Author's notes: italics indicate dreamstate or person on other side of phone conversation; some strong language
Jake clutched the letter in his hand, ignoring a couple of buddies from his Special Forces unit who were talking to him as he slowly walked by. He made it to his bunk and sat down in total disbelief. While slowly reading the letter again he didn't notice one of his closest friends, George Hammond, sat down on the bunk nearest him.
"Is everything ok, Jake?" George asked.
Jake slowly looked up at his friend and swallowed hard.
"Jake, you don't look so good," George said seriously.
"I'm going to be a father again," Jake spoke softly.
George chuckled then asked, "Don't get me wrong…but isn't that supposed to be a good thing?"
"How could I have been so stupid?" Jake gasped.
"Jake, these things sometimes happen. There's nothing you can do about them except be a man and take responsibility…"
"Don't lecture me about responsibility!" Jake snarled.
"Relax, Jake," George smiled calmly. "I, of all people, know exactly what kind of man you are. You're one of the most responsible men I know. I also know you're scared. It's a perfectly normal reaction. A new child can be a daunting task for anyone."
"George, you don't understand," Jake exhaled. "I don't deserve to be a father. I don't have a good track record. I was away on so many missions when Allison was pregnant with Mark. I wasn't even there when my son was born. And how stupid was I to get Allison pregnant before shipping out to 'Nam. Allison was alone during her entire pregnancy with Sam and I missed her birth too. Then you want to know what I did…I basically killed my own wife by not being there for her! And worse…my own children hated me for it because they knew I failed their mother! So you see George, I don't deserve to be a father. I'm a failure as a husband and a father. My family would have been better off if I died back in 'Nam!"
"Don't you ever think that way!" George growled yanking Jake up to his feet by the collar of his uniform.
"George…let me go!"
Jake struggled to loosen George's grip while he was being dragged across the room. George came to a stop at a desk, released his hold on Jake and picked up the phone.
"It's for you Jake," he smiled kindly.
"Who is it?"
"Who else would it be?" George countered, handing Jake the phone.
"Hello…Allison?"
"Jake, my love," Allison said as the phone in his hand morphed into his wife's hand. She stood before him holding his face with both her hands. "You are always so hard on yourself. Your children forgave you, why can't you forgive yourself?"
"Because I'm going to mess things up again, I know it! Selmak's going to hate me just like Mark did."
Jake sat down and buried his face in his hands.
"Even Sam hated me," he whispered.
"Don't you remember that Sam forgave you. Even Mark let you back into his heart."
"But that's just it…I don't want to remember! Because then I'll remember all the pain and all the suffering your children had to endure! It was all because of ME!"
Allison turned to look at something. Jake turned to see what it was but nothing was there.
"What is it?" he asked seeing the fear in her eyes.
"You don't have much time, Jake. You have to wake up! When you do, don't be afraid to remember."
"Allison…"
Allison kissed him deeply silencing him.
"I know you will do what's right, my love…you always did, even if you were scared," she smiled as the wind blew causing her to disintegrate and disappear.
Jake couldn't take it anymore. He closed his eyes tightly, curled into a ball, and wished for everything to just disappear.
There was no way George was going back to sleep. It was only four in the morning here in Colorado. However, George was still operating on East Coast time. His mind was telling him it was six in the morning and that it was time to get up.
Not that he slept much anyway. His worries had a tendency to keep him awake. And George was worried about Jake. The physical injuries were going to heal. But George was very concerned that his friend wasn't able to remember his own past. George told Jake everything he could and in as much detail as he remembered. Both he and Jake had believed that that would unlock Jake's memories.
Only it didn't. George had seen how frustrated Jake was. Of course, Jake had been trying to unlock his memories for two weeks so naturally he was frustrated! When he had found out that the one and only person he had believed could help him couldn't brought Jake to his breaking point. He had confessed to George that some things he remembered evoked strong feelings in him while others were just vague recollections. Some seemed real while others didn't feel like they even belonged to him.
Then there was the problem of recalling his memories incorrectly. Mark had told George that Jake did remember some things about Allison but they were messed up. George himself even noticed that Jake wanted to trust George but still wasn't entirely sure. Hence the travel across the States under gun point.
Maybe Dr. Jackson was right about Jake not being able to remember everything because Selmak's memories were intermixed with his own. Maybe Jake needed to be told about Selmak and the Tok'ra. George firmly believed that Jake wasn't ready to handle that information! Jake's current state of mind was fortified with Government conspiracies! If they mentioned the Goa'uld, Jake would think they were all nuts!
Still, if the right person told Jake about his life with Selmak and the Tok'ra, maybe that would help. Only , it would have to be a Tok'ra whom Jake trusted. With that thought in mind, George quickly got up and placed a call to the Control Room and ordered them to contact the Tok'ra. He made sure his orders were clear that only Malek was to be brought in.
George remembered a conversation where Jake had told him that Malek was the only Tok'ra who was on his and Selmak's side after the pair had fallen out of favor with the High Council. In fact, Jake had used the words 'like a brother' to describe Malek. George knew Jake didn't use those words unless it meant them. So it made sense that Malek be the one to tell Jake. Hell, at this point, George was willing to try anything to help Jake. Something had to break through that man's stubbornness!
In a matter of minutes, George was dressed in his BDUs, with a book in his hand and on a heading for the commissary for some coffee. He figured he should be there when Jake woke up to keep his friend calm. But George was in desperate need of some coffee first. However, along the way, George suddenly changed direction and headed for the elevator. He suddenly had this sinking feeling in his gut. Throughout his long career in the Air Force he had learned to trust that feeling.
Upon exiting the elevator he knew he made the right decision. The SF who was supposed to be outside Jake's door wasn't there! In fact, he was just coming out of the men's bathroom as George stormed down the hall.
The moment his eyes locked onto the SFs, the man turned ghost white. No doubt he could see that George had turned a dark shade of red and his blue eyes were like ice. George was beyond pissed off!
"JUST WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING LEAVING YOUR POST?" George roared, standing toe to toe with the SF.
The SF dropped his chin down and stared at the floor, which only pissed George off even more.
