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a/n: To all those worried about this story's future: Don't worry! I have every intention of finishing this story, too! Besides, I have a team of badgerers who harass me if I go too long between updates!

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Chapter Seven:

Jack couldn't have been more excited. Here he was, in Washington DC, he had Sam's home address and he was on his way there now. It had been weeks since he had seen or talked to her. Whatever it was she was trying to find out about the NID was taking up all of her spare time. But, the president had been insistent on awarding Jack and Sam medals for their part in destroying Apophis' ships and he was taking this great opportunity to see the beautiful, young astrophysicist as much as he could while he was in town.

The taxi pulled up in front of a large, old building and Jack paid the driver and hopped out. It was definitely an old building, probably turn of the century. Jack looked down at the scrap of paper in his hand. He already had her address, including apartment number memorized, but he still looked at the paper, as if it would somehow get him to her sooner.

The building had no elevators, so he had to hike up three flights of stairs to her floor. He approached her door and realized just how nervous he was. Here he was, a forty-year old divorcee, nervous about seeing his…what? Girlfriend? Yeah. Girlfriend! Jack grinned. The realization that Captain Samantha Carter was, indeed, his girlfriend, causing his manly insides to turn to mush.

Somewhat more confident, Jack knocked on Sam's door.

Sam, having no idea who was at her door, peeped out the peephole and gasped. She quickly pulled back and unlocked the door. "Jack!" she shrieked and jumped into his arms.

Before Jack could fully understand what was happening, Sam had him yanked into her apartment, her lips firmly pressed to his. Not one to fight with a woman, Jack succumbed to her will.

"I didn't think I'd see you until the ceremony," Sam breathed the first time they came up for air.

"I got an earlier flight so I could see you," he replied, his lips and tongue venturing down her neck.

Sam moaned, the only response she was capable of making at that moment.

They eventually made it to the bedroom and took the next step in their relationship. In fact, they spent the whole morning in that next step.

Sated and comfortable, cuddled together on Sam's full-sized bed, Jack stroked her back while they laid in each other's arms. "Ceremony starts at 1300," Jack whispered.

Sam groaned. "Don't wanna get up."

Jack chuckled. "Me neither, but I think the president would notice, considering the ceremony is in our honor and all."

Sam lifted her head, her tousled hair falling over her face and making Jack fall that little bit more in love with her. She looked up at him, smiling the smile that, if he wasn't already laying down, would knock him off his feet. "Hmm, are you coming back here afterwards?"

Jack sucked in a sharp breath and Sam already knew his answer. The disappointment was shooting through her body before he ever even opened his mouth to speak. "I can't."

Sam nodded, her head buried in his bare chest so he couldn't see her heartbroken face.

"My team went back to Abydos. I promised I'd join them right after the ceremony."

Sam, still on the verge of sobbing, just nodded again in understanding.

"You…..could come back with me. Take a little bit of your vacation time?"

Sam unburied her head but kept her cheek on his chest, enjoying the contact. "I can't," she squeaked out. She sniffled. "I…I wish I could, but I can't."

Jack tightened his hold on her, trying to comfort her with his strong embrace. "Why?" he asked so low, it almost went unheard.

"I have…a meeting," Sam confessed.

Jack pulled back, his hands going to Sam's arms and lifting her up so he could look in her eyes. "The NID?"

Sam licked her lips and nodded.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I just did," she defended.

"Have you told Hammond?"

Sam shook her head. "Not yet. I was hoping to get some time alone with him today."

Jack let go of her arms and ran his hands through his hair, exhaling loudly and laying down on his back. "Tell me," he basically ordered, his eyes firmly locked on the ceiling.

Sam swallowed the lump in her throat and imitated his position next to him. "Someone approached me last week. I've never seen him before. He said that his organization is aware that I should have gotten the position at the SGC. He said if I was interested in a position, it would be worth my while. He gave me a card with a date, time, and location."

"It could be dangerous," Jack spoke in a soft voice.

"It's just a meeting. I promise to be careful. I think they're planning something big, Jack." Sam turned her body and supported herself on her elbow, looking at her lover.

Jack reached his hand up and stroked her cheek.

