A/N: There is a single swear word (10 points if you can guess who from) and it's a little sad. It tugged at my heartstrings a little bit, I love animals and this made me cry a little bit. So, if any of these things might upset you, here's a trigger warning. Look after yourselves.

Also, I used google translate to get some words in Vietnamese, I wrote them down phonetically (I used spelling patterns to match the sounds I heard), so I apologise in advance if I offend anyone, that really wasn't my intention.

I hope you enjoy it and thank you to PatriciaS, dpdp, Schrodinger's Spice and LexisMom for all of your reviews so far! Please enjoy!

As always, mistakes are mine.

4. Heart of a Balaenoptera Musculus

"Right, that ought to do it." commented Daniel as he stepped back from a tripod he had secured into the ground. He looked over at Teal'c who nodded and Daniel clapped his hands together. "Great, only three more to go!"

Teal'c raised an eyebrow as he cast a look over all the equipment he was helping Daniel carry. An array of tripod legs, nuts, bolts, tools and cameras lay in a heap, scattered around the outside of the bag as Daniel had dug through it to find specific items. "Indeed."

"This is going to be so exciting!" said Daniel as he squatted to pack the rest of the equipment away before moving it to the next spot. "The Goynurians primarily live by the ocean and they worship a god called Hanu'ah, which translates to God of Water."

"Indeed Daniel Jackson, I was there when the village elder explained this to us."

Daniel looked up at Teal'c, adjusting his glasses as they slid down his nose. "Right, of course you were."

Sensing the archaeologist's deflating excitement, Teal'c sighed. "Why only a God of Water?" asked the Jaffa, hoping Daniel would perk back up.

"Well, it makes sense. Water is essential to all life, everything the Goynurians get is sent to them by the water. Food, water, even materials for their village. It's incredible, I mean, everything they get from the ocean, they use. You know, bones for tools and fish hooks, skins for clothes and shelter and ragged stones for their spears."

"I wonder where Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter are, we have not heard from them in a while." commented Teal'c, lifting the bag off the floor with ease. His hand came up to the radio on his vest. "O'Neill."

The static crackled and after a moment, Jack's voice sounded. "Go ahead, T."

"I am enquiring to the whereabouts of yourself and Major Carter."

They could hear Jack chuckling. "Danny boring you already, huh? We're on the beach, Carter's found some funky space rocks."

"They aren't space rocks, Sir."

"Carter, we're on another planet in space. Space rocks."

Daniel snickered as he could almost hear Sam rolling her eyes. "We've got three more tripods to go, Jack. We'll meet you on the beach when we're done."

"Sure. Take your time, Danny."

As Teal'c and Daniel left the temple they were in, they took a moment to take in the view of the sight before them. The temple stood at the top of a hill, with a mile's worth of a steady decline, they could see the village at the base of the hill and then the ocean not too far from it. Complete with a sandy beach, turquoise waters and luscious greenery, the team could have sworn they were in Hawaii, instead of millions of miles away from Earth.

"Teal'c, I don't know about you, but this is genuinely one of the best missions I think we've had."

"Indeed."

The truth was, SG-1 had luck of the draw when it came to this particular mission. A week ago, the MALP's telemetry had shown sun, sea and sand, along with a temperature that would make any holiday maker jealous. SG-1 had stepped through the gate to be met with a luscious jungle and a cacophony of bird noises and despite the slight humidity, had enjoyed the trek. They had followed a well-worn path and had arrived at the Goyurians' village where they were received by village elder, Chuyong, who had happily welcomed them.

They were invited to a festival, celebrating their god Hanu'ah and given a short tour of their surroundings. Immediately, Daniel had accepted and once Teal'c and Sam confirmed they couldn't feel a Goa'uld presence, Jack had agreed to attending the festival.

They had returned to the gate and with a lot of persuasion, mostly on Daniel's part, General Hammond had agreed for SG-1 to return to the festival, with the intention of making friends and potential allies with the Goyurians. It helped that Sam hypothesised that by using resources from their seas, the Goyurians had appeared to have good medicinal practices, something that would definitely be of interest to the Stargate programme's main objective.