"STAND AT ATTENTION AND LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU! I'M GOING TO ASK YOU AGAIN, WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING WHEN YOU LEFT YOUR POST, AIRMAN?"
"I…I was thinking that…because of the security cameras…that I could go to the bathroom…Sir," the Airman replied weakly.
"YOUR ORDERS WERE TO GUARD THIS ROOM! IF YOU HAVE TO TAKE A PISS OR A SHIT THAT BAD YOU DO IT IN YOUR PANTS OR YOU CALL FOR A REPLACEMENT BUT YOU NEVER LEAVE YOUR POST! IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?"
"Yes, Sir!" the man saluted.
"When your shift is over you're to report to General O'Neill and explain to him why you failed to do your duty, understood!"
"Yes, Sir!"
George marched on as the SF ran back to his post at Jake's door. George didn't even glance at the man as he walked past him into Jake's room.
"Christ almighty!" George breathed dropping his book on floor.
There wasn't a moment to lose when he saw the Goa'uld symbiote resting squarely on his friend's chest. George shouted for the SF as he hurried to save Jake from a fate that he, or no anyone else for that matter, didn't deserve.
"WAKE UP JAKE!" a familiar voice with a Texas accent, shouted.
"George, fuck off! I'm tired!" Jake protested, pulling the pillow over his face.
"Alright, be a jack ass! I guess I'll just have to open the letter!"
Jake tossed the pillow aside and he jumped off his bunk reaching for the envelope. However, George was purposely keeping the letter out of Jake's reach.
"Dammit George!" Jake laughed, tackling his friend. "Give it to me!"
"I thought you were tired!" George laughed, keeping the letter from Jake.
"Just give it too me!" Jake shouted, finally wrestling the envelope way from George.
His hands trembled with excitement as he held the envelope. It was about that time; the baby should have been born by now.
"Come on Jake! We all got bets riding on what's in that envelope!" one of the other soldiers shouted and the others chimed in. "Although it had better be a boy or I'm out fifty bucks!"
Jake broke the seal and saw the picture of his newborn baby. His heart started beating a little fast and he had this huge proud smile on his face while holding the picture in his hand.
"It's a girl! My God George, she's beautiful," Jake gasped showing his friend the picture.
"She's an angel," George smiled.
"Let me see!" some shouted.
Jake handed the photo to one of his brothers in arms.
"Damn, Jake, how can a guy, looking the way you do, create such a lovely little creature!" one man said as he passed the picture on.
"Thank God she don't look like her daddy!" another commented.
"You kidding! Jake probably prayed to the Lord so that his kid didn't come out looking like him!" someone else shouted.
Everyone roared with laughter. They all patted Jake on the head, giving him one cigar after another along with their congratulations. Jake thanked them all and kept a watchful eye on the precious picture as it was being passed around. It moved from hand to hand until it came to a stop at a man whose apparel did not match any of the Special Forces uniforms that Jake and his unit wore.
Regardless, Jake recognized him and marched directly over to him.
"Ba'al…I'll have that back," Jake growled, reaching his hand out for the picture.
Ba'al took off running. Jake chased him out of the bunker into the trees. After running for so long, his legs and lungs started burning. Yet, he continued to sprint as fast as he could when he lost sight of Ba'al on the trail. Then, Jake suddenly came flying out of the trees and into a clearing where he came skidding to a halt.
He stood in awe as the Stargate's vortex extended out with a big kawooshing sound then retreated back leaving a smooth, shimmering puddle. Ba'al quickly ran though the event horizon. Jake didn't hesitate to follow. Only when he emerged on the other side he found himself in the hands of Jaffa and being forced to his knees in the middle of what he knew to be a meeting room for the Goa'uld system lords.
Looking around Jake saw the other Systems Lords had taken their seats. He knew them and knew them well. Apophis, Cronos, Yu, Anubis, Hathor, and Ra. He didn't see Ba'al among them. However, they all looked extremely pleased with their prize as they passed the photograph around.
"She is a lovely child," Apophis smirked, passing the picture on to Yu. "Perhaps she would some day be my queen."
"Or perhaps a daughter," Yu commented, handing the photo on to the next in line.
"NO!" Jake shouted. "She's mine! None of you will ever have her!"
"Did you not say your children would have been better off without you?" Hathor questioned.
"You can't have her!"
Jake struggled to break free. His efforts were rewarded with a hard punch to his stomach. He doubled over coughing, grabbing his right side. The System Lords laughed while the Jaffa beat on Jake. All he could do was curl up and protect himself.
Then the beating suddenly stopped. The room fell silent. Then all Jake heard was heavy footsteps approaching.
"She is such a lovely child," Ba'al's voice sounded.
Jake lifted his head up to see Ba'al slowly emerged from the shadows with a little girl in his arms. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. Her little arms struggled to break free but Ba'al had a tight hold on her. Jake immediately recognized her blue eyes, her blonde pigtails, and the soft gentle features of her face. He had seen her before…somewhere. He wasn't sure where, only that she was important to him. She was his responsibility. Only he couldn't move to help her. He failed her and she knew it.
"I'm sorry," he wept.
"Jake…wake up!" she yelled through her tears as the end of a staff weapon whacked him hard on his head.
"Dad, get up!" a familiar voice called to him from the darkness.
He opened his eyes to see he was lying on the floor in the Tok'ra's High Council Chambers. His injuries were healed and his SF uniform had changed to that of brown soft leather.
"Sam?"
"The High Council is waiting," she smiled, reaching her hand down to him.
Sam helped him to his feet then left the chambers. Jake noticed that the High Council consisted of half a dozen or so women. Some were very young. Some were very old. All of whom he knew very well.
"Speak, Jake," Tamara ordered.
"Who is the girl, Tamara?" he asked.
"Why do you ask the question when you already know the answer?" an elderly woman spoke, with this amused sparkle in her ancient blue eyes and a smirk on her lips.
"Saroosh, please tell me!" he pleaded.
"You're such a pain in the ass, Jake," she scoffed. "You always make things more complicated for yourself."
"Why don't you ever listen to yourself?" Tamara asked.
"I don't understand," he said, shaking his head.
"Do not be afraid to see the truth," another woman smiled at him.