She leaned her head on his warm hand. "I have to do this, Jack," she meekly whispered.

"I know," he replied, still stroking her cheek.

Sam, deciding it was time to change the subject, brought up another painful topic, but something she really wanted to know. "How's Daniel?"

Jack cringed a little. "He's…..better now. From what Janet said, the goa'uld, tok'ra, whatever, it broke down and his body absorbed it. He's still having some atrocious nightmares, but he's doing a lot better. He was insistent on going back to Abydos."

Sam nodded. She had been worried about Daniel and was only able to talk to him briefly after his near-death experience with, apparently, a tok'ra named Jolinar of Malk'shur.

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They made it to the awards ceremony half an hour late. Even though they were the guests of honor, no one seemed to notice. Sam was surprised to find her dad there. The two-star general not at all happy to see his only daughter draped on the arm of a wise-cracking colonel. Sam managed to find an opportunity to debrief Hammond on her "meeting" and was dumbstruck when her father informed her he was dying of cancer.

He had wanted her to transfer to NASA. He had pulled strings for her, something she always complained she never wanted him to do for her, and something she lost her position at the SGC because people thought he already did for her.

He was angry when she turned him down. NASA was nothing compared to the SGC. And, even though she wasn't exactly stationed there yet, she was still working hard on ensuring it's survival.

As soon as the ceremony was over, Jack and Hammond left to catch their flight, both of them insisting Sam call them as soon as she got back from her meeting with the NID agent.

Two days passed.

Two more days passed.

No one could get a hold of Sam. She hadn't been seen or heard from since leaving for her "meeting."

Jack was worried sick and going stir-crazy. Where was she?

Two weeks later, Jacob was admitted to the Air Force Academy Hospital and still no Sam. Jack and George visited him almost daily, informing him of any updates on his missing daughter.

When three weeks had passed Jack couldn't take it anymore. "Sir, if we don't do something, she's not even going to be able to say good-bye to her father!"

"I know that, colonel! But, tell me, what more can we do? We've got people looking for her everywhere!" George proclaimed, standing up behind his desk.

"Daniel says he remembers the coordinates to this tok'ra homeworld."

"Jack…"

"Sir, Daniel says they're friendly. Even Teal'c says they are, and you know how he feels about the goa'uld! Sir, Daniel says they have technology, they have ships that can scan an entire planet and tell us where she is."

"Jack, it's never that simple, son."

"I didn't say it was going to be simple, sir. But, we have to try something."

"I know Capt. Carter has become an important person in your life…"

"Hell, yeah, she's important! To me, to this whole fuing program!" Jack, realizing his anger was getting away from him, reeled his emotions back in. "Sir, we have to at least try," he practically begged.

Hammond nodded. "We'll debrief in an hour."

"Yes, sir," Jack triumphantly replied, his body filling with a refreshed sense of hope.

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Whatever Jack was expecting on the other side of the stargate, a desert was not it. But, then again, he wasn't expecting a group of people to pop up out of nowhere either.

Once Daniel explained who they were and how they had come to find them, they were led to a set of rings and transported underground in what one of the tok'ra explained as tunnels formed by crystals.

They met the high council and offered to become allies. Unfortunately, the tok'ra only considered those willing to become hosts as allies. Daniel, trying to stay diplomatic, explained that none of them could understand why a person would agree to become a host.

"We take hosts who are dying and want to live," one of the tok'ra explained.

"But, none of us are dying," Daniel informed her.

"There must be someone who is sick. Surely your world is not disease-free."

"Well, no, but…."

"Cancer!" Jack cut in unexpectantly.

Everyone turned to him in surprise. "Ja-ack?" Daniel drawled out dramatically.

"Sam's dad! He's dying of cancer. Can you cure his cancer?" Jack asked, his voice still raised in excitement.

"What is cancer?" the tok'ra asked.

Daniel piped up. "It's a disease that afflicts our people, uh, it's when cells overgrow and form tumors…"

"Oh, yes. We cure that all the time. No problem!"

Daniel turned to Jack. "Ja-ck?"

