Part 17
The rings disappear and we need to move now.
Teal'c tells us to run.
We have little time left to get off this planet before all hell breaks loose.
The ship's about to blow, Anubis might detect us on the planet and cut off our escape through the gate.
Hell, as far as we know he might already be ordering his troops to come after us.
We're almost home. We just need to get through the gate and all will be well.
She is here next to me. The guys are alive and we have survived yet another brush with death.
This brush is the closest I ever want to get to it. My mind tries to block out the image of her neck being sliced by that monster, but it will now be playing on the O'Neill greatest nightmares night time theater. Probably for as long as I live. I have seen a lot of bad in my life, but this has been beyond the compare of any of it. What I had felt. The despair of not being able to save her, the unbearable hurt that had vibrated throughout my entire body and the feeling of loneliness, knowing she would no longer be there to be my guide through this unforgiving maze called life.
"Jack?"
I snap out of my stupor, but don't answer. We have time for answers later.
We have a date to go on.
At my cabin.
I squeeze her hand and we continue to move.
I guide her towards the gate. She's still struggling but when I ask to carry her she shakes her head and points to her sheet.
There's blood and I panic.
She sees my expression and tells me that she knows it isn't hers.
Oh boy, I am so busted. The riot act should start soon. I look at her and try to smile and she shakes her head as we continue to move.
"You should have told me you were injured, Jack. You carried me all that way, why? You could have caused yourself more damage. I swear, as soon as we get back I am so going to let Janet know what you did. She's gonna have you locked up in the infirmary for weeks."
Teal'c hears what Sam is saying and is suddenly beside us, trying to help me with Carter, which I am grateful for. I'm starting to feel the effects of my injury.
They don't know how badly I've been hurt and when they find out they will not be happy.
I don't care, we're almost home and I can rest then.
Doc will definitely not get any complaints about me staying in the infirmary. I plan to sleep for a week.
The rebel Jaffa ahead of us signal that the gate is near.
I see Daniel helping the last of the villagers through to Earth.
Way to go, space monkey! He looks and waves. He is talking to Haras. He has Karina with him and she points at us and gets Daniel attention.
He turns, shakes his head and starts running towards us.
"Daniel," Sam whispers as I squeeze her hand.
"Almost home, almost home to all of those great drugs that makes you feel all fuzzy and warm inside."
"Yes, to our homes and to our date."
I don't get a chance to answer her. Daniel is pointing and I can't hear what he is saying
Teal'c sees this too and turns around.
"O'Neill!"
I don't have to turn around now, I can hear them coming.
"Aw crap! Teal'c, how close?"
Before he answers, the first wave of gliders have started to use us as target practice.
Trees are falling around us. I pull Sam with me and yell at Daniel to get to the gate.
The guards that came with us are firing but they are no match for the firepower of the gliders.
Daniel turns around and makes a run for the gate and we are right behind him, when I see the gliders coming back for round two.
The only cover is the trees on either side of us. The path to the stargate is too open. If we continue to the gate we will have no cover.
We'll be sitting targets.
They're bearing down on us. I yell at Daniel to head for the trees and see him take cover before the gliders fire.
I see one in our path and Teal'c points to the bushes at one side. I nod, but the glider is too fast. I see him firing and push Sam towards the trees, runing off in the other direction.
I hear her scream out my name and can't turn back. I have to draw fire away from her. Maybe he'll go after me, since I wasn't going for the cover of the bushes.
Since I was out in the open.
It is an insane idea, so against all of my training, but I have no other options now. The ship is about to blow and my mind is working on adrenaline alone.
It works. The glider swoops in to follow me and begins shooting. I zig-zag down the path, trying to avoid the ground that is being blown up in front of me.
I hear Sam calling out to me.
It hurts but I have to do this, I can't have her come so close to getting home and to help, only to see her die here.
She'll understand.
She has to.
I hear the sound of the horn signaling that Anubis' troops are coming.
The glider is coming in for another pass. I see Daniel pulling Sam, but she gets loose and is running towards me.
"Dammit Sam," I mutter to myself.
I need her to go the other way.
The gliders are coming back. For someone so smart she let her emotions rule her, which only would get her killed, but I am determined that today will not be that day.
I start running towards her, but suddenly I realize I could be too late to save her. The glider is right behind her. I wish that my legs were longer, so I could run faster, but know I might be too late.
Teal'c grabs her and brings her down before the glider starts to fire.
Thank god for Teal'c.
The gate is being fired on, they want to cut off our escape.
The gate deactivates and I'm losing hope.
The gate starts to spin. I try to get closer, but the cross fire from Anubis' guards and the rebel jaffa is stopping me from getting to her and home.
The gate is active and I wait to see who walks through. If it's Anubis' drones we are done for.
The sound of gunfire has never sounded sweeter to my ears. It's the SGC and they're coming in out of the gate, weapons at the ready.
I get up and come face to face with a drone.
Shit!
He lifts up his arm to fire and I dive to the side.
He is shot from behind and falls.