"But I can't take care of Selmak alone," he wept, hanging his head. "I'll fail her like I did Mark and Sam."
"Don't be so hard on yourself. You will not fail," Allison's voice whispered. She was suddenly before him, her hand gently lifting his face up. "And you will not be alone. They are all with you. They are a part of you. Selmak gave them to you when you blended with her."
"But, Allison, I can't find her! Where is she?"
"JAKE, HELP ME…WAKE UP!" a child's scream echoed through the crystal tunnels.
"Is that her?" he asked.
"Only you know the answer to that question," Saroosh smiled to him.
"But that's just it…I don't know!" he countered.
The child's voice screamed again for him. Jake looked to Allison for guidance.
"Go," Allison whispered, giving him a gentle nudge.
Jake ran as fast he could through the tunnels. The child's screams continued to reverberate off the walls. He followed the scream to their source into a room that had an active Stargate. The child's voice sounded again and Jake hurried through the event horizon.
He suddenly found himself running through a familiar military facility with underground tunnels. His uniformed changed again causing him to stop in his tracks. He was wearing an Air Force dress blue uniform with two stars on each shoulder.
A General? He was too young to be a General! And yet, wearing those stars on his shoulders felt right.
"JAKE!" the girl's shriek echoed down the tunnel towards him, getting his mind back on track.
Jake sprinted down the tunnel and charged into a large room with the Stargate at the top of a ramp. Ba'al was half way up the ramp with the little girl in one arm. Beside him was a large oil drum barrel.
"Don't cry honey," Jake spoke soothingly.
"Please, Jake…wake up!" she pleaded desperately through her tears.
"I have to protect you first, baby. That's what I'm here for," he smiled, stepping onto the base of the ramp. "Give her to me, Ba'al!"
"You cannot have her," Ba'al grinned then tipped over the barrel.
"LOOK OUT!" the girl screamed as hundreds of snakelike creatures came pouring from the barrel.
They all started slithering, hissing, and snapping their way towards Jake. Their little eyes glowed red orange. All of which were locked on Jake.
"JAKE! WAKE UP!" the little girl shouted.
Jake's heart was beating furiously in his chest. In his haste, he stumbled backwards and fell on his back. The snake-things advanced. Their warm slithery bodies made his skin crawl when they touched him. He kicked desperately at them to keep them at bay. Jake knew he must not allow any one of them to invade his body!
The room filled with Ba'al's laughter and the child's cries.
It was no use. There were too many of the things. Jake found himself lying on the ground surrounded by them. Then suddenly, an eerie calm and quiet fell upon the room. The only sound was girl's whimpers and Ba'al's boots clicking on the ramp as he approached Jake.
The snakelike creatures parted to make a path for Ba'al as he moved closer to Jake. Defenseless, Jake remained where he was.
"You choose," Ba'al snickered, putting his heavy boot in the center of Jake's chest. "The girl or yourself."
"Will you let her go free?" Jake asked.
"Of course," Ba'al grinned smugly.
The girl was shoved aside, hitting hard to the floor. Ba'al picked up one of the snake things, dangling it extremely close to Jake's face. He struggled to get up but couldn't even move because Ba'al's foot had Jake firmly nailed to the ground.
"JAKE…DON'T LEAVE ME!" the girl wept and pleaded. "YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP!"
Jake snapped his eyes open and was surprised to see a strange snake like creature glaring down at him. Its tiny red-orange eyes glowed brightly as it hissed at him. Damn thing looked exactly like the things in his dream! In his dream he was terrified of the things but didn't exactly know why. That fear carried over into his waking state. But it wasn't only the strange creature that terrified him. His supposedly good friend, George appeared to have put the fucking thing on his chest as his hand was right behind it!
Reacting totally on instinct, Jake managed to quickly grab the snake creature with his right hand as it lunged. He could feel its tiny hot breath against his neck when it had extended as far as it could go. With a strong, quick flick of his wrist Jake flung the fucking thing across the room. After which, his left fist immediately came up and connected with George's face, knocking him to the ground.
The sudden rush of adrenaline that was coursing through him gave Jake the strength to jump out of bed and tackle the SF who had come charging into the room. Jake wrenched the man's assault rifle away and used the butt of the weapon to knock him.
Working fast, Jake pulled off the pieces of the medical devices that were still stuck to him. George was shaking his head as he climbed onto his knees.
"Some friend you are!" Jake growled, knocking George out with the butt of the rifle.
Still going on pure adrenaline, Jake hurried out of the room into the deserted hallway, totally oblivious to the sleeping child on the bed that was less than ten feet from his bed in the corner of his room. Hell, he didn't care that the only thing he was wearing were pajama bottoms. The cold floor didn't even bother his bare feet has he ran. He didn't know where he was going, just that he had to get out of this place. He couldn't allow these people to put one of those things in him! However, before he left, he had to find the girl he kept seeing in his dreams.
The girl was real. He didn't know her name but she was real. He knew that in his heart. It was the only explanation. It had to be. That or he was going crazy. He had been brought here before, he knew that much. These people must have taken the girl away from him. He escaped but she was still here somewhere. No wonder he couldn't remember anything and why he felt like a failure in his dreams. He did fail to protect her. But no longer! Jake was going to find her and get her out of this place…no matter what.
In a dimly lit room at the basement of some non-disclosed Federal building in Washington DC, Agent James Barrett was up early preparing to interrogating Admiral William Greeley. It was a well known fact the Greeley was a stubborn SOB who was one of the most highly decorated Navel Officers and a SEAL.
The interrogation was going to be difficult. Not because of Greeley's stubbornness or his SEAL training but because of the Goa'uld symbiote he had in his head. Greeley was one of the top members of the Trust. The NID discovered that a select few of these top members had Goa'uld symbiotes in their heads.
Barrett was actually looking forward to the interrogation because it was his first Goa'uld that he was going to question. And he was extremely confident his methods and tactics would make the overly confident Goa'uld talk.
So, for the longest time Barrett merely sat there, sipping his coffee and nibbling on his granola bar, without saying one word.
"You must know by now that questioning me is a waste of time. I will not reveal the names and locations you so desire," the Goa'uld finally said.