Upon their arrival back in the village that morning, Daniel had explained to Chuyong that he wanted to learn more about their ways and the village elder had agreed to let Daniel set up cameras around their village.

Deciding that he would be better use elsewhere (and for Daniel's physical wellbeing), Jack had partnered up with Sam as she elected to take samples from the beach.

He watched with a keen gaze as she had removed her boots and socks and rolled up her BDU pants to wade in the water, occasionally bending down to pluck things out of the water and to place in jars.

"So, Carter, I need you to explain something to me." spoke Jack as Sam stepped over a big rock. "What's the idea with this Hannah guy?"

Sam rolled her eyes. It amused her to no end when Jack pretended that he didn't have a clue. She was convinced he was just as smart as she was, perhaps not in science, but definitely for other things. "Hanu'ah, Sir."

"Yeah, him." He affirmed as he crouched on the sand. "Why does he have a festival?"

"Are you sure this isn't a question you want to ask Daniel?"

Jack scoffed as he put on his shades, before moving to sit down on the sand. "Please, I'd like to not have to waste my bullets."

Sam chuckled. "Well, Hanu'ah is their God of the Water and you and I can both see how much the Goyurians rely on the ocean to survive. I guess it's their way of giving thanks for their way of life."

"Right." Jack placed his weapon on the ground and had begun to play with the sand. "So, he's not an actual god, like the Goa'uld pretend they are?"

Sam stood upright as she screwed a lid on a jar, before placing it in her bag. "I couldn't say, Sir. I mean, right now, no. Hanu'ah seems to be like God on Earth, rather than a – what was the expression you used the other day?"

"A diva snakehead fashionista, Carter."

Sam chuckled. "Yeah, that. Once upon a time, Hanu'ah could have been, but if that was the case it must have been a long time ago. I can't see anything here that shows any Goa'uld interference."

"We might have actually found a Goa'uld-free paradise, Carter. I wouldn't mind making this a beta site."

"Yes, Sir." said Sam. She looked out at the horizon and stilled, momentarily stunned.

Upon sensing that Sam's behaviour had changed, Jack looked up and stood as he tried to see what the astrophysicist was seeing. He narrowed his eyes and in the distance, he could just about see a dolphin-esque type creature leap over the waves. "Oh, wow!"

"It's purple." commented Sam in a hushed voice. "How beautiful."

Jack smiled at his 2iC from behind her and kept his eyes on her as she remained transfixed by the amethyst coloured creature playing in the waves. He returned to his spot in the sand, content there was no danger and continued to play with the sand. His mind drifted to the prospect of an overnight stay with the Goyurians.

Their festival started at sunset and carried on until the sunset of the next evening. Daniel had explained to him, after talking with Chuyong, that there was a feast to signify the start of the festival. A plethora of dishes cooked and shared by the natives, to symbolise the giving nature of Hanu'ah.

Then, after a long feast, they would sleep until before the sun began to rise. They would make their way down to the beach to watch the sunrise together, blessing the new day and one another. There would be a meal on the beach and then the Goyurians would exchange gifts with one another, as Hanu'ah gives them gifts every day.

The day would be broken up by the people having races and taking part in sports along the beach, enjoying the gift of the ocean that Hanu'ah provided them. After, there would be another exchange. The Goyurians would offer gifts to the ocean, to give thanks to Hanu'ah.

Finally, there would be another feast for sunset, to remind the Goyurians where their livelihood comes from and to remind them that Hanu'ah is a gracious and giving god.

Chuyong had given his own home to SG-1 for the night. Something Jack initially felt was unnecessary, given that his team would have been more than happy to camp under the stars, especially in the current climate. However, after hearing about how raucous past festivals had been, he was more than grateful to take the offered accommodation.

