A/N: Ok. Thank you to my three faithful reviewers, shinysilvergrl, Arrant Schemata, and Bookworm. The fact that you guys take the time to do such indepth reviews is fantastic and I hope I never lose you! Oh and I'm glad you liked my quip about language, silver, it's something that I always find amusing in the show – although they couldn't really do it any other way without it being kind of annoying to the viewer!

Ok. This chap character-oriented as forecast… hope you like!

Part 9 – Trust and exasperation

Élodie crawled out of the bark cave slowly, stretching her aching muscles gingerly as she rose to a fully upright position. She saw Teal'c turn almost imperceptibly, acknowledging her presence, before refocusing his energy on the task of lookout. She was glad he didn't try to talk to her: it was intimidating enough speaking a foreign language to the Colonel, let alone trying to converse with the mountain of a man who was crouched in front of her.

Looking around, she saw that the sun was low in the sky and the trees had adopted an orange hue, reflecting of the crimson sky to the west. They would be moving soon. Just at the thought, Élodie felt as if she might be sick – she'd had quite enough action and was longing for it all to be over, one way or the other. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, trying not to let any tears of desperation fall. As her fingers slid passed her eyes and she opened them again, she saw a strange reflection through the trees along the path they had traveled earlier. She had stepped a couple of metres away from their hiding place but now stopped completely still, frozen in fear.

She held her breath in anticipation, hoping that perhaps she had only seen a trick of the light. A couple of seconds later, however, she saw the glint of light again. It was all she could do not to let out a yelp of surprise and fear. Finally gathering her forces together, she moved to turn and alert the others.

"Élodie attends! Wait!" a familiar voice hissed. "It's just me – Philippe."

Philippe should have known better than to try and calm Élodie by telling her who he was. Without waiting a further second, she moved quickly backwards, still facing forwards, until she ran into the tree trunk, nearly falling over Sam's resting frame.

"Samantha! Réveillez-vous! Wake up!" Élodie was pressed against the tree trunk, not averting her gaze from the area where she had first spied the glint of light. "Philippe has found us!"

Sam jolted from her comfortable doze against Jack's equally exhausted shoulder at these words and saw that Élodie was frozen next to her, looking out to the south, petrified. "C'est celui qui nous a trahi aux authorités? He's the one who gave us over to the authorities?"

Élodie just nodded in response. He was the man she'd so wanted to trust, the man she'd asked to give them shelter for one night, the man who had subsequently given them over to the cops.

Jack was now awake, having felt Sam moving next to him. One look at Élodie's face was all he needed to know. He followed her line of sight to the bushes and saw, as she did, the small quiver of movement and reflection of light about 50 metres away.

"Teal'c!" he barked, while leaping to his feet in one instantaneous motion. He and the Jaffa advanced before whoever was hiding had a chance to move, and latched onto Philippe's shoulder as he was attempting to run away from them.

Jack hauled the Frenchman back to their hiding place while Teal'c checked the surrounds for any other unwelcome visitors. Shoving Philippe roughly against the tree-trunk, he then leant in menacingly on the man, almost growling with his dislike for the man. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Élodie standing unsteadily between Sam and Daniel, looking on.

"Carter isn't this the guy who turned us in?" Jack growled angrily, not moving a muscle from his menacing position.

"Yes sir." Sam replied, her tone of voice matching Jack's. She addressed Philippe, who was looking petrified under Jack's stare. "Comment tu nous a trouvé? How did you find us? What are you doing here? WHO ARE YOU WITH?" She was shouting by the time she finished her line of questioning, the anxiety rising up within her as she felt Élodie quaking with fear.

While they were waiting for an answer – Philippe seemed petrified with terror – Teal'c returned to their position. "It would appear he is alone, O'Neill." He said sagely, although not letting his guard down. Despite this finding, he remained alert while the interrogation continued.

Jack took this information under advisement, nodding curtly, before bearing down on Philippe again. "Well?" he snarled.

Philippe looked from the man who was only inches from his face to the others, all of them looking at him with a mix of shock, anger, and fear. The sight of the American soldier looking positively murderous prompted him to respond finally.

"Je… je… I… Iamsosorry," he began, speaking so fast it was all Sam could do to keep up and translate for the others. "I really thought you must have been traitors and I was so angry with Élodie but after your arrest the Bib's men came and ransacked my house looking for information while I was out… they didn't know who you were so you musn't be in league with them… I heard they took control of the airbase and plan to use the device against the Republic! Any enemy of theirs is an enemy of mine and so-"

"Et comment tu nous a trouvé? And how did you find us?" Sam asked him, her voice still as piercing as it had been before.

