I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the reviews that I've received so far. You have no idea how hard it was for me to post this story, thinking that I may be treading on thin ice. Your encouragement has made this so much easier and has already pushed me to finish chapter 7, as well as got me thinking of chapter 8. Please continue with your reviews. They help me out a lot.


Morning came without any disturbances and Teal'c welcomed the sunrise. Although he had only a few hours of rest during the night, he was more than ready to get moving. So far they had only encountered seven men during their stay on this planet, but there could be more and Teal'c had no desire to stay and find out.

He and O'Neill had been up all night keeping watch. Neither one wanted to let their guard down nor did they want to keep Major Carter from her sleep. It was a given that Daniel Jackson would be allowed to sleep throughout the night as they both knew from their own experience with the drug that it would be futile to keep the man awake.

Thoughts of what the alien drug did to him caused him to frown as he tamped out the fire. He did not like to dwell on what he did to Major Carter, but there was no escaping the memories. The look of hatred in her eyes as she spat at him when he had violated her haunted him, causing him a great deal of pain as he realized that he may have lost a valued and trusted friend.

The fire was no longer a threat to anything when he finally stopped stomping on it. He had not realized that he was taking his anger out on it until it dawned on him that he was kicking at a pile of dirt, and not the fire that had been there originally. He went over to retrieve his staff weapon, all the while ignoring O'Neill who had been grinning at his actions. At least Teal'c tried to ignore the embarrassment of having been caught in an unusual display of anger.

Major Carter came up to him and patted his arm, saying, "It's gone Teal'c." Teal'c found himself smiling at her, knowing full well that it was a measure of relief to know that she was willing to make amends. He bowed his head at her to acknowledge her statement, then went back to the task of packing up camp.

Daniel Jackson was awake and sitting on the ground holding a cup of coffee in both hands. He had refused to let them take the chains off, much to O'Neill's chagrin. Daniel Jackson, it seemed, wanted to keep the chains as a reminder of what he had done. Teal'c did not think that this was a good idea, but convincing Daniel Jackson proved to be an ordeal in itself. He smiled to himself as he remembered the argument between Daniel and O'Neill. The two men always found something to argue about, even at the most inopportune moments.

Daniel Jackson had wakened not long after Major Carter did, but he had kept his silence, which was extremely unusual. He finally spoke up when he held up the chains that still bound his hands together and said to O'Neill, "Thank you," in such a heartfelt tone that even Teal'c knew what he meant. O'Neill had responded in his usual flippant manner as he went over to unlock the chains. "Anytime buddy," O'Neill had said. "Although it was the gag I liked best. Imagine a whole day without having to tell you to can it… I tell you, it was heaven." O'Neill had stopped speaking when he realized that what he had said may not have been the best thing at that moment, but Daniel Jackson took it for what it was, a friendly gesture that was not meant to harm him.

O'Neill tried to unlock the chains, but Daniel would not let him. He pulled his hands in toward his stomach in a protective gesture while he shook his head. "Forget it Jack," he said. "How do you know I won't try to hurt someone the minute you free me."

O'Neill stared at his friend in amazement before responding, "The very fact that you are warning me about it tells me that you won't. Come on Daniel. Let me take them off."

"No way. You all are better off with me chained up."

"Daniel…"

"I'm keeping them on."

"No you're not. Hand them over."

"Uh uh," Daniel Jackson insisted, as he pulled his knees up in an effort to hide his hands behind them.

"I'm making it an order Daniel," O'Neill countered. "Give it up."

"No," he replied adamantly.

"Please Daniel?" Major Carter said, as she came to squat down next to him. "I know you didn't mean to hurt me. Let the Colonel unlock the chains."

"No," he said, as he stared at the ground between them. "I don't want to hurt you Sam. Besides, I deserve worse than this," he snarled out. "Much worse."

Teal'c had watched the whole scene with some interest and was going to try to help his friends in talking to Daniel Jackson, but those words had effectively stopped him. He had felt the same way as his friend did, only he believed that it was himself that should be locked up and imprisoned. He had committed a heinous crime, one that he would have been severely punished for if he were back in Chulak. His people believed that anyone who raped another was weak and not worthy of being a Jaffa, as it demonstrated a lack of control over mind and matter. The Jaffa prided themselves on their strength and for someone to give in to their baser needs and desires was deemed a coward and treated as such. There was also the matter of possibly injuring a woman in that she would not be able to bear another child who would grow up to be a part of their God's army. This fact alone made rape a crime punishable by death and Teal'c believed that he, too, deserved to be punished.