"You know, for a people that don't seem to have a lot, they sure know how to give." mused Jack, watching as Sam made her way out of the water. Her bag on her back was rattling with the amount of sample jars in it.

"I think they are lucky. They are happy with what they have and are happy to share. It's the best way to be."

"Yeah, I agree! Are you done?"

"For now." nodded Sam, tying her boots to her bag in favour of walking barefoot along the beach back to the village.

"Great, come on, we've got a party to get to."

oOoOoOoOo

"I think I've figured it out." said Daniel, accepting a bowl of what looked like pink cauliflower from a man from across the table.

"Figured what out?" asked Sam, tentatively sampling what appeared to be blue noodles. She raised her eyebrows in surprise when the sweet but salty taste hit her tongue.

"Their language."

"Oh?" commented Jack, sniffing a drink given to him in a long, pointed shell.

"Well, I think it's safe to assume the Goa'uld were here at one point. I mean, all humans across the galaxy were transported from Earth. Their language has Vietnamese roots. I mean, my Vietnamese is a little rusty, but I'm picking up a few things."

"And is Hanu'ah a god from back home?"

"I'd have to check, but I don't think so. Unfortunately, Vietnam isn't one of my strong points." said Daniel, his tone becoming a little melancholy.

"I think it's great you even picked that up at all." said Jack, patting Daniel on the back.

"Did you manage to place all your cameras?" asked Sam.

"Yes." replied Teal'c. "Daniel Jackson insisted on putting one in their temple, one in the centre of the village, one by the beach and one by the fishing dock."

Teal'c, Sam and Daniel turned to look at Jack as his fork clattered to the table.

"They have a fishing dock?"

"It appears so."

"Right, that settles it. We are coming back and I will be bringing my fishing gear next time."

"Yes, Sir."

The feast continued with gusto and when the sun finally set, the Goyurians raised their drinks and toasted to Hanu'ah. The village elders and Chuyong led the Goyurians in a long and hauntingly beautiful melody in their native tongue that became more upbeat once they reached the chorus. Daniel watched, completely transfixed as they clapped and stamped their feet in time to their acapella song.

Once their song had finished, the Goyurians cheered and then cheered again as some of them picked up their instruments.

By the time, the moon was bright in the sky, both Jack and Sam were eager to go to bed and Teal'c had already expressed his need to Kelno'reem. Content that Daniel wasn't in any immediate danger of harm, Jack nodded his consent to Daniel remaining with the party.

The three set off to Chuyong's home and once they had organised their sleeping bags and gear, Sam and Jack had settled down to sleep, while Teal'c lit candles for his Kelno'reem.

The soft glow of the candles, the dimmed noise of the Goyurians' partying and the scent of ocean lulled both Jack and Sam into an easy slumber.

What Jack had expected to wake up to in the morning was a grossly hungover archaeologist and some tender headed Goyurians. Hearing innocent men, women and children screaming was not the alarm he ordered.

At the first wave of screams, he shot bolt upright in time to see Teal'c reaching for his staff. "T?"

"I am unsure, O'Neill." reported Teal'c, moving towards the door.

Jack looked at his watch as he reached for his P90. 0500. He was about to reach over to Sam to wake her when Teal'c calling his name grabbed his attention. He got out of his bed, ignoring his knees as they cracked and went outside.

"What?"

Jack followed Teal'c's line of sight and he froze. The sky promised a beautiful day, the sunrise giving its prominent blue backdrop pink and orange hues. The horizon, however, promised something deadly and destructive.

"Oh, shit!"

"Daniel Jackson has not yet returned, O'Neill."

"Yeah, start directing the Goyurians towards the hills, okay? Grab Daniel and get him to do the same." Jack watched as Teal'c began to run, directing the panicked Goyurians towards the safety of the hills. "Hey T, don't leave it too late to get to the hills yourself!"

Jack ducked back into Chuyong's home and shook Sam roughly from her sleep.

"Sir?"

"Carter, we gotta go. Like, now."