"J'ai entendu parler de la manifestation violente, I heard about the violent demonstrations, and knew that you would come here for the device." His eyes were wide, appealing for any of them to listen to him and believe his story. "I have been here since mid-morning, circulating the area in hiding, trying to find you… and… and…" Philippe looked from person to person in despair, willing them to have mercy on him at least, even if they weren't going to believe his story. "Élodie!" His eyes widened in appeal, his voice choking as he fought off some persistent tears. "Chérie excuse-moi… j'avais tort… s'il te plaît excuse-moi! Chérie forgive me… I was wrong… please forgive me!"

Silence enveloped the group small group gathered in the woods as each considered their position. Jack was loathe to trust any other outsiders in what would have to be one of their most ill-fated missions to date, and it was entirely likely that the idiot in front of him – despite his intentions – had led the authorities to their position. He looked to Teal'c, who was still canvassing the area but was yet to find any sign of other people in the vicinity, and then to Sam and Daniel, who were between them supporting Élodie who looked completely at the end of her tether.

He rested his gaze on Sam, searching her clear blue eyes for her take on things. In that moment of uncertainty he felt a pang of helplessness threaten to overtake him. He knew it wouldn't happen, but something inside just wished he could tell the French – be they Republican, Fascist, Communist or bloody Jedi – to bugger off. In this frozen moment he wished that for once he could find himself looking into the crystal-clear eyes he was currently lost in without having to think about their immediate safety – let alone the fate of the world or even universe. He sighed inwardly, mentally pushing his hopes and desires to an unhappy corner of his mind, and raised an eyebrow, waiting for his 2IC's valued opinion.

"I don't know sir," Sam said carefully, realizing that all attention was on her. "Élodie? Qu'est-ce que vous en pensez? What do you think?"

Élodie felt her breath shake in her throat as she tried to collect her thoughts and feelings, sorting out the coherent from the confused. She saw the despair in her former lover's eyes, but at the same time felt the warm touch of the sensitive American from the future who she was now clinging to. She knew she shouldn't let her feelings intrude on her opinion, but she inherently empathized with Philippe – and in a way she thought she understood even.

"Je pense pas que j'aurais agi différemment. I don't think I would have acted differently." She said apologetically to Daniel, not feeling able to face Sam – she felt ashamed. "You have to understand how insane this entire situation is – you coming from the future, in the context of the civil unrest in France, with the threat of German belligerence constantly weighing on all our minds…" she trailed off, afraid of everyone's reaction to her words.

"No-one trusts anyone." Daniel finished for her in English, nodding his head slowly with compassion.

"So do we trust him or what?" Jack asked with irritation – he was coming closer and closer to immobilizing this particular French pansy and leaving him for whatever wildlife that exists to devour.

"Je peux vous aider! I can help you!" Philippe suddenly shouted, causing everyone to jump – except for Teal'c of course. "My old associate is still in charge of the aeronautical research unit at the base – should you encounter any difficulties he would certainly provide us with assistance."

"Provided there's an 'us' that includes you…" Jack muttered upon hearing Sam's translation of this latest Gallic outburst. "We don't really need this guy do we Carter?" he said disparagingly. "Can't we just tie him up here and leave him for the army to find?"

"Oh no vous ne feriez jamais ça! You'd never do that!" Élodie shouted out quickly, having understood enough of what Jack had said.

Jack ignored the French woman and motioned for Sam to step aside a couple of metres with him. He left Teal'c to watch Philippe and trusted Daniel could contain Élodie.

"So Carter," he said quietly, "options?"

Sam looked nervously at the Frenchman and back to Jack, who looked completely fed up with their entire situation, as she herself was beginning to become. "The problem is, sir," she began slowly, breathing out with her words, "I don't think we can in good conscience leave him here. Considering how dogged our pursuers are, we'd be sentencing him to imprisonment or worse."

"And if he's actually working with them?" Jack challenged, his eyes flashing with contempt.

"It doesn't matter who he's working for, if anyone," Sam replied helplessly, appealing to Jack's common sense with vast arm gestures. "If he's working for the Republicans then the right-wing groups will hunt him down, and vice versa…"

Jack growled angrily. "Dammit Sam, this is fast becoming a freakin' circus – we can't keep picking up strays like this!"

"Sir," Sam began firmly, her eyes locked with his. "If he's honest in what he's saying then we've got nothing to lose – one more civilian is not going to make or break our plan…"

"And if he's not?" Jack began Sam's next sentence for her, raising his eyebrows in appeal.

"If he's not," Sam let her voice drop right down so it was almost inaudible, "then we've probably already failed."