"Colonel, are you okay?"
I turn to see Reynolds who is crouching down to see if I'm hurt.
"Peachy, Reynolds, but we've got to get the hell outta here! That ship is seconds away from blowing."
Before the last word is spoken the sky is lit up like a fireworks display.
"You mean that ship, sir?"
He gets up and offers me a hand.
Everyone stops to see the ship explode, taking Anubis with it.
The drones look up and cease firing. Some fall to the floor.
The rebel Jaffa cheer, knowing they have defeated two gods.
I get up and start my search for Sam.
I know Teal'c will not let any harm come to her. She is on the ground.
I look around and stop.
Oh god no!
I see Teal'c on the ground, but he isn't moving.
I run and fall next to him. He is using his body as a shield. I see her hand under the mass that is T.
Daniel is calling out to me and I signal him over.
"Daniel, help me get Teal'c off of her."
Daniel is on his knees beside me.
"Jack?"
I look up at him and tell him again to help me get Teal'c off Sam.
"Jack, is it Sam? Is it really her? I thought I was hallucinating when I saw her walking towards the gate. Jack, how? We saw her die in front of us, we saw that bastard kill her."
He is frantic, but I need his help.
"Daniel, I need you here with me now. Okay? Come help me get T off of her, she's hurt. We've got to get her through the gate and home, that's our mission now. Do you understand me?"
He nods and starts to help me roll Teal'c onto his side. While he checks on Teal'c, I check on Sam.
"He's got a strong pulse, Jack. I think he just got the wind knocked out of him."
I wasn't listening. I was tending to Sam. She was unconscious again. God, angel, when will you ever stay awake for me? I check her pulse, and it is strong. I let out the breath of air I am holding and pull her into my lap.
I yell out for a medic. We have to get out of here.
My yelling stirs Sam.
Her eyes flutter open and she has a look of panic on her face.
"Hey, I'm here. You're safe, its over, we're on our way home, all of us."
She grips my hand and clings to me. She murmurs to me that she thought she had lost me, and that if I ever pull a stunt like that again, she will personally kill me herself.
I chuckle and whisper in her ear that she is starting to sound like a wife.
"If only," she mumbles and looks away.
I hear her and I can't stop the smile that spreads across my face. Oh yeah, lots of talking up at the cabin alone, me, her, the fireplace and the fish!
I kiss her forehead.
Daniel yelps and we look up too see Teal'c, who is regaining consciousness and frantically calling out Sam's name. Daniel places a hand on his shoulder to reassure him that all is well.
She turns to them and smiles.
"Hi, guys."
Teal'c relaxes and Daniel is in tears.
Daniel rushes over to engulf her in his arms.
She is crying as well.
He is speaking softly. Telling her how devastated he was when he thought he had lost his sister, friend and team mate. That he thought his life had ended with her and how he had wanted so badly to save her.
Teal'c comes over and places a hand on my shoulder.
I look at Teal'c and he is smiling.
"Indeed this has become a great day."
I smile back.
"Indeed it has, big feller. Daniel, we don't want to add broken ribs to her already extensive list of injuries. There will be plenty of time for this later. Come on, let's go home."
I try to get up, but can't. I'm losing the battle of trying to pretend that my injury is not as bad as it looks. I can feel my energy draining and find it hard to even sit up.
Teal'c comes and offers me a hand up.
Sam is being helped by Daniel, but waits till I am up and grabs my hand, pulling me towards her.
"You don't have to be on guard any more, Jack. Our family will make sure we get home in one piece."
I smile, take her hand and bring it to my lips.
She gasps.
This is the first time I've allowed my emotions take over, leaving the soldier behind.
I am through after today. I will no longer be going through the gate. I will retire and ask my beautiful second in command what she is doing for the rest of her life.
I smile at my secret and she stares at me, curiously.
Before she can ask why I'm smiling so, I start to move to the gate with the help of Teal'c.
The rebel Jaffa are disposing of the drones with the zats, not wanting any of them to suddenly arise again. We are at the steps of the gate and Daniel lets Sam go to dial Earth.
To dial home.
Teal'c goes to talk to Lom'ec and Rist'ka, to ask them to come through the gate with us so that they can join the other rebel jaffa.
I walk over to Sam who is looking at the falling debris of the ship.
She has goose bumps and her lip is quivering. It's all hitting her now, everything she' s been through, the whole ordeal.
I'm about to touch her when I hear a scream.
"It is your fault my god is dead and now you will die as well. I will seek revenge for what you have taken from me."
I turn to see Ba'al's Lotar with a staff weapon, pointing at Sam. No one can stop her and Sam is backing up, raising her hands.
I have to save her. I have to get there in time.
I hear the staff weapon fire and feel numbness. I hear yelling, Sam screaming and other staff weapons going off.
I'm falling towards her. She is reaching out to catch me.
I have saved her.
I can die knowing I've done this one last good thing.
A trade.
My life for hers.
That is so very acceptable.
My angel will live and I have fulfilled my promise to get her home.