Sam stood up and grabbed her P90. Blinking sleep out of her eyes, she regarded the colonel warily. "What happened?"

"Tsumani's on its way in, we need to help evacuate."

Sam, ever the dutiful soldier, nodded. The news of the impending tsunami waking her up quicker than any cup of coffee.

She followed Jack as he ran out of their sleeping quarters. "Work your way down the left hand side of the village, Carter. Get the Goyurians to get up to the hills as soon as they can!"

With that, he left, taking the right hand side. Sam nodded and ran as fast as her feet could carry her, urging the panicked people to flee to the hilltops.

"Forget your things! You need to go! Move!" yelled Sam, pointing in the direction of the hills. Despite the slight language barrier, the Goyurians had understood the message and there was a thick throng of people moving as quickly as they could to get up to the hills. Her attention was pulled to a woman moving against the crowd, back down towards the beach.

Sam ran over to her, her feet slapping against the hard ground as she worked to catch up to her. "Hey!"

The woman turned, panic in her eyes. "Con toi!" The woman sobbed as her emotions took over. She fought against Sam's hold, trying to get away from her and closer to the incoming wave.

"Wait! You can't! You need to get to the hills!"

"Con toi! Con toi!" screamed the woman.

Sam's brow furrowed in confusion. "Con toi?"

The woman nodded, temporarily stopping her fight against Sam's grip. "Con toi!" The woman pointed towards one of the huts and placed her free hand on her stomach.

Sam's gut twisted as she clicked what the woman was trying to say. "Your baby?"

The woman nodded and tried to get out of Sam's hold.

"Oh God," Sam used all her force to turn the woman around. She let her go and pointed towards the hills. "Go! I'll get your baby! Go!"

The woman hesitated but once she saw Sam running full pelt towards the hut, she turned on her heel and did the same, running towards the hills.

Sam opened the door and was immediately met with the sounds of a baby crying. Thanking her lucky stars that the baby was making enough noise to be found quickly, she raced towards it. Clutching it tight to her chest, she made her way to the door, her heart pounding as her ears registered the angry roar of rushing water.

"Oh God." whispered the blonde as she saw that the wall of water had grown exponentially since she last looked.

oOoOoOoOo

"Jack!"

Jack turned his head as he reached the top of the hill, helping one of the elderly villagers to its summit. Jack let out a sigh of relief as he saw Daniel making his way to him.

"Jack, you okay?"

"Yeah, I think we got the Goyurians out. It would have taken too long to evacuate them all out through the gate."

"I agree. Look, this hill is plenty big enough and is a lot further away from the beach than the village is." commented Daniel, watching the wave begin to crash onto the beach. "Oh God."

The panicked conversation from the Goyurians was immediately hushed as they observed the tsunami finally meet its mark. The fierce torrent of water sliced through all its obstacles, tearing through any and everything in its path.

Teal'c joined the two men and rest on his staff, completely transfixed by the happenings below in the village. He was so transfixed that he barely registered Jack leaving his side to run down the hill.

"Jack!"

Teal'c and Daniel watched as Jack reached the bottom of the hill to meet a straggler.

"Is that… Is that Sam?!" cried Daniel in disbelief.

Jack had grabbed Sam by the back of her jacket and was pulling her up the hill with such speed that her feet barely had time to hit the floor. He chanced a look over his shoulder and was met with the view of the water rushing towards them.

They just got over halfway up the hill when the wave crashed into the bottom of it. Accepting Teal'c and Daniel's hand, he pulled Sam up and held his breath as he watched the water steadily climb towards them.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the astrophysicist hand a baby to one of the women and he felt a rush of pride and affection for the woman on his team. It was only then he noticed that Sam was barefoot, too quick to follow his orders to consider something as trivial as footwear.

"Look, the water!" called Daniel. "It's receding."

Sam joined the boys, breathing hard. "We're better off staying up here for a bit. There will be other waves."

"Teal'c, Chuyong okay?"

"He is content that all of his people are on the hill. He is saddened by Hanu'ah's actions."