Jack held Sam's stare for a few moments, postponing the moment when he'd have to acquiesce to her wisdom yet again. He knew she was right, but it didn't mean he had to like it. Finally nodding his head in assent and looking away from her he turned and moved back towards the others who were eagerly await his response.

"Ok campers," he said morosely, "he's coming with us."

Both Élodie and Philippe instantly slumped with relief at this decision and launched into hurried expressions of gratitude. One look at the expression on Jack's face, however, stalled this reaction.

"You tell him Sam," Jack said, his steely gaze fixed on Philippe, "if he's lying to us I won't hesitate to deal with him – with force."

With those words he stomped into the bushes behind them in search of a quiet area where he could think.

Sam had let Jack walk away from the situation, recognizing how frustrated he was. It was now almost 18.30 by her watch, however, and the evening meal – as Philippe had told them – would be either at 20.00 or 20.30. It was time they thought about moving. She and Teal'c had been discussing their plan of attack and she had sketched out the area for the Jaffa so he could prepare himself for their daring theft that was to follow later in the evening. Meanwhile, Daniel and Élodie had been 'debriefing' Philippe about his motivations and actions – as well as the details of their betrayal of the previous day.

It didn't take her long to find Jack. She knew she would have heard him approach but he didn't flinch upon hearing her footsteps. Instead, he was deep in thought, obviously mulling things over while sketching scenarios for their mission in the dry dirt with a stick. He didn't seem to pay any attention to her until she was kneeling right in front of him.

"I hope that frog knows to stick to you and Daniel and not do anything." He said somewhat contemptuously, drawing yet another trail in the dirt diagram in front of him.

"Jack?" Sam decided not to react to his retort, instead looking at him with a glimmer of concern.

The tone of her voice and use of his first name caused Jack to disengage from his strategic planning and look up. Sam's voice was matched by her expression, and Jack sighed inwardly, realizing yet again that it was nigh on fruitless to try and hide anything from this amazing woman.

"God Sam," he looked away to his left, focusing on a far off tree, before finally tearing his eyes back to face her. "I'm just sick of it – sick of this country, sick of putting my ass on the line every minute only to have the entire population after us." He paused, before continuing so she wouldn't cut him off. "Every time we're out in the field, doing our best to help whatever society it is, and all we come up against is the fiercest resistance – from both our enemies and our allies."

Sam swiveled around, carefully avoiding Jack's work of art on the ground, to settle next to him, placing a steady hand on his forearm before lacing her fingers through his and drawing his hand up to touch against her cheek. She softened her expression and looked deep into his eyes. "I know." She said simply. "And I know you know that we don't have a choice…" she paused briefly as he stroked the back of his hand, still clasped in hers, lightly against her cheek. "…but at the same time that it's worth it – otherwise the world as we know it wouldn't exist."

Jack smiled before pulling Sam into an all-encompassing hug, running his hand through her hair, enjoying the sensation against the coarse skin on his palm. "I just want a chance to enjoy the world as we know it." He said softly into her neck before pulling back slightly to look at her. "I want to enjoy it with you."

Jack saw Sam's eyes glaze over slightly as her breathing became rather more rapid than it had been a few moments ago. Feeling a magnetic-like force drawing them together, he let her lips touch his tenderly and enjoyed the sensation of once again kissing the woman he had grown to respect and love over the years. One touch wasn't enough, and he deepened the kiss, grasping the back of her neck with one hand and pulling her body closer to his with the other. He was startled to hear a guttural sound emerge from his throat, matched by a simpering moan from Sam, and forced himself to pull away, sure that his face had become just as flushed with raw energy as hers. Resting his forehead on hers, he moved his hands to cup her cheek and gently stroked the soft skin under her eyes with his thumbs.

Sam looked into the deep brown eyes in front of her and saw through all the bravado to the sensitive man that lay within. Smiling tentatively she opened her mouth to speak. "So let's go put our asses on the line – again – so we can do just that." She said with a voice that was much more wobbly than she would have liked.

With a will of iron, she pulled back from the touch of his rough skin and stood up slowly, stretching her hand out to help him up. Without releasing their grasp, both of them moved back towards the others in preparation to move out.

To be continued…

A/N: I know this was shorter than usual, but my life has been insane recently and I really don't know when I'll next be able to post. I REALLY want to finish this before Christmas Eve, but it may not be possible. I'll be doing my best though – really!

I implore everyone to review… especially since I've somewhat detoured back into possible "cheese-factor-land"… I guess action will be following in the next chapter but I'm going to try and balance things a bit better than I have been recently.