Chapter 7: Gate To Gate

Isabel had been sat, holding tightly onto the photograph since they'd built the fire. She had no idea what she was going to happen next, being captured wasn't high on her list and becoming a host wasn't a priority. She had spoken to a young, eighteen year old Lieutenant Ryan Langer. Two years in the air force and then he was shipped off to the SGC. The recently turned fifteen year old was enjoying his company, the small talk and the comforting smile he had flashed at her. She wished he was going with them to Atlantis, she knew that someone had to get the ZPM back to Earth and she knew the threat that he had to fight off, but she felt comfortable around him. "I wish you were coming with