Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry it took so long for me to update. I promise the rest will come faster.

Major Samantha Carter was starting to wake up. Her eyes opened slowly, expecting the darkness of the caves. Instead she was blinded by artificial light. Instinctively, Sam raised her arms to cover her face. That's when she noticed that her arms were bare and she was lying on cold metal. She sat up quickly. Too quickly, almost falling off the table she had been lying on. This couldn't have been the same structure she was imprisoned in with SG-1. The machinery before her was unlike any technology she had ever seen. And there, amongst monitors and other small instruments (whose purpose she could only guess), were her clothes neatly folded in a pile. She pulled her legs up to her chest, allowing her head to rest momentarily on her knees. When she was sure she could get up without falling, she eased herself off the table and toward the single exit.

Major Carter took over then: secure the perimeter, assess the threat, weigh the odds, then get dressed. She stared out into the cavern. She was several meters above the area SG-1 had been brought through The Ozians were now gathered there She leaned against the wall, breathlessly listening but she couldn't hear a sound. They must be telepathic, Carter concluded. Taking one last look, she retreated back into what she assumed was a lab and retrieved her clothing. 'Okay,' she said to herself. 'Lets see what you guys are up too.' Once dressed, Sam turned her attention to the objects in front of her. They were large, heavy, and difficult for her to manage. But she imagined they were just the right size for her little friends down there. She touched one of the monitors, jumping back when it lit up. She risked a quick look back to make sure she hadn't drawn any attention to herself, then returned to the images being played back on the screen. She was horrified, but couldn't look away.

Carter stood, paralyzed. What did they do to her? There must be a recording device positioned above the table she had woken up on, but she didn't make any attempt to discern its location. They were, what, examining her? Five of them; silent as usual: poking, pulling, and rubbing her body with their giant hands. One of then had, in his hand, the round instrument in front of her. She watched as he ran it over her arm, revealing the bone underneath. The soldier in her grew cautious; the scientist grew curious; the woman–there was no time for her. She picked up the object, hefted it on one had, held it over the other. Nothing happened; she returned her attention to the screen.

"Damnit!" Yelled Colonel Jack O'Neill, slamming his fist into the locker. Teal'c leaned on the wall, eyebrow raised. Dr. Daniel Jackson was flopped on the bench, letting his head fall into his hands. "I don't believe this! Somebody should check the man's neck for Goa'uld activity.. This is insane. We should be out there, right now, bringing her back." The locker took another hit, then another and another until Jack's knuckles were bloody and Teal'c was forced to step in and pin Jack to the wall.

"This is not helping her, O'Neill." Said Teal'c evenly as he held a defiant Jack in place with one hand.

"Exactly, Teal'c. This," he motioned to their surrounding, "is definitely not helping her."

"Are you not confident in Major Carter's abilities, O'Neill?" It was a fair question. Teal'c had often times referred to their comrade as a capable warrior, and that she was. But being able to survive in battle and having to survive her current situation where two very different things thought Jack.

"She's tough, Jack." offered Daniel. She was able to survived being hunted by Anubis's super soldier without any weapons. And how long was she alone on the Prometheus, with a massive concussion, before she was able to rescue the entire crew?

"Four days" answered Jack quietly. She was out there for four days. And on the Alpha Site, she was out of options. If we hadn't spotted her at the exact moment we did..." his voice trailed off. "We don't leave people behind."

"We're not leaving her behind, Jack. She knows that. She knows we'll do whatever we possible can to get to her. Just like she always has for us."

"That is true, O'Neill. Major Carter did not rest until you were rescued from Ba'll, or until you were retrieved from your captivity with Colonel Mayborne." Added Teal'c.

"And then there was the whole Edora thing." Added Daniel.

Jack laughed. "You know something, Danny boy? When you were stuck on that planet with the fish from Babylon," he sighed and rubbed his temples. "Well she figured it out. She let Doctor McKenzie mess with her head until she remembered what really happened to you. As soon as she did, General Hammond sent us back through to get you."

"I didn't know that." Replied Daniel.

"Yeah, well, now you do. The point is you weren't even military and we didn't even know each other very well back then. How long ago was that anyway?" asked Jack.

"Approximately eight years, O'Neill." Answered Teal'c.

"Eight years. Do you realize how much has happened in eight years?" Jack asked them both.

"A great deal, O'Neill." Teal'c answered again.

"So, why won't Hammond let us go back? And don't tell me it's different because it's not." Lamented Jack.

"It is though." Daniel said.

"Daniel, what did I just say?" Jack asked again.

"Jack, it is. Everything's different." Daniel tried to explain.

"So what now? If Hammond won't give the order to return to Oz do we storm the gate?" laughed Jack, sarcastically.

"We have done it before, O'Neill." Teal'c responded matter-of-factly. This time it was Jack's turn to raise an eyebrow.

Sam made her way out of the lab, wanting to know just what was the purpose of this place. The procedures, which are what she was calling what the Ozians had done to her, had only heightened her resolve to get out of her current predicament. She had no idea how long it had been since she was separated from her team. But she knew by now, if there was going to be a rescue mission, she would already be in the SGC Sick Bay being poked at by Dr. Janet Frasier.

