this table that's giving off a helluva lot of energy and enough radiation that we shouldn't stay in here too long."

Daniel slid closer, running his eyes along the bottom and sides of the table, looking for something that would indicate a door or panel that would give them access to what was underneath. Walking slowly in a circle around the table, a slight imperfection in one panel caught his eye and he knelt down for a closer look.

"Sam, over here, this might be the way inside," Daniel said as he ran his fingers down a nearly imperceptible seam between two access panels. Nearly half way down the seam, his fingers ran across what felt like a small depression. Looking up as Sam dropped to one knee next to him, Daniel pointed to the seam.

"I think two panels come together along here, see it?"

"Yeah, I do. Any ideas how to open it?"

"I think so, there's a bit of a divot here," Daniel said, running his finger along the depression again. "I don't see any writings or markings, so I can't be sure."

"Well, we don't have much choice. We need to be sure about what's inside here. We can't afford to blow this room unless we're sure. If we're wrong and this isn't the weapon we won't get another shot at this."

Daniel nodded, took a deep breath and firmly pressed on the indentation. At first, nothing happened and he worried that he'd been wrong until the seam cracked apart abruptly and began to hiss.

"Crap!" Daniel spat between his teeth as he scrambled back and out of the way.

The table continued to hiss as the panels slid further apart until Sam thought she could probably squeeze her hand between them and force them the rest of the way open.

"I think we can probably force this open," she said, setting her scanner down on the floor and wedging her fingers between the panels and pulling for all she was worth. The crack opened further and Daniel was able to add his strength to Sam's, slowly sliding the panels apart; a faint glow could be seen from inside. The scanner on the floor began emitting a soft beeping as the panels were forced apart.

"Looks like we hit the mother lode here," Sam commented. "The scanner's well off the scale now and levels are still rising. We need to do this and get out of here."

The crack had widened enough to allow them a clear look inside. What they had assumed was a worktable was in fact the outer casing of the weapon itself. The panels they had man handled open were covering what looked like an operations panel, complete with glowing control crystals. Daniel leaned in for a better look.

"I think there's writing here, looks like Goa'uld," he murmured, mostly to himself as he studied the markings intently. Reading Goa'uld had been coming more and more easily to him over the last few years until now he could read it nearly as easily as Teal'c. Scanning the inscribed writings, Daniel's eyes widened.

"This looks like a 'cheat sheet' of sorts on how to manipulate the settings and activate the weapon."

"What does it say?"

"It looks like there's a way to vary the intensity of the blast. All the way up appears to be labeled as something close to fifty square miles, all the way down is closer to ten square feet."

"Do you see any way to set it up on an overload."

"I'm not sure. Maybe. But it'll take more time than we have to figure out."

The words were no more than out of Daniel's mouth when the door to the laboratory slid open and a young Jaffa entered the room.

"Tak ma'te…" he began before he realized that those in the room were not Jaffa and hurriedly pulled his zat from its holster. Sam and Daniel had their backs to him and were spinning to face the open door even as he leveled the weapon at them.

Teal'c was in a much better position, and was pulling up his staff weapon even as the Jaffa was arming the zat that was now in his hands. The entire exchange happened so quickly that at first Sam was unsure quite what had happened. Her P-90 was back in her hands, the Jaffa was lying on the ground, a smoking hole dominating his chest and Daniel was slumped over against her legs.

Sam drew in a couple of deep breaths, her eyes trained on the door waiting for someone else to burst in on them. Pulling her gaze away, she looked down at Daniel. He looked as though he had collapsed where he sat, his head resting against her leg, his arms flung out to his side. Reaching down, she gently shook his shoulder.

"Daniel? Come on, wake up for me here." Getting no response she lay two fingers on his neck, then called over her shoulder. "Teal'c, looks like he took a hit from that guy's zat. He's out cold and his pulse is a bit erratic. I'm not sure why, it was just a zat he was hit with, wasn't it?"

Teal'c pulled the weapon from the dead Jaffa's lifeless hand and examined it. "This has been altered in some way, I am unsure how. But this configuration is one I have not seen before."

"We should get the hell out of here. Get him back to the 'gate and get him checked out."

"Agreed. How much time do you need to set the explosives?"

"I'd like some time to study this further, but at least five minutes to be sure the entire room is wired to blow. You should get moving. You can get a good ways back to the 'gate in five minutes."

Teal'c pursed his lips into a thin line. Splitting up the team was hardly the way he wanted to execute this part of the mission.