"Then you must know, the Trust will never get the secrets contained within General Carter's mind," Barrett countered.
The Goa'uld did not reply. His gray eyes flashed and narrowed at Barrett.
"Really…you're not a little pissed that General Carter got away…twice when he was literally in the Trust's hands!" Barrett smiled. "You messed up and now he's untouchable!"
Greeley's face split into a smug grin.
"Things are not as they seem," the Goa'uld replied. "You merely appear to have the advantage."
At first Barrett thought the Goa'uld was speaking of his own predicament. Then Barrett realized he just received some vital information.
"Will you excuse me, I need more coffee," Barrett smiled calmly. "It appears we're going to be here a long time."
Once the door was closed behind him, Barrett hurried to the nearest phone.
"Get me General O'Neill at the SGC!"
She felt cold so she tried to snuggle closer to Jacob. Only she couldn't find the warmth of his body. Opening her eyes, Selmak growled to see she was back in her bed at the far corner of the room. The spare bed must have been Brightman's idea! It would be just like that bitch to keep Selmak away from Jacob! As far as Selmak was concerned it made sense for her to be with him! How else could she look after him?
"You could have least covered me up!" she grumbled as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.
Selmak yawned and stretched. While rubbing her eyes again she realized that something was wrong. The heart monitor wasn't making any noise! Then she immediately noticed why.
Jacob wasn't in his bed!
'Great! Jacob wakes up and I sleep through it. He's probably already talking with Sam and Mark by now,' she thought. 'Jack just better ke…'
Selmak stopped in mid thought when she noticed a pair of combat boots on the floor near the foot of Jacob's bed. Something was not right about how they were lying on the floor. Cautiously, she dangled her feet over the edge of the bed and lowered herself to the floor.
A chill went up her back. The floor was cold on her bare feet but the sight of a body attached to the boots made her feel even colder. She didn't recognize the man but he was a soldier just like General Jack. At least that's what she assumed from the color of his uniform. It was green just like Jack's.
Then she noticed two other men lying on the floor, one of whom she recognized as Uncle George. His shining head had a good size welt on it now. Unsure about what to do, Selmak felt each of their hands to see that they were all still alive.
Maybe they were here to protect Jacob! May that's why she was on her bed! But, if they were protecting Jacob, why were they on the floor and where was General Jack? And where was Jacob? If there was a danger, why was she left alone?
They were all good questions. Normally, Selmak probably would have been able to answer them. Only right now, she didn't have any answers. She knew these men needed help before she could look for Jacob. Only, before Selmak made it to the phone, she noticed the small pool of blood on the floor below the one man's mouth. It looked liked he had drooled blood as he lay near the foot of Jacob's bed. There wasn't much. Just enough to…
"Oh no!" she muttered, climbing onto Jacob's bed.
Selmak frantically started inspecting the bed covers on Jacob's bed. There was a large blotch of blood in one spot. From there, a thin track led towards the head of the bed. Then the trail just stopped. From the evidence of blood from the soldier and the marks on the bed, Selmak could only conclude that a symbiote left these blood trails. That meant that Jacob…
"No…oh no…" she started crying. "Jacob…I'm so sorry…I failed you."
A loud metallic clatter sounded and Selmak turned to see some kind of small metal tin bouncing across the floor. She ignored it. She failed Jacob. She was supposed to be looking after him. Instead, the worst thing that could happen to him did!
"NO!" she growled, wiping her tears away. "I can still save him!"
Selmak jumped off the bed and headed for the door. She had to find Jacob! She knew she could still save him. There was a way to remove the symbiote or at least she thought she remembered that there was a way to remove the symbiote.
Only before she hurried out the door, Selmak saw something on the wall near the light switch and stopped.
Fuck, Jake didn't know where the hell he was going! This place was a maze. Each tunnel he walked down looked exactly the same! He had no idea what the damn colored lines on the floor meant! And the adrenaline rush he was going on had worn off! His right side felt like it was on fire. The gun he carried was getting heavy in his arms. Even his vision started to blur. All he could see were fuzzy shapes as he stumbled about. He shook his head trying to focus his vision.
There was nothing wrong with his hearing as he heard voices approaching. He saw a dark shadow and went for it, hoping he could hide in it. He pressed into the darkness as hard as he could. He couldn't be captured! To be captured meant the girl's death. If he was captured, he couldn't save her.
"Why are we still on high alert? We have General Carter. No one's getting near him."
"How the hell should I don't know? I just follow my orders! You should do the same!"
"Someone's grumpy!"
"Sorry, I hate these overnight shifts."
The voices faded. Jake crept from his hiding place and continued on, using the wall to support him. He had to get back to the elevator. This was the wrong floor, he realized that much.
He failed! His life was fading. If Castor didn't find a host soon he would die. Every nerve fiber hurt as he slithered on the floor. Then he caught the scent of something familiar. Human flesh! Extremely young too because he couldn't tell if it was a male or female! Gathering what strength he had, Castor headed for the human.
It was blood! Only it wasn't human blood! Selmak remembered that much! It streaked down the wall to the medical cart.
Selmak started to laugh. She was so relieved!
"That's my boy, Jacob!" she cheered.
The blood was that of a symbiote. From the amount of blood splattered on the wall it must have impacted at a high velocity. No doubt, Jacob had awakened. To defend himself he must have flung the symbiote as far away from himself as he could. That explains why three men were unconscious on the floor. Two were defending Jacob while the one was a host with the symbiote inside him. That host knocked out Uncle George and the other soldier. The symbiote left its host for Jacob. Then Jacob saved himself! Selmak was so proud of her guy!
A loud hiss erupted from the metallic tin, which actually looked somewhat like a toilet seat, that had fallen on the floor earlier. Selmak jump backwards when a very injured, very pissed off symbiote came slithering out from beneath it. It started to advance and Selmak was afraid. She didn't want to be a host! She couldn't look after Jacob if her body was invaded by this…this…monster!
Selmak screamed when she fell onto the body of a soldier. Climbing over him, she saw the gun in the holster. After some effort she managed to yank it free. Then she fired at the symbiote.
