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part 15

They are coming.

I know that with the blast of the door, I had sounded the alarm and all hell would break loose. But I had never expected to find her behind the door. I had expected to kill the bastard. I had expected to wait for the ship to blow, or die trying to kill as many of Ba'al's followers as I could take with me.

I had made no plans to escape. I was to die here and wait to join my soulmate.

Hearing her call out my name was my undoing,

I thought it was an illusion. I thought I was imagining it, but no, she was alive. I had blown my way in, to see if I had truly lost my mind.

My heart began to beat again after I saw her. I wanted to touch her, to make sure she wasn't a mirage. But she was real. She was being attacked by that bastard, and I knew, just as he did when he realised that I was there, that he was a dead man.

God or no god he would not escape my wrath.

He was now dead.

I had killed him with my own bare hands.

I had gotten my revenge.

I had exacted it for her and myself. For the pain that the snakehead had caused her. For all of the past sins he had committed. He was dead and I felt no remorse.

Revenge was mine, but at what cost?

She's bleeding, I'm hurt and we are about to have visitors.

I can't think of my injury. She is my main priority right now. I have to keep her safe. I will have doc take care of me as soon as we walk through the gate.

She's depending on me. I will protect her with my life.

I pick her up and she groans as I move her to the back corner of the room.

I need to hide us and it will be a better place to make my last stand. I am determined to defend us till my very last breath.

She lets out another groan and I know I have hurt her.

I put her down. There is blood is on my hands. The wound has not stopped bleeding. I look to the door and wonder if I have time to tend to it.

I cut a piece of the sheet and make a bandage. I pray it's enough.

I'm finding it harder to breathe myself and check my wound. It's soaked through my vest. This is not a good sign, but it's also nothing I can worry about right now.

She wakes and asks what's happening. I tell her to stay still.

She's trying to stay focussed, but I can see she's still dazed by all that has gone on.

I look at the blood that is still flowing from her mouth. The bruise on her

cheek, the marks on her neck. I know she has been through hell and I wish I could bring the bastard back to life just to kill him again.

She tries to keep her eyes open but the blow to her head is calling her to sleep.

I need her to stay awake

I shake her to keep her with me. She looks at me and tries to speak.

I motion for her to be silent and point to the door.

She shifts into soldier mode and grabs my gun. I pull it back but she grasps my hand and squeezes it.

She knows we are in trouble.

I shake my head, no, but she insists.

I hand it to her. She smiles but I can see her wince as she tries to sit up. Her sheet is falling and I raise it for her.

She snaps back to attention, but I know it's a losing battle.

She whispers, "I'll be alright, Sir, just give me a few minutes."

Sir? That word is music to my ears. I hadn't realised, but in this situation, I had longed to hear it from her.

I rip a piece of the sheet and keep an ear out for the door. No one has come in yet and I hope no one does. I start to wipe the cut on her lip.

She tries to stop me but I insist. She's stops and is staring at me.

She's either a survivor, or a cat with 9 lives. She is here with me and I can't believe my luck.

My life had been given back to me. She is the reason I want to get off this ship. She is the reason I have a purpose again. She is the reason I want to live.

My heart is mending but the powers that be are not through screwing with our lives. I swear we have a dark cloud over us. But no more. I'll put in for retirement as soon as we get off this bucket of bolts and I'll let someone else carry the weight of the world. I am through. No more for me.

She's closing her eyes and I pick up her chin. She turns to the door to see if anyone is coming.

Why can it not be simple for us? Why do our lives always hang in the balance?

I hear more fighting in the hallway.

This might be it for us. If we don't get discovered, or we get pinned down, there is no way will have enough time to get to the rings and down to the planet, to go through the stargate.

I look at her, staring at the door, and stop. She looks over to Ba'al and can't hide the repulsion she feels.

She starts to shake and I grab her hand. I startle her as she looks up to me with tears.

I can't let another minute pass without telling her what I feel.

I have been given a second chance and I will not let her go on without telling her what I feel.

I caress her cheek. She looks surprised, but leans into my hand and closes her eyes. I start to whisper to her.

"Sam, I want to tell you."

She puts her finger to my mouth and shushes me.

I take her hand, and start again. She cups my chin with her hand.

"Not now Jack. This conversation will take place, but not here."

Her eyes start to well up as she caresses my face. She bites her

lip and I know she's hurting. She closes her eyes and whispers to me.

"I thought you were dead. He said he had killed all of you. He showed me they way he killed you and how you called out to me. I swear that my life ended in that moment. I was alone, with no hope of you coming to save me. He broke me."

The last is said in a whisper. Tears start to fall and I pull her into my arms and hold her, making sure I don't touch her wound.

"I'm here, Sam. Nothing and I mean nothing will keep us apart. We'll get

out of this and we will talk, I promise. I thought I'd lost you and I felt as lost as you did. We will survive this, Sam. You believe me, right?"

She nods and looks up. I wipe the tears from her face.

"We'll talk, only if you promise it will be at your cabin and only the two of us."

I give her my best smile say it's a date. She smiles back. We stare at each other and the moment is stopped when we hear voices outside.

Her eyes widen and I squeeze her hand.

I turn to see two Jaffa coming in and going to their god.

Their dead god.

I push her behind me.

I want to be the barrier between them and her.

I feel her hand on my shoulder. The Jaffa sound the alarm that their god is dead.

They still haven't spotted us.

We stay hidden but are soon discovered. I start to shoot and pull Sam behind a table that is little protection from a staff weapon. I wound one of the guards and Sam hands me my gun when I run out of ammunition. I'm trying to keep us safe and she's trying to stay with me.

I run out of bullets and wait to see if I have killed the remaining guard.

"You will not escape for killing my lord. You will be given to the new master and he will exact his revenge for killing one of his loyal followers."

Anubis, there is no way where we going to surrender to him!

I look at my watch and see we will have to stall.

"Your god was not a true god. He died at my hands, a mere man. If he was a god he would have killed me without any effort. Instead he lies by your feet and I am very much alive. There are no gods, they are parasites and live on your fear and your loyalty to them."

I peer over the table and see I've gotten through to him.

I raise my hands and stand. He points his staff weapon at me. I move away from the table. Maybe he thinks it's just me here.

"Come with me, you can fight for your freedom. The rebel Jaffa are all over the ship. They know what will happen when Anubis arrives. His super soldiers will wipe you all out. They do not need Jaffa any longer. Come, fight along side your brothers."

I start to move closer to him and see the conflict within him. I'm about to reach him when I hear Sam yell out my name in pain.

I turn to see another Jaffa. He has snuck behind me while his friend has kept me talking and now has Sam in his arms.

I feel a blow to my back and then to my knees. I am sprawled on the floor and Sam is thrown down, next to me.

"Jack? Oh god, Jack, don't leave me."

I hear her and open my eyes. She's being yanked away from me and I grab the guard's arm.

I punch his face and he stumbles back and falls. I pull her to me and move to the wall behind us.

She's limp in my arms. I check for a pulse and it's there. Her battle is over, better for her not to be awake for our deaths.

The other guard has us pinned against the wall.

I know this is it. I slide to the floor sit her on my lap and wait. I hold her close and whisper that I am sorry and that I love her.

Her head is on my shoulder and I kiss her lightly on the lips. I close my eyes and wait for the end.