Author's note: Sorry about making you wait on this one!

OOOOOOO

The much larger ship did little more than vibrate gently when the hyperdrive engines kicked in and they started back towards Earth. While it was faster than Loki's unlamented scientific vessel, it would still take them nearly twenty minutes to get Ian back home, and although Janet frowned at that news, she had known they weren't going to get back instantly – no matter how much she wanted to. Ian wasn't bleeding to death, or even in a lot of danger. He was in shock, true, but she knew how to deal with that, and was plenty competent to do just that until they could get him into a warm bed.

At the moment, he was braced between Sam, who was still holding him closely, and Jaffer, who Sam had called over to help warm Ian. The black lab was motionless, his big warm body snugly pressed against Ian's, but he kept looking over his shoulder at Loki, his upper lip occasionally pulling back and revealing those long sharp fangs that were capable of dealing death and destruction to the Jaffa and would have no trouble at all with one Asgard.

Jaffer wasn't the only one who was glaring at Loki. Jack had moved over to stand above Loki, who was shrugging off the remnants of the rope Ian had tied him with while at the same time trying to avoid answering questions from Thor and Jack, and also trying to ignore the fact that Teal'c was glaring at him as only a Jaffa can, and Jack (the dog) who was pacing between Teal'c and Ian, growling softly in his throat and casting baleful looks at the Asgard as if he was well aware that Teal'c's anger was all Loki's fault.

"The council will be convened when we return from Earth, Loki," Thor said.

"Never mind that," Jack interrupted. "I want to know what the hell you were thinking when you thought it was okay to just waltz on in and kidnap one of my people. Did you really think we weren't going to come looking for him? Did you-"

"Colonel O'Neill," Thor said, interrupting the interruption. "He will be punished for-"

"You bet your ass he will," Jack snapped. "Because if he doesn't at least get-"

"You didn't use anything on him to try and wake him up?" Janet interrupted, coming over as well.

Loki turned his attention to her, but if he was hoping that the fairer sex would be any easier on him, he was sadly mistaken. If anything, Fraiser was angrier than she had been, and she wasn't one to hide that any more than Jack was.

"I did not."

"Nothing? No synthetic steroids, no-"

"I did nothing but nudge him with my hand," Loki repeated. "If he is unresponsive to you, perhaps it is because of the way we were tossed around on the bridge of my ship when the Goa'uld attacked. If Ian Brooks had not antagonized him, then it is safe to assume-"

"Listen buddy," Jack interrupted, poking Loki's chest with an irate finger and wishing he were holding something a lot pointier – like a machete or something. "He's not to blame for this, you are. And you're lucky that Thor's here, because-"

He was cut off by a deep growl, and looked down to find that Jaffer had abandoned Ian's side and was now standing beside him, his hackles up and his fangs completely bared. Loki stepped back; he didn't know anything about dogs, but it didn't take a genius to see the danger the lab represented.

"Colonel O'Neill…" now there was no arrogance in Loki's voice, only concern, and his big eyes were locked on Jaffer's.

Jack scowled; tempted to sic Jaffer on the little bastard, but he knew he couldn't. Besides, Asgard probably didn't taste like chicken or anything else and he didn't want Jaffer to have a stomachache.

"Jaffer, down," he said, gently, reaching down and running his hand along the sleek black fur. "Go help Sam."

The lab rumbled, but he did what he was told, watching over his shoulder as he returned to the other side of Ian.

"I need a healing device," Loki told Thor, touching his bleeding head.

"What happened to you?" The other Asgard asked, turning and pressing a panel on one of the bulkheads. A drawer of sorts came out of the wall, and Thor reached in and took out a small oval object from it.

"I hit my head."

"Big loss there," Jack growled.

Thor handed the device to Loki, who pressed it lightly against his wound. Immediately the thing turned a pale blue and then darker, and Jack knew it was working. Sure enough, a moment later, Loki pulled it away and the injury was gone – although there was still plenty of blood, and even a couple of the other bruises that were along his shoulders and hips.

"Will that work for Ian?" Janet asked.

Thor shook his head.

"Unfortunately it does not work well on humans. We can try, but I do not believe that it will do much for him."

"We can try, though," Jack said, firmly.

Thor nodded. Although he was certain it wasn't going to do much, you never knew. Besides, he owed them that much. He reached over and took the device from Loki, who looked as if he wanted to resist, since he wasn't really finished with it just yet.

When he walked over to Ian, however, Jaffer growled menacingly at his approach, fangs bared once more, and Thor drew back, looking at Jack.

"Jaffer…"

The lab's growls subsided, but the teeth were still clearly showing. Jaffer didn't want anyone near Ian just then – except for people he knew well. Thor wasn't someone that fit that description – although Jaffer had known him for some time.

Thor leaned over, the device in his hand, and Ian moved his head out of reach, bringing it from Sam's shoulder to rest it against Jaffer, where he instinctively knew the Asgard wouldn't follow. His dark eyes were still glazed, but he was clearly determined not to be touched.

"Get away from me."

"Ian…" Sam said, softly, running her hand through his short hair. "Let him try…"

"I don't want him anywhere near me."

"I am not the one who abducted you," Thor assured him, certain that the boy had him confused for Loki. "And this will not hurt."

Ian shook his head.

"Go away. I mean it."

Sam looked over at Jack, who pursed his lips together, frowning.

"Janet?"

"Don't force him, Colonel," Fraiser replied, worried by how furious Ian sounded – even through his shock. "I'll take care of him when we get him back."

There was no sense setting Ian off over nothing, after all – especially since she was certain the device wasn't going to have any effect on his injuries, anyways.

Thor pulled away, moving back over to his command chair, and Ian closed his eyes, his head once more coming to Sam's shoulder.

"We will reach your planet in less than ten minutes," he said, looking up at the display.

Jack nodded and moved to stand beside where Sam was sitting. Hammond was going to go nuts when he heard about this.