Her feet ached from walking barefoot across the rocky cavern floor, but she wasn't going to risk stomping around in combat boots. These creatures could move quietly; so could she. Two levels up from the lab, she saw more artificial light radiating in the distance. Entering the room with the light, she again made sure she was alone before taking in everything before her. It was like a museum. The walls of the room were covered, floor to ceiling, with everything from Goa'uld weapons to dinner forks. If she had to be honest with herself, it reminded her of Daniel's house. The thought made her smile. She missed her guys, but now wasn't the time to get sentimental.

She continued down the wall, mentally cataloging anything she might be able to use to get out of there. Most of the items she had never seen before and now wasn't the best time to be experimenting with alien technology, however tempting. She was walking back out of the room, inspecting the other side, when she stopped suddenly. The items in front of her were familiar, very familiar. They were hers. Her radio, canteen, vest, and...Oh god, even her half-eaten Snickers bar. She ripped it from the wall and devoured it, not realizing how hungry she had been until food was available. Just as she swallowed the last of it, the room filled with Ozians.

"Idiot," she thought to herself. She must have set off some type of alarm. They surrounded her. "Wait!" her voice was strained from lack of water. "Wait," she said again, stronger this time, but received no response from the creatures. "What do you want with me? What's going on? Wait!" It was no use. She wasn't the linguist Daniel was, but then again they never said anything to her that she had to try to interpret. Carter was brought back to her original cell and left alone in the silence.

It had been eleven hours since they had been back on Earth, approximately seventeen since they had been first separated on Oz. Colonel O'Neill waited until the night watch began at 0100, and then he made his move. There was only Walter and one other technician in the control room. He stunned both of them with his Zat before they had a chance to turn around. He then headed to the keyboard, locked everything down, and started dialing P4X-985. It seemed like it took forever before he heard the gate begin to engage. No wonder he always had Carter do the illegal, hacking stuff. She definitely could type a helluva lot faster.

The wormhole finally opened. Jack grabbed his gear and headed down to the gateroom, not bothering to look back at the unconscious men he had left on the floor. They'd be fine. It wasn't their first Zat blast. Hell it wasn't even the first time he had shot them.

"Hello, Jack." Daniel was sitting on the edge of the gate ramp.

How the hell had he gotten in here? Jack asked himself. He didn't know and at the moment he didn't care.

"Daniel." Jack looking at him waiting for an explanation.

"Jack." Replied Daniel not offering one. He was geared up and ready to go, wearing the same black pants and sweater that Jack wore.

"Daniel." Jack just shook his head. We really do dress alike, he thought, but now wasn't the time for that conversation. He had a job to do. A job that would no doubt end his military career, if not his life. He couldn't let Daniel take that risk.

"I'm going with you." Daniel stated.

"No you're not." Jack insisted.

"Yes, I am." Daniel stated again.

"No, you're not." Jack said holding his ground.

"Yes, I am" Now it was Daniel's turn to hold his ground.

"As am I, O'Neill." Said Teal'c as he emerged from the corner of the room.

They had both been waiting for him. They knew he wouldn't take Hammond's order sitting down.

"Jack" Daniel's turn to continue the back and forth debate.

"Daniel" Jack's turn.

"It's Sam." Daniel finally said and that said it all.

"I know that Major Carter would want to aid in our rescue," added Teal'c.

"Well I wouldn't let her go either." Insisted Jack.

"You would not be able to stop her." Teal'c said as he grabbed his staff weapon and started up the ramp.

"Jack." Said Daniel still waiting patiently for his friend to give in, although now he stood next to Teal'c at the top of the ramp. Now it was they who were ready to embark without him.

"Teal'c, Daniel ." nodded Jack as he joined them on the ramp.

Jack stood there and looked at them. Here was his SG-1 team minus one. He didn't want to risk them, but he needed their help and he wasn't going to be too proud or too stupid not to take it. General Hammond had been right, to a point. They had no idea what the aliens wanted or what they would do to get it. It wasn't only his life he was gambling with on this mission. If he didn't take the two of them with him for backup, it was Carter's life too. And Teal'c was right. If it had been anyone of them, she would have been the first one through the gate. She needed their help. All their help--all of SG-1. Not just the help of Colonel Jack O'Neill, self-proclaimed super hero. He picked up his pack and his gun and walked toward the glowing gate. Daniel and Teal'c stood in front of the wormhole, staring down at him. The doors to the corridor were being pried open; he turned to face his team, his friends, "Let's move out." And with that order they went through the gate to rescue Sam.

The doors were opened and half a dozen armed airmen stormed into the empty gate room followed by a somber looking General Hammond. The wormhole disengaged and everyone was silent. "Stand down," General Hammond ordered and the men left the room. As he turned to follow, he quietly added, "Bring her home, SG-1."

I finished Moby Dick, therefore I will update soon! Thanks for the reviews. Angst and broken bones to come.