Of course she missed badly. It was because her hand was too small and too weak to handle the gun in one hand. She doubted that her two hands could even handle the gun's recoil. But she was going to try! Selmak squeezed the trigger over and over while she kept retreating.
By pure dumb luck, the last bulled ricocheted and the bullet hit the symbiote in the head.
Selmak didn't hesitate. Dropping the gun, she ran out into the hallway. An alarm sounded and Selmak heard General Jack's voice from the intercom speakers. In the controlled chaos that ensued, no one noticed her running through the hallways. If anyone knew where Jacob was it would be Jack, he could find anything. And the only place she knew Jack would be was his office!
The phone beside his bed was ringing but Jack ignored it hoping it would stop…it didn't. In the darkness he felt around for it. He didn't want to turn a light on because he didn't want to get up or know what time it was even though he had an idea.
"Do you have any idea what time it is?" he growled.
"Sorry, General O'Neill!" an all to familiar, annoying man's voice said.
"Barrett? Do you NID guys ever sleep?"
"Sorry, General. I wouldn't have called you if I didn't think it was important."
"Just make it quick!" Jack snapped.
"I started my interrogation of Admiral Greeley this morning. He didn't exactly tell me…but…as you know we still haven't found the symbiote the Trust have in their possession."
Jack sat up, turning the light on. No matter what, he had a feeling he wasn't going back to sleep now.
"I strongly believe the symbiote may have infiltrated the SGC!"
"That's impossible. We have security checks and security checks on our security checks!"
"General O'Neill, I don't need to remind you that a symbiote can inhabit anyone it so chooses. All it needs is to be in close proximity, which is possible when SGC personnel are off duty. Anyone at the SGC who has working knowledge of the security systems probably can figure out how to get around them, am I correct?"
"Shit!" Jack shouted, jumping out of his bed. "Thanks for the intel Barrett!"
"Your wel…"
Jack hung up the phone as he slipped his feet into his boots. He had been so looking forward to sleeping in his own bed. However, he had a gut feeling he needed to sleep at the SGC…again. In fact, he's never left the base ever since he learned about Jacob and Selmak's descent.
After quickly tying his boots, Jack grabbed the phone and dialed the security room. There was no answer. So he quickly dialed Teal'c's quarters.
"T… We may have a problem!"
"What is it O'Neill?" Teal'c replied.
"It seems a rogue symbiote may have stowed away in one of the SGC's personnel! No one is responding from security, I need you to go check on them!"
"Understood!"
Before heading out, Jack hit the alarm and announced that the base was on lock down.
An alarm sounded. It got Jake's heart pumping fast again! The base was on lock down! That meant that they were looking for him now. Jake had to get out! But he had to find the girl first.
"Finally," he whispered when he spotted the elevator, feeling that surge of strength again.
Suddenly a man wearing glasses came running of an open door right in front of Jake. His eyes were wide with surprise when they locked onto Jake.
"Jake…" the man started to smile.
But Jake quickly took care of that by hitting him in the gut with the butt of the rifle. The man doubled over, falling to his knees coughing.
"Get up," Jake growled, grabbing the man by the scruff of his collar and yanking him up. "You're in luck…I need a way out of here and you're it!"
"Jake…"
"Shut the fuck up or I'll shoot you!" Jake snarled, dragging him towards the elevator.
"Kill me and you can't get out."
"I didn't say kill, I said shoot!" Jake counted, as they stepped into the elevator. "I'll only kill you if I don't have a use for you!"
That shut the man wearing glasses right up. Jake smiled to himself then looked at the buttons on the elevator console. He knew they were underground and that he needed to go up. However, the number twenty-eight on the console was hypnotizing. The number had meaning for him.
Maybe that's where they had taken him and performed their experiments. Or maybe that's where the girl was! Jake hit the button for level twenty-eight. He suddenly had this strong feeling that he would find the girl there.
Mark was wide-awake. He couldn't sleep and sat at the table watching his family sleep. He was worried about his father. He was worried about his little sister. There was something wrong with her. Sam wasn't telling him everything about her. Everyone was telling him Sel was just going through separation anxiety with regards to her not wanting to leave his father.
Only Mark knew better having seen his own son go through separation anxiety at a few months old when Melissa had to go back to work. No, Sel was overly protective of his father. The child was very vocal in her opinion about Dr. Brightman not taking good care of Jacob. Sam had that nervous smile when she tried explaining things to him.
Sam could never lie very well. It just wasn't in her. She was too good a person. Hell, he wasn't a good liar either. Having a father whom was in the military made it impossible to lie. And Mom always had a sixth sense whenever one of her children was lying to her. So, lying in the Carter household was unheard of.
An alarm sounded interrupting Mark's thoughts. Without hesitation, Mark ran out the door ignoring the guards who were calling after him to stop. Alarms on military bases always meant trouble. Trouble here meant Dad was in danger. So was Sel. The kid may act kind of weird, but she was still his baby sister!
Thankfully for him, he was on the same level as his father's room. As Mark ran in, his heart leapt into his throat! Dad was gone! Sel was gone! There was blood on Dad's bed. There were two men and George lying on the floor. A guard that followed him quickly moved to one of the soldiers on the floor. Mark checked to see if George was still alive.
"He's got a strong pulse," Mark told the guard.
"They all still need medical attention," the guard said moving to the phone.
While he was on the phone, Mark spotted a strange snake like creature lying in a pool of its own florescent blood on the floor. He knelt down beside it to get a better look.
It was strange alright! Mark had never seen anything like it. More importantly, what the hell was this thing doing in Dad's room?
Mark's hand slowly reached to touch the creature. He felt compelled to touch it, as if that would reveal the answers to him.
"GET AWAY FROM IT!" Jack shouted, scaring the shit out of Mark as he literally jump backwards about three feet.
The alarms had woken Sam up. She had fallen asleep on a cot in her lab. Whenever she worried, she found work to be a good distraction. She would work for a while, check on Dad and Selmak, then she would go back to work. She repeated the process until she was finally exhausted enough to fall asleep. There was nothing else to do until her father woke up.
Glancing at her watch as she tied her boots, Sam saw she had only been asleep for an hour! Not that it mattered much. Being a soldier Sam had gotten even less sleep than that on other occasions. Hell, sometimes she didn't get any sleep. Jack would say they could always catch up on their sleep later. Running out the door, Sam knew she would be doing exactly that!