"Can't say I blame him." conceded Jack. "Daniel, tell Chuyong that we're all going to be up here for a while. We need to wait for a bit and, uh, tell him it's not his people's fault this happened, okay?"

Daniel blinked, confused by Jack's words, but nodded in agreement before moving to do as he was asked.

Jack looked at Teal'c and Sam. "And now, we wait."

oOoOoOoOo

Getting back to the SGC after witnessing such devastation was a trial in itself, Jack mused as he sat in the sleeping quarters, Daniel and Teal'c had elected to keep him company. The three of them sat in the dark, darkness of the room fitting perfectly with their mood.

After promising that he and the rest of his team would return with help to rebuild, Chuyong had thanked them profusely and he had even shed a tear as when he escorted the team to the gate, he was met with emergency rations, blankets and first aid kits for his people.

The tsunami had all but swept the village away. Homes that had stood for decades, gone. Livelihoods damaged irreparably in the blink of an eye. Thankfully, there wasn't any casualties and nobody had died.

After checking in with a radio that hadn't been damaged by the water, SG1 had done a final sweep to ensure that the people would be fine until they came back. Once Jack had helped to settle the Goyurians in the temple and had ensured that Chuyong was okay, he went off to find Sam after discovering that she had left the throng of people thanking them for their help.

He moved slowly through the rubble, his heart constricting as he registered homes that held years' worth of memories had been reduced to matchsticks. He cautiously stepped onto the beach, the once pristine sands littered with splintered woodwork and other debris, to see Sam hunched over two feet away from the waterline.

If his heart wasn't constricted earlier, it definitely was now. Over the sound of the now calm waves, his ears picked up a quiet sobbing. He walked over to Sam, her sobs growing louder. He was about to reach out to her when she registered his approach. She stood and turned to face him.

Jack opened his mouth to ask what was wrong when he registered the likely cause of Sam's upset.

The purple dolphin that they had admired just yesterday lay at Sam's feet, unmoving. Jack could see what looked like digging around the dolphin, where he guessed that Sam had used that brain of hers to try and save the dolphin.

He looked at her and her bottom lip trembled. "Carter…"

"It's too heavy. I… I couldn't move it. I tried. I tried to make a trench so the water would take some of the weight, but the sand… It wouldn't stay still. The tsunami-"

"Sam, come here." whispered Jack, offering his hand.

"I tried. I thought I could-"

Jack stepped closer and took her hand. "It's okay. Come on."

The moment he took her hand, Sam's resolve crumbled and her shoulders shook with the sobs that she had tried to contain. Her hand still in his, Jack wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"It's alright, Sam."

He led her away from the beach, his hand enclosing hers as he rubbed her back. They remained silent as they walked back and Sam had remained silent the entire journey back to Cheyenne Mountain. She didn't speak through her physical and had immediately retreated to her lab once she was cleared.

Upon learning why Sam was so melancholy, Teal'c bowed his head. "Samantha has the heart of a blue whale. Her strength comes from within."

"Uh, Teal'c, I don't think that's the expression." commented Daniel tiredly as he heard Jack moving in the cot next to him.

"Blue whales are the largest animals on your world. They have big hearts, if that is not the true expression, it is perfect to describe Major Carter."

Jack didn't hear the reply as he slipped out of the room, on course for the lab. He reached the lab and steeled himself before walking in.

"Hey Carter."

"Hi, Sir." greeted Sam quietly. She was bent over her desk, fiddling with something.

Recognising that this was Sam's way of coping, Jack let the comment he was originally going to say die before it left his mouth. "Whatcha working on?"

"I want to build a device that will warn the Goyurians that a tsunami is coming." Her voice had a slight wobble as she pressed on. "After that, I want to build them something that will help them to help any wildlife that wash up on their beaches."

Jack smiled and rest a hand on her shoulder. "That's great, Sam. Really. I think they'll really appreciate that."

Heart of a blue whale indeed!