Chapter 2

Carter came around the corner to a set of stairs and stopped short. Daniel was sitting half way up reading a piece of paper. It had been creased over and over and showed signs of wear.

"Daniel."

He looked up with glowing eyes. She looked down, falling back a step.

"Sorry, Sam. What?" Daniel asked.

She looked back up. The glow was gone, his voice was normal again.

"We've been trying to find you. We're needed in the briefing room."

Daniel stood, folded the paper along the creases and slid it in his back pocket. He walked down the stairs and around her. She fell in beside him.

"What were you reading?"

"An email."

"Looks like you've read it a few times."

Daniel nodded.

"Or has Frank?"

"Both."

They fell silent for a few minutes.

"Can I ask--"

"Frank's daughter," Daniel said.

Shocked by the information, Carter stopped walking. When Daniel didn't stop she jogged to catch up. She stepped in front of him, forcing him to stop.

"Frank has a daughter?"

Daniel nodded.

"He never said anything about a daughter. It wasn't even in his file."

"He asked it withheld."

"Why?"

Daniel's eyes flashed. "Why are you so interested in my life all of a sudden, Sam?" Frank demanded.

Carter backed up a few steps. Frank shook his head.

"Don't pretend to be interested in me. If you ever become interested in me, and it's not for posterity's sake, then you have a right to pry into my private life." Frank started to pass her, but stopped next to her, looking up into her eyes. The light faded from her eyes.

"Sorry. He's... Things haven't been going so good for us and... He's got some personal things going on. I'm sorry about him..." Daniel tried to finish, his mouth moved soundlessly. He turned and walked away.

Carter wanted to explain why she was acting like she was toward Daniel and Frank, but she knew Frank was there and that made it so difficult. She didn't know or trust Frank, and the couple of times they'd talked it had gone like this.

Carter slowly turned and continued to the briefing room.


Bursts of blue energy shot from the dark. The night vision camera on the M.A.L.P. could just barely make out forms. It picked up the sounds of SG-9 firing rounds at the forms. The bullets hit an invisible force, flashed with bright light and evaporated.

Light flashed over the area, momentarily blinding the camera as it adjusted for the new light. They couldn't see anyone beyond the half circle three soldiers made in front of it. Their faces were hidden by the darkness of night and the shadow their helmets cast from the gate.

"Gate's open, sir!" a voice said. One of the soldiers came back into sight

"Fall back." Colonel Rickes said, turning his head slightly.

The soldier turned and ran. Suddenly he fell back. He got up and ran, and this time fell back hard.

"What's wrong?" Colonel Rickes asked.

"They've blocked off the gate."

"Is the camera on the M.A.L.P. still transmitting?"

"Yes."

"Tell them we need support fast. The Priors came out of no where and--"

The video cut out.

SG-1 turned from the screen to General Landry.

"When do we leave?" Mitchell asked.

Landry sat a folder on the table near Daniel. He reached out for it, his eyes flashing. Frank looked up at Landry.

"Maybe we should send another M.A.L.P. and make sure they aren't still being attacked," Frank suggested.

"We already have. It's pitch black on the planet and we couldn't see anything. I want you to go through but--"

"Then we should wait until dawn." Frank said.

They all looked at him.

"They may not have until dawn," Teal'c said, looking him in the eyes. "If you are afraid to go, perhaps you should allow Daniel Jackson to be in control. He would not hesitate with his duties."

Frank swallowed, looking at the folder. He snatched it up, opening it. Files on the members of SG-9 were in it and he began skimming them.

"Actually, because Colonel Rickes said something about the Priors, it may be an ambush. We should probably wait until dawn to go," Mitchell said. "That makes more sense."

Frank sat up, staring at one of the files. He rapidly flipped through the pages, looking for something.

"We don't know what kind of danger they are in, Cameron. We should go now." Carter said.

Frank pulled out a page with a picture paper clipped to it. He stood suddenly.

"We're going now," he announced and headed for the stairs.

The four were dumbfounded by the sudden change in him. Carter looked at him, watching him disappear down the stairs. She looked at Landry.

"Uhm..." Mitchell looked at the files. "Who's on that team, sir?"

"You know all but one of them: Colonel Rickes, and Sergeant Major Jefferies and Combs. Major Whitmore joined the team three weeks ago and it was her first mission with them."

"Do you think he knew one of them? Frank, I mean."

"I doubt it, but it doesn't matter. They need rescued and I'm sending you in. Do you want to wait until dawn, Colonel Mitchell?"

Mitchell shook his head. "Frank's geared to go and I don't want to risk him loosing his nerve."

"Daniel would go, you know," Carter said, "if you told him to."

Mitchell looked her in the eyes. "I don't doubt Daniel would, but they both have to agree or Daniel's no good to me."

"Is it not Daniel we need on missions, not Frank?" Teal'c said.

"We need them both."

"What could we possibly need with Frank on a mission like this?" Carter demanded.

Mitchell stood, started to walk away and then turned back. "You two need to get a grip with the situation. They're trying, guys, and this isn't easy for either of them. And if you gave Frank half a chance, you'd see he's really a good guy. He--"

"He is a goa'uld," Teal'c corrected.

"He is part of Daniel forever, and his own person at the same time."

"He isn't a person, he is a goa'uld," Teal'c said.

Mitchell leaned on the table, staring into Teal'c's steady gaze. "Is Frank being a goa'uld a problem for you? Is that why you haven't talked to Daniel for almost a month now?"

Teal'c stood. "I will be prepared to leave in ten minutes." Teal'c walked to the door and disappeared around the corner. Carter quickly gathered her papers and hurried after him. Mitchell stood with his hands on his hips. H flexed his jaw, trying to get a handle on his anger. He had been tempted to blow up at them for doing what they were to Daniel, but he knew that wasn't going to help anything.

"You handled that well, Mitchell," Landry said. "Bring SG-9 back safe."

He looked up, watching the man retreat to his office.