When she arrived at her father's room the medical team was there and Mark was visibly upset. His eyes were blood shot. From the looks of him, Sam knew he hadn't slept at all. And Jack looked like he had the same amount of sleep as her from the way he was rubbing his face and talking to her brother! Teal'c looked wide wake, that man never seemed to sleep!
"Teal'c what's going on?" she asked.
"The NID believe that a Goa'uld symbiote had infiltrated the SGC," Teal'c explained quietly, keeping a watchful eye on Mark who was standing near Dad's bed shaking his head. "They were correct. It appears Colonel Reynolds was taken. Two security guards are dead and the security system and its backup system have been destroyed."
"What happened in here?" Sam asked, noticing the symbiote carcass on the floor.
"I do not know. I do know the symbiote that was trying to get to your father is dead, killed by a gun shot."
"NO, I'M SICK OF YOUR FUCKING LIES! I WANT THE TRUTH!" Mark yelled, pushing Jack away.
"Listen! I don't have time for this!" Jack growled, moving away from Mark. "Carter, I need you in the control room! We need the security cameras back on line! Jake and Selmak are both running loose on the base and we need to find them!"
"Yes, Sir!" she replied.
"Wait a fucking minute! This is my father and baby sister we're talking about!" Mark growled.
"Teal'c…take Mark back to his quarters!" Jack ordered.
"Sam, please," Mark begged, grabbing Sam's arm. "I want to help find Dad."
Her poor brother, Sam didn't know how much more of this emotional roller-coaster ride he could handle. He was angry one second, then on the verge of tears the next.
"I'll call you the moment we find him," she said, wrapping her arms around him. "I promise! Teal'c…take good care of him."
"Indeed," Teal'c nodded.
"Let's go Sam," Jack said, grabbing hold of her arm.
"What is it?" she asked when they were in the hallway.
"I had a talk with Dr. Brightman a few hours ago. She's been monitoring your father's brainwaves. They're way out of whack! She can't make heads or tails of it! I didn't want to tell anyone until the morning because I wanted Mark and his family to get a good night sleep."
"It could explain why he hasn't regained any of his memories. We know Daniel began remembering once he returned to the SGC," she said as they entered the elevator.
"I already called Thor," Jack continued after she pushed a button. "He'll be here as soon as he can."
"Thank you," she nodded.
"In the meantime, we have a problem. Jake's not exactly thinking straight. He may not be psychotic but he's armed and we know he's extremely dangerous."
"Selmak?"
"We don't know if he took her or not," Jack said sadly. "From what's happened to your father up to date…I would hate to be the man who gets in his way!"
"You should try being on of his kids when he's mad!" Sam smiled.
"I'd like to think I've already experienced that one," Jack countered as they exited the elevator.
Teal'c watched Mark as he paced ferociously in his family's assigned quarters. His wife sat speaking calmly to her husband but nothing would persuade the man to sit down. Teal'c found it intriguing how some of the women of Earth could appear so fragile at times and yet be so much stronger then the men during a crisis.
"Mark, sit!" the woman snapped and pointed to the chair.
Again, Teal'c was amused but refrained from smiling when Mark sat down.
"They're not telling me everything about Dad or Sel."
"I'm sure they have a good reason," she said grasping her husband's hand.
"Perhaps your father will explain to you when he is able," Teal'c offered in hopes of calming Mark down.
The man didn't respond but merely sat there staring blankly at the table.
"Try to get some rest Mark," Melissa insisted.
Mark got to his feet and kissed Melissa on her lips.
"I'm sorry, honey…I have to do this."
Teal'c immediately moved to block the door before Mark could reach it.
"You must remain here," Teal'c said calmly, putting a hand in the center of Mark's chest.
"Teal'c, I don't give a shit if you're an alien and that you could bench-press an elephant. This is MY father! If it were your father, wouldn't you want to be there to help him?"
"Yes, I would," Teal'c replied honestly.
"Then let me help him," Mark pleaded. "He doesn't remember any of you! But he knows me! He trusts me! I am the only one who can reach him!"
Teal'c listened to Mark's words. They did make sense.
"Very well, but I will accompany you," Teal'c replied.
As the elevator descended, Daniel noticed that Jake was grimacing but doing his best not to. Perspiration trickled from the man's brow down the sides of his face. There was also fresh blood oozing from the gunshot wound. And Daniel was very curious about whose blood was smeared on Jake's chest.
Daniel sincerely hoped that Jake didn't seriously injure anyone. Daniel knew that Sam's father would regret harming anyone he knew. That is, once he regained his memories! At the moment, it was very obvious that Jake didn't even recognize Daniel, which meant that Jake had no qualms about inflicting serious pain on anyone in his way!
But Daniel was also curious about what things Jake actually did remember. Having done the ascension-descension thing, he felt compelled that it was his duty to help Jake.
"So…what's the last thing you remember?" Daniel asked but got no reply. "I ask only because…I've been through what you're going through."
"And just what the hell do you know about what I'm going through?" Jake questioned sarcastically.
"I know it's frustrating when you can't even remember your own name."
"That would be frustrating for anyone with amnesia you geek!"
Daniel blinked wondering if Sam's father always considered him to be a geek. Second thought, did everyone think he was a geek?
"I got a question for you…"
"Daniel, my name's Daniel," he smiled.
"I don't really give a shit! Just tell me something. I know this place holds deep dark secrets. What I want to know is, am I a voluntary participant in those secrets or am I a product of those secrets?"
"Jake, I promise you, no one has experimented on you," Daniel answered earnestly.
"You know what Danny boy…I don't believe you! For all I know, you have one of those snake things in your head! I already know you people lied to my son...telling him I was dead!"
"Do you know that for a fact, Jake?" Daniel countered and immediately saw that white hot anger in Jake's eyes again. Only this time it was aimed directly at Danny!
"Shut the fuck up!" Jake growled, shoving Daniel hard into the wall of the elevator. "I know what I saw! I would rather die before I let you people stick one of those things in me!"
