Tok'ra

AU around "Frozen"

Summary: What if Jack wasn't the only one that Ayiana couldn't heal?

Major Samantha Carter, Ph.D. of the United States Air Force awoke suddenly, sweating. The nightmare had occurred several times before after her affliction with the Virus of the Touched, but now it was back- in some form. The raw animal instinct, the indescribably withheld passion, and the relentless knowledge of wrong-doing.

But instead of being in the locker room, they were in a luxurious room with candles burning and silk sheets…they were in her bedroom.

She blinked, trying to clear her mind of the images and feelings. She got out of bed and walked over to the bathroom sink. She splashed cold water on her slightly feverish face and neck. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked like she had just fought World War III single-handedly. And as far as she knew, she could have. But how, she wondered, could she have triggered a recurring nightmare if she couldn't even remember what she had done over the last few weeks?

She began to brew a cup of coffee.

Maybe she should mention the nightmares to Janet. After all, the physician would certainly notice the dark circles under her eyes and ask her how much sleep she had been getting.

That would just land her on MacKenzie's couch, she thought. He would try to analyze her dreams and come up with her inappropriate feelings for Ja- Colonel O'Neill.

She sighed. It was going to be another long night.


It was 0800 hours, and Jack was sitting in the commissary, drinking coffee to ward off the intense urge to fall asleep right there. He had never been one to pull all-nighters before, but the nightmare had left him unable to sleep. Of course, if he knew why he was dreaming of such a…of such an impossibility, he wouldn't be quite as disturbed…he hoped.

It was strange, he admitted, but the thing that was most vivid about the dream was the scent of the candles burning romantically in the background: Pralines and Vanilla- Samantha's favorite scent. "Jack," she had moaned.

She had never called him that before…at least, not that he remembered.

"Sir?" Her voice made him jump, spilling the coffee onto the table.

"Carter!" He groaned as he reached for the napkins. He began wiping up the liqiuid as quickly as he could.

"Sorry, sir.' She said, getting another handful of napkins to help with the mess.

"No problem."

"Have trouble sleeping?" She asked.

"Ya think?"

"Occasionally," she responded.

He looked up from his task to catch the gleam in her eye.

"Well, how 'bout you?" He asked.

She sighed. "Same. Couldn't sleep. Well, actually, I've been up since 0230 hours."

"I saw you in the lab at 0130 hours, Carter."

She chuckled, derisively. "Yep, I got less than an hour of sleep."

"That's not good."

"Well, that's life."

"No, Carter. That's YOUR life."

She smiled. "Grouchy, are you?"

"I didn't get very much sleep all because of a nightmare, and then when you came, you made me drop my coffee! And that hasn't happened to me since before my Black Ops days..." He said, irritated.

She chuckled.

"That's not funny," he mumbled.

"I'm sorry, sir." She said, as he got up to get himself another cup of coffee.

"So, Carter, what's the briefing a bout today?" He asked, returning to the booth.

She looked somewhat embarrassed. "I'm not sure. I"m having some...issues with my memory."

Jack studied her. "Maybe you should see Doctor Fraiser."

She shrugged. "I don't know."

"Carter, what's the last thing you remember?"

"Antarctica. You know, Ayiana."

"Same here."

Her blood froze. "And your nightmare?"

He just looked at her, but continued. "Just...a nightmare."

He was giving her a strange look and she shruffed. "I should probably see Janet."

"She'll probably give you a sleeping pill." He cautioned.

"And for once, I would welcome i."

Jack pondered this for a moment. "Wait up, Carter!"

"Yes, sir?"

"I think I'll join you."