Sop'du - Prologue

When SG-1 turned up in Janet Fraiser's infirmary, after a month's absence in those awful orange outfits, she knew something was radically wrong with the team's bond. The band of people they had brought with them had been dealt with yet the team, except Teal'c, seemed distracted, distant and silent. Samantha Carter was rigid, Daniel Jackson withdrawn and Colonel O'Neill anxious to be gone, well that was usual. Yet he kept glancing at his second as if wanting her to talk to him. He made no complaints nor told any lame jokes. It was unnerving.

Major Carter asked for privacy for her examination and left without a word as soon as the curtain was drawn open. Janet had asked her if she had been subjected to any physical or psychological trauma.

"Aside from having my memories of myself tampered with?"

Doctor Fraiser was sure there was more to their imprisonment and advised all of SG-1 to have sessions with Doctor MacKenzie.


After their tour as slaves to protect an ice planet from a climatic disaster SG-1 had both extensive medical and psychological evaluations. As Major Carter's superior Colonel O'Neill was apprised of her additional medical appointments due to weight loss and vitamin deficiency.

What finally occurred to O'Neill, and had certainly not occurred to Jonah, was the possibility of pregnancy. Jonah and Thera had been more concerned with getting caught by Brenna for breaking the rules.

Jack, needing to talk to Sam, drove to her home and knocked on her door. It was during their down time which they were forced to take until they were deemed fit for further missions. Sam didn't even let him pass her front door and cut him off with an icy 'Sir' reminiscent of their last words on the Ice planet. He was reluctant to pursue it any further although he wanted to know if she had divulged the intimacy they had shared to either the medical staff or Hammond. He supposed if she had he'd hear about it. He would have reported it himself to Hammond but not without her okay since it would implicate her.

Still he felt guilty, he should have taken better care of his team, better care of her. But his mind had been tampered with and at the time he didn't know and didn't remember their military relationship of superior and subordinate.

He had only known from the first minute he saw Thera asking Kegan for bread :

he wanted to protect her,

he wanted to get to know her.

He wanted her.

What O'Neill didn't know was Sam was struggling with all the same problems.


Their next mission was Earth bound and weird. Well, weren't they all. Jack chose to divide the team's tasks so that he and Teal'c were paired, even if it did cost him a fortune in quarters. This was so he and Carter did not have to spend time waiting in a motel room for the alien, Martin. Too awkward, too many memories, too much pressure and too much temptation.

After that he and Teal'c took a tour of the solar system courtesy of Apophis' recall device. Unfortunately no snacks, or warmth or enough oxygen. Doctor Fraiser assured General Hammond that after his return Colonel O'Neill's cognitive functions were up to snuff and he hadn't suffered any long term effects from his foray round Jupiter. Hammond planned a mission to ease O'Neill and SG-1 back into the roster. There was a planet on the extreme ends of what they knew of the gate system, the outer edge of Ra's domain. They had seen many abandoned planets, some either left in total devastation or some where the population was left to fend for themselves. But occasionally equipment or even ships or their parts were left behind. What treasures might they find? There seemed to be scant signs of activity around the Stargate, certainly nothing current. It would be the proverbial milk run.


Jack O'Neill, nursing a cup of coffee, sat on his deck and watched the sky lighten announcing the arrival of dawn. A mourning dove alighted on the rail singing its doleful song. A pair had always arrived together each spring as long as he had lived here. This one was alone, plaintively calling for its mate and getting no response. Jack moved and the dove flew off. He hoped it had better luck than he had.