Jack shrugged. "We have to at least offer it to him. He's worried sick about Sam. He's giving everything he has to hold on until she's found. If we give him an opportunity to not only live, but to help find her, I think he'll do it."

With the chance to get a host for Sel'mak, the tok'ra allowed Jack and Teal'c to return to earth.

Daniel and Claire remained on the planet with the tok'ra to ensure Jack and Teal'c's return.

Shortly after Jack and Teal'c left, Daniel decided he needed to get some air. The tok'ra tunnels, though so familiar from his dreams, were making him feel claustrophobic. He excused himself and wandered up to the surface.

Roughly fifty yards away was a slight incline and Daniel headed that way to sit and take in the view of the desert planet. In many obvious ways, the sandy planet reminded him of Abydos and the wonderful memories he had there with Sha're.

He had been there, thinking of Sha're for probably half an hour when he felt a hand lightly land on his shoulder. He turned around and came face-to-face with Martouf. The bright white teeth of the alien causing Daniel to squint his eyes slightly. "Martouf," Daniel greeted in surprise, trying not to stare at the alien's freakishly white teeth.

"Daniel," the tok'ra greeted in a soft voice that raised the hairs on the back of Daniel's neck. He gazed into Daniel's blue eyes, a look on his face that Daniel wasn't comfortable with.

"Uhhhh, um, what can I do for you?" Daniel asked, shifting his stance and backing away slightly from the alien-man.

"I would like to know of Jolinar's last days," Martouf announced.

Daniel, relaxing a little, sighed. "Okay. Well, what do you want to know?"

"Tell me, do you have her memories, her feelings, desires?"

Daniel felt his cheeks flush. Somewhere inside him, obviously the part left over by Jolinar, was becoming aroused by the deep throaty voice of Martouf. Daniel shifted again, his mind reeling over the current predicament. "I-I have some of her memories. I, uh, I know that she loved you very much."

Martouf took a step closer to Daniel, invading the archaeologist's personal space. "A host and symbiote become one when they are blended. What one feels, the other feels." Martouf lifted his hand and stroked Daniel's cheek. "You are all that is left of my beloved."

Daniel jumped back and held his arms up, defensively. "Whoa there! I-I-I'm a man!" Daniel yelled.

"Symbiotes are A-sexual. We are neither male nor female," Lantesh spoke up, taking a step closer to Daniel, again.

"Yeah, well, I'm heterosexual! That means, unless you go into a female body, I would appreciate you NOT touching me!" Daniel yelped.

"I apologize, I did not mean to make you uncomfortable," Lantash's voice sounded out again.

Daniel, always able to forgive people easily, just shrugged. "It's okay, I understand. I'll be happy to tell you anything you want to know, but please, no touching!"

Martouf smiled, his white teeth, once again, catching Daniel off-guard. "Very well," he replied.

Daniel sat back down, a good distance from Martouf, still unsettled over the recent display of affection from the alien-man. He told him all about the last days of Jolinar's life inside his body and only stopped when Claire appeared. "They're back!" she informed them.

They all headed back to the tunnels to see if Jacob had agreed and returned with Jack and Teal'c.

In fact, Jacob had agreed, and the implantation went forth without a hitch. Once Sel'mak eradicated the cancer from Jacob's body, the symbiote immediately requested a ship to fly over earth and scan the planet for Sam.

Jack and Daniel joined Sel'mak in the tel'tak while Teal'c and Claire returned to earth to update the general.

It took them two days to reach earth in the tel'tak. Jacob maneuvered the ship within an adequate distance and scanned the planet, using the DNA code the SGC had provided.

It only took a matter of minutes to scan the planet. Jack held his breath the whole time. The light humming noise the ship's scanners made shut off abruptly and Jacob's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Well?" Jack's strangled voice croaked.

Jacob took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to reign in his emotions. "Nothing. She's not showing up on the ship's scanner."

"What does that mean?" Jack asked, his heart racing in his chest.

Sel'mak's voice filled the small cargo ship. "It means she is either not on the planet…..or she is dead."

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a/n: I know I took a creative leap with the tel'tac having advanced scanner technology, but hey, it's AU anyways, so I can get away with it!