O'Neill had given up the argument at that point, as well. Teal'c knew very well the reason why. O'Neill was a good man who had lived through his own share of tragedies, and if what O'Neill had told him was true, his own share of violence. Teal'c knew from experience that O'Neill would lay down his life in order to save a member of his team – the fact that he had been the tormentor of a teammate had to be an experience that would torture O'Neill for a long time to come.

Teal'c dwelled on these thoughts as he took his staff weapon to do a little scouting while his teammates got their gear together. They joined him several minutes later and Major Carter led the way. They walked several hours in silence until the Major stopped and turned to them with a smile. "I've got a signal sir," she said, relief shining in her eyes. "We're almost there!"

"Finally," O'Neill muttered. Although he looked tired and worn down, Teal'c knew the Colonel was alert and ready to do battle if the opportunity arose. Teal'c had known from the moment he had encountered O'Neill in Apophis' prison that he was a force to be reckoned with and he was glad that he had taken a chance on the young Tau'ri.

"You ready to let me take those chains off Daniel?" O'Neill asked his friend. Daniel Jackson shook his head, but O'Neill had apparently decided enough was enough. His hand snaked out and grabbed the chain between Daniel's wrists and pulled on them to bring the chain closer to him, causing his friend to stumble as he was jerked forward. O'Neill swiftly unlocked the chains, then looked at them as he held them in his own hands. He looked up at Daniel Jackson, then took a few running steps before throwing the chains away from him as hard as he could. The chains sailed through the air and fell down in the distance. "That's one less reminder," O'Neill said before turning to Major Carter. "Lead the way," he ordered.

"Yes sir," Major Carter responded, as she gave Daniel an encouraging smile before turning toward their destination.

"Congratulations Jack," Daniel Jackson snarled, as he turned to follow the Major. "You've graduated from being an ass to being a complete son of a bitch!"

"Whatever it takes," O'Neill responded. Teal'c just shook his head as he followed his teammates through the forest. He knew by now that their anger would leave them as quickly as it came up. It was just a matter of time.

They walked in silence as they made their way toward the Stargate. Teal'c tried to keep his mind on the dangers that they may be facing, but he found himself remembering the events of the day before and what he did to the woman who had shown complete faith in him the very first day he arrived at the SGC. She had demanded that the others not shoot him, then came up to him and held her hand out, asking him without words to hand over his weapon. He had admired her courage at that moment and he was grateful to this day that she accepted him within the ranks of SG-1 without question.

He knew in his heart that it was the drug he had been injected with that caused him to hurt her, to take his pleasure in her without her permission, but he also remembered the thought of wanting to finish what was started once he had kissed her, even as he hated himself for the very thought. She had begged him to stop and he had wanted to more than anything, but something deep inside wouldn't let him. He had enjoyed her screams when he had hurt her, all the while hating himself with his whole being when she cried and begged him not to hurt her anymore. He had sworn to keep her safe when he had joined SG-1, but that meant nothing as he saw her standing there wearing only bruises and blood to hide her nakedness.

Teal'c swiveled with his weapon aimed toward the noise that had brought him out of his musing. O'Neill came up to stand next to him, his gun primed and ready to fire. They scanned the surrounding area, trying to see behind the trees in hopes of determining what it was that disturbed them, but there seemed to be nothing there. Teal'c was not fooled, he had, after all, been a warrior for over 100 years and he took a few steps forward to see if he could find what it was that was out there. He concentrated with all of his senses, knowing that he still may determine what was out there by smell, as well as sight and sound.

The forest came alive as Teal'c focused on his prey. The sights and sounds were familiar, but it was the unusual sounds Teal'c listened for. He turned slightly to his right when a twig snapped, then dropped to his knees as an arrow sped past his arm. He turned to aim his weapon toward the direction where the arrow came from and fired when a man came charging out of the brush. The man fell from the force of the blast and Teal'c was glad to know yet another one was dead.

He turned again when he heard a gunshot from behind him and saw that O'Neill had killed a man who had been aiming at Teal'c. He knew from experience that O'Neill, Major Carter and Daniel Jackson would have completed their own reconnaissance, finding shelter among the trees as they made their own assessments of their predicament, which is why Teal'c was not surprised by O'Neill's actions. The four of them all worked well together, like a well-oiled machine.

The forest was quiet again, but the members of SG-1 did not give up their hiding places just yet. Teal'c kept a constant vigil, wondering how many more were out there, just waiting for their chance to capture him and his friends. He turned when he heard a muffled shout, but his help was not required as Major Carter shot the man who had tried to cut Daniel Jackson's throat.