"Take Daniel and head back. I'll be right behind you. I know my way out."

"We should not divide the team. I will remain and assist you. We will leave together."

"Let's set the charges then and get the hell outta here. Someone was bound to hear all the weapon's fire." Sam pulled a brick of C-4 out of her vest and pressed it securely inside the access panels, directly onto the slots that held the control crystals.

Teal'c pulled out his own supply of explosives, moving around to the opposite side of the casing and pressing the C-4 into place. They worked steadily, setting the charges carefully to ensure maximum destruction of the room and surrounding structure. They wanted to leave nothing to chance, placing enough C-4 to blow the room twice over. Just as Sam was setting the last one into the corner of the room near the doorway, a klaxon split the air.

"Oh hell," she cursed under her breath. "Looks like we just ran outta time. You done yet Teal'c?"

"Nearly. Two more and it will be complete."

"Give 'em to me, I'll take care of it and'll be right behind you. I won't be able to move as fast as you if I have to carry Daniel. And we need as much speed as possible. I'll catch up."

It only took Teal'c's tactical mind a moment to analyze the situation and realize that Sam was right.

"Agreed," he said, thrusting the C-4 into Sam's hands before bending down to heft Daniel's limp form over his shoulders.

Sam opened the doorway and trained her weapon first one direction then the other out the open hatch. Satisfied that no one was in the immediate vicinity, she nodded to Teal'c.

"All clear. Take the scanner, I'm not going to need it. We're pretty sure if they use the weapon the read out will peak over 15,000. If that happens, go on ahead without me." Sam pushed the instrument into Teal'c's pocket.

"I will be most displeased if you fail to meet us at the 'gate, Colonel Carter."

Sam gave him a wry smile. "Not this time, Teal'c. I'll be right behind you."

Teal'c turned without further comment and stepped around the doorway into the corridor. Sam waste any time and simply closed the door and immediately turned to place the remaining two charges. If everything went well, she'd be on her way to the 'gate in just another minute or two, the complex blowing sky high shortly thereafter.

She pushed the detonator into the second block of explosive and was about to enabled them when the door burst inward, blown into the room by a concentrated blast from a staff weapon.

Sam ducked down onto one knee instinctively, raising her weapon and squeezing off several rounds as the doorway filled with Jaffa. Firing constantly, Sam realized that there were simply too many of them for her to be able to stop them all. Using their comrades as shields, the Jaffa at the rear of the assault were able to breach the room. Two warriors moved to either side of her position, each closing in on her.

"Lay down your weapon, Tau'ri! There is no escape!" The cry echoed in from the corridor. It was a no win situation. If she took out either man in the room, the other would be on her in an instant. And even if she was lucky enough to take them both down, the others in the hallway would take her down.

Easing her hand away from the trigger, Sam allowed her P-90 to dangle from its harness. "Easy boys. Okay. Okay."

"Remove your weapon!"

Sam hesitated a moment before complying. She had to keep the Jaffa nearby and occupied. As long as they were focused on her, Teal'c and Daniel had a chance to escape. She estimated it had at most been two or three minutes since the guys had fled the compound. She could only hope they were far enough away.

Sam slowly lowered her weapon to the ground, using the motion to cover her actions as she palmed the remote in her hand. Running her fingers over the buttons on the remote she found the one she hoped would arm the portion of the C-4 they had planted by the doorway, she allowed her arms to drop to her sides, hoping the detonator would not be visible to the Jaffa.

If she was right, the Jaffa standing on either side of the doorway would be taken out by the blast and she should be at least partly shielded by the weapon's cabinet in the center of the room. If she was wrong, the whole place would go up, taking her along with it.

Either way, the Jaffa would be neutralized and the weapon would hopefully be damaged, if not destroyed.

"You will come with us, Tau'ri!" The Jaffa to her left bellowed as he took a step forward.

"Yeah well… I don't think so," Sam said defiantly as she thumbed the remote and dropped instantly to the floor, covering her head with her arms.

The roar was deafening. The ground shook beneath her, a deep rumble that seemed to roll right through her body. Sam had never been so close to a C-4 explosion before and never out in the open as she was now. She could feel the heat of the detonation skittering across the backs of her legs and arms and curled into a ball in an effort to shield herself.

Sam had time for one last thought as the very air seemed to catch fire. Oh God… I was wrong… the whole room blew. I'm sorry, Jack.

To be Continued…