Thank God the elevator dinged and the doors opened! A moment longer and Daniel felt as if he would have been a permanent fixture of the elevator wall! Of course, being yanked out of the elevator by the front of his collar didn't feel any better!
"Jake, no one here would ever do that to you!" Daniel said, trying to talk sense to Jake.
"Bullshit! My supposed friend George had his hands on one and put it right on my fucking chest!"
"What?" Daniel asked in disbelief.
"Damn little thing had redish orange glowing eyes and fins!"
Daniel couldn't believe it. The Trust got a symbiote into the SGC! Only Daniel knew it couldn't have been General Hammond. He's been with Jake since they left Washington.
"Oh, shit!" Daniel whispered when he saw the SFs down the hall had spotted him and his companion.
Jake saw them too! Daniel suddenly found himself with Jake's left arm tight around his neck and the point of the gun jammed into his ribcage.
"Got it!" Sam announced, after a few minutes of typing furiously at the keyboard in the control room. "I routed the security systems though the secondary backup systems. They should function until we get the main system back up and running, Sir."
"Good job," Jack smiled, hanging up the phone beside her. "Anything on the cameras?"
"Sir, Selmak might be too small to show up on the security cameras," Sam explained. "They're not aimed low enough for small children."
"Do you best, Colonel," he replied, staring at the monitor. "Thanks for the coffee, Walter."
"You're welcome, Sir," Sergeant Davis said taking his seat beside Sam.
"By the way, Hammond's awake," Jack announced, taking a sip of his coffee. "He had gone to check on Jake when he saw the snake on Jake's chest and rushed in to grab the damn thing. Only when Jake woke up, he must have thought Hammond turned on him because Jake gave his buddy the welt and knock out Airman Simmons. Reynolds was the host."
"How are they doing, Sir?" she asked as she kept scanning through the images.
"Well, Uncle George has a Texas size headache as he called it. Simmons has a mild concussion and Reynolds is going to be ok. He's already apologizing for what happened to him. Apparently, he went to bed last night, when he woke up, he was trapped inside his own mind and roaming the base. McKenzie's on his way. But I know Reynolds, he's a tough kid, he'll be ok."
Sam nodded as she found an interesting image that she pulled up on the main monitor.
"Damn, I don't need your brother getting in the line of fire!" Jack snapped.
"Well, actually, my brother may be the only one who could help, Sir. According to General Hammond my father hasn't regained much of his memories. Now because of what happened in San Diego, my father and brother trust each other. Mark may be the only one able to reach Dad."
"DROP YOUR WEAPONS!" several voices shouted all at once.
Sam and Jack immediately headed down the small stairwell to the side hallway that led to the Gate Room. There was her father. He had Daniel and was using him as a human shield as they slowly moved along the wall towards the Gate Room. Sam and everyone else could see that her father was pissed off and wasn't playing around! He didn't look so good either. His stitches had ripped and he was bleeding badly. Also, from the looks of his eyes as they darted from one person to the next, he was running on pure adrenaline; he had to be after all he's been through the past two weeks.
"Drop your weapons! Unless you want to be responsible for me splattering Danny boy's brains all over your nice facility here," Dad said calmly yet was dead serious.
"Sir…" she whispered to Jack.
"Do as he says!" Jack ordered as Dad kept moving with Daniel. "Go on guys, get out of here. Walt! Clear the Gate Room!"
Sam heard Sergeant Davis' voice ordering everyone out of the Gate Room. Her father's eyes locked on hers. Did recognize her? She hoped he did as she gave him a tentative smile. Mark told her that Dad had looked at some family pictures including hers. Only Dad's eyes narrowed and Sam suddenly felt like a first year Cadet on their first day at the Academy!
"So…I see you people turned my own daughter against me!" he snapped angrily.
"Dad, no one's turned against you. We want to help you," she replied with earnest.
"Sorry Sammy, I don't trust you right now. If George turned on me, I can see you doing the same thing. I mean it would be easy for you since I was such a horrible father!"
"Dad…"
"Don't deny it Sam!" he shot back, entering the Gate Room with Daniel still in tow. "I remember you and your brother hating my guts for getting your mother killed!"
"Jake, you're not remembering things clearly," Daniel insisted.
"I clearly remember telling you to shut the fuck up!" Dad growled into Daniel's ear.
"Daniel's right. Apparently, your brain's all scrambled or something," Jack chimed in.
"Who the fuck are you? You look familiar," Dad said narrowing his eyes at Jack now.
Sam was almost cringing wondering what her father was remembering this time! Mark was right. When Dad did remember something it wasn't always the way it really happened. She hoped her brother could just hurry up because she doubted that Jack would be the one to calm her father down.
"Really? Jack O'Neill," Jack smiled. "You might remember saving my ass a couple of times."
"I seriously doubt an old fart like you has seen any action lately! So, I doubt I saved your six unless it was from the little old ladies during bingo night!" Dad countered arrogantly with a smirk on his face.
Sam and Daniel were both wide-eyed waiting for Jack to come back with something. He never hesitated to in the past. Nor did he disappoint them now!
"You cocky bastard…I'll have you know that I'm getting plenty of action…" Jack paused and Sam closed her eyes, cringing, waiting for the other foot to drop. "With your daughter!"
Sam opened her eyes again. Poor Daniel was practically getting strangled as Dad's arm tightened around his neck. Sam couldn't remember a time when her father was that shade of red with anger! She could swear smoke was about to come out of his nose the way it was flared!
"No doubt it was the only way to turn her against me, Jack!" Dad finally gritted through his teeth.
"Jake…I can't breathe!" Daniel managed to gasp.
Dad's hold around Daniel's immediately loosened…a little.
"I want to speak to whoever's in charge!" Dad demanded. "I want answers for why this was done to me!"
"Believe it or not…I'm in charge of this fine military establishment," Jack smiled smugly, showing the star on his collar.
"You gotta be shitten me! You can't be in charge!" Dad responded in disbelief.
"Believe it!" Jack grinned.
"Well, I'm sure they figured you were so old and still working for the Air Force that they had to give you a fucking star!" Dad shot back wiping that grin off Jack's face.
"Dad, no one here did this to you!" Sam jumped in before this pissing match went on any further.
"Dad…Sam's right!" Mark's voice sounded.
Sam sighed in relief when she turned to see her brother and Teal'c come running into the Gate Room.
Jake almost burst into tears. He finally found a friendly face in this nightmare. He was so relieved that he let Daniel go so he could embrace his son Mark.
"Mark, you're ok!" Jake smiled, patting his son on his head. "Melissa and the kids?"
"They're fine. We're all just worried about you," Mark said as he glanced down. "Dad, you're bleeding!"
"I'll be fine," he replied, ignoring the stabbing pain in his side. Then Jake noticed the Jaffa not far behind Mark. Jake raised his gun back up making the Jaffa step back.
"I'll be fine," Jake repeated, glaring at the Jaffa as he moved to join the others. "Once I have my answers!"
Jake couldn't remember everything or he might not remember something correctly, however he did remember that nothing pleasant ever happened when he was in the company of the Jaffa in general! That was a constant in all of his dream the Jaffa were in! So Jake wasn't taking any chances. He grabbed the front of Mark's shirt and yanked his son behind him then pushed him up the ramp towards the Stargate. That fatherly instinct was strong; he had to protect his boy. He knew he had failed his family in the past, he wasn't going to now!
At a time when he didn't want it, Jake was hit with one of his visions. He was being led through the tunnels to this very room. He was being led up a ramp to the Stargate. He remembered that up to that point in his life, his life was normal. After that was when all the hell happened. After that, was when Jake saw the snakelike creatures and the people with glowing eyes torturing his mind and body.
Jake opened his eyes to see he was facing the Stargate. Mark was beside him, his face full of worry. Then Jake turned, narrowing his eyes at Jack. He remembered that it was Jack who brought him here! And it was Jack who took him through the Stargate!
"You did this to me!" Jake yelled, forcefully pointing the gun at Jack.
"Whoa! Don't shoot!" Jack shouted, quickly stepping away from the others.
"You brought me here so the Air Force could experiment on me! You took me through that thing called a Stargate!" Jake continued.
"Dad, I was with General O'Neill. It was my idea to bring you here. Why would I want the Air Force to experiment on you?" Sam asked.
"Shut up! I can't trust you anymore! You have one of those snake things in your head! You tried to put one in mine!"
"For cryin' out loud! Jake you're about three short of a six pack right now and…!" Jack started to say.
"Did you take the little girl through the Stargate too? Or did you people experiment on her somewhere else?" Jake desperately asked.
They all blinked in surprise at him and Jake felt his sanity was beginning to slip away. Could she have only existed in his dreams? He didn't know her name. Every time he tried to remember his dreams of her they would quickly fade and he'd forget them completely. Maybe that meant she wasn't real. Yet, he could remember her image clearly as if she were standing before him. To Jake, that meant she had to be real. He could almost feel it!
"What have you people done to her? Where is she?" he shouted when no one answered him. "Why did you people take her away from me?"
"Dad…" Mark spoke making Jake turn around. "Who are you talking about?"
"A little girl, about four years old, blonde hair, big blue eyes, cute little button nose. I see her in my dreams…she's always wearing purple," Jake replied, then hesitantly asked, "Is…is she real?"
Mark laughed softly, "Oh yeah, she's real Dad. You just describe Sel…your daughter!"
Jake dropped the gun, staggering backwards down the ramp until he lost his footing and fell onto his back. He felt like he couldn't breathe as he stared up at the ceiling. She was his daughter? How could he have forgotten a thing like that?
"Oh my God…I'm losing my mind!" he wept, covering his face. "I couldn't even remember that she was my daughter!"
"Dad…let me take you back to the infirmary," Mark insisted, pulling Jake's hands away from his face.
Jake saw that everyone was looking down at him. His eyes immediately locked on Jack's and Jake was filled with wild rage. Surprising everyone, he knocked Mark out of the way as he quickly climbed to his feet. And before anyone could stop him, Jake grabbed Jack by his throat and tackled him down to the ground.
"WHY DID YOU DO THIS DO ME? WHY DID YOU TAKE MY LITTLE GIRL AWAY FROM ME? I WANT SOME FUCKING ANSWERS!" Jake roared as he was trying to choke the life out of Jack.
Suddenly Jake felt himself being lifted off Jack as Sam and Daniel managed to pry his hands off Jack's throat. Jake's feet weren't even on the ground as he kicked and struggled to break from of whoever was holding him.
"Please, calm yourself General Carter," the Jaffa spoke. "I do not wish to harm you."
What happened next surprised the hell out of Jake but didn't extinguish his anger. He spoke in a language he only heard in his dreams. Only it rolled off his tongue quite naturally! He even knew what the harsh words he spoke meant. And Jake repeated them to the Jaffa, only more forcefully.
"Teal'c! Put my Dad down!" Mark said angrily.
Only Teal'c didn't listen.
"Teal'c do it," Jack coughed as Daniel and Sam helped him to his feet.
This time, Teal'c immediately did as he was ordered.
Jake turned and spat off a long string of obscenities, in that strange language again, at Teal'c.
"What did he say?" Jake heard Jack asked.
"You really don't want to know," Daniel replied.
"Dad, let's get you to the infirmary," Mark insisted, putting a strong arm around Jake.
Jake grimaced and looked down to see his bullet wound stitches had popped open and he was bleeding badly. The top portion of his pajama bottoms was already soaked with blood. Only Jake ignored the pain and pushed Mark's arm away. He needed answers.
"Why did you people do this to me?" Jake pleaded with them this time.
They all looked at Daniel. So did Jake.
"Jake, no one here did anything to you," Daniel said sadly. "You did this to yourself."
Jake burst into laughter, grabbing his side. Now he knew he was crazy! But so were all of them!
"I did this to myself! What a crock of shit!" Jake scoffed. "Did this to myself…you people are all nuts!"
"Dad, Daniel's telling the truth," Mark said seriously. "No one did anything to you. In fact, they've all be trying to help you."
Jake looked from his son's face and to the others then back to Mark. They all appeared sincere. And they may all actually want to help Jake. But it was only Mark whom he knew he could trust.
"Why would I do this to myself?" Jake finally asked his son.