Daniel Jackson just stared at the Major a moment before going back to his own vigilant stance. There was no time to discuss anything.

"How far are we from the Gate?" O'Neill spoke up from his hiding place.

"A couple clicks maybe?" Major Carter answered. Ever the soldier, Teal'c thought proudly. She would have made a remarkable Jaffa, he realized, not for the first time. He shook away the memory of watching her as he waited for the drug to take effect, of the look in her eyes as she pushed away her terror and looked at him with dignity and strength, believing she was going to die by his hand. If ever there was a warrior, it was Samantha Carter.

"We're going to make a run for it," O'Neill said. "Carter, you and Daniel go first. Teal'c and I will be right behind you. Go!" he shouted.

Both Major Carter and Daniel ran toward the Stargate, while Teal'c and O'Neill scanned the area for their attackers. No one came forth, so both men turned and ran after their teammates. They raced through the forest, keeping an eye on the route Major Carter took while at the same time keeping their eyes and ears attuned for possible attackers.

The trees that they ran through provided adequate cover for their flight and Teal'c was relieved when he heard the Stargate erupt. He and O'Neill came into the clearing just as Major Carter turned to them, shouting at them to hurry.

"Go!" O'Neill shouted at her once more, and she complied immediately. She disappeared into the event horizon, but not before she grabbed Daniel Jackson's arm to pull him along with her. Teal'c stopped to aim his weapon at a man who came out of the trees next to the Stargate, and shot him just as he put a tube to his mouth intending to shoot something toward them.

He and O'Neill ran the final stretch toward the Stargate and dived through it to make it to safety. They came out on the other side to a reception of soldiers, each one determined to defend their homeland at all cost. "Close the iris!" O'Neill shouted as he dropped down onto the ramp. Teal'c got up on his feet, then reached down to help O'Neill up when the man raised his hand in an appeal.

"Colonel O'Neill," General Hammond said, as he came into the Gate Room, his eyes conveying his concern. "What happened out there?"

O'Neill did not respond right away, which was extremely unusual. The man always had something to say when he got back, usually something flippant. It was expected by everyone who knew the Colonel, and General Hammond's expression turned grave when it became apparent O'Neill was not going to respond as usual.

"Colonel?" the General tried again.

"We ran into some problems sir," O'Neill finally said, as he looked at his commanding officer. "We should get down to the infirmary, especially Carter, if it's all right with you sir."

"Yes. Yes, of course," the General said, as he indicated the way with his hand. "We'll debrief in one hour."

"Yes sir," O'Neill replied before he turned to lead the way toward the infirmary.

Doctor Janet Fraiser met them at the examination room and began issuing orders to her staff. She then began to ask questions to try to determine the extent of their injuries. Teal'c let the doctor and her staff draw blood and run the usual tests they had to endure after every mission, but refused to tell her what happened while he had been drugged. He felt that this was something Major Carter should speak of herself, as was her right.

Teal'c was more worried about his friend, Daniel Jackson. The young man was unusually despondent, refusing to talk to anyone, including Major Carter. Teal'c knew what his friend was experiencing, but he also knew that Daniel was a caring and compassionate man who held onto his values tightly and was probably devastated by his actions, which contradicted the values he held so dear. Daniel Jackson was going to have a hard time dealing with what he had done and Teal'c hoped he would be able to help his friend when the time was right.

"Oh God, Sam. What happened to you?" he heard Doctor Fraiser ask from behind the curtain that hid the Major's bed.

"It's nothing Janet," Major Carter responded in a trembling voice.

"It looks like a lot," Doctor Fraiser insisted. Teal'c tried not to listen, all the while knowing that the doctor would get the answers she wanted. The woman was a harridan when it came to healing the people under her care. As if to prove this point, the doctor began issuing orders to her staff, as well as to Major Carter, telling her to get undressed and to put on a hospital gown, so that she could do a thorough examination. The doctor came out from behind the curtain just as Major Carter groaned in frustration, glaring at him and his companions. "What happened out there?" she demanded.

She did not get the answer she was looking for, as all three men kept their silence. Apparently O'Neill and Daniel Jackson shared Teal'c's opinion that the explanation should come from Major Carter. Teal'c would wait until he faced the man who had the power to punish him for his actions before he would admit his guilt.

"Are we done here Doc?" O'Neill asked forcibly.

"You three are," she said after studying them for a moment. She knew defeat when it stared her in the face. She then called out to Major Carter to ask permission to enter the curtained area. Teal'c bowed his head in shame as memories of what he did to his friend and comrade washed over him when Major Carter timidly responded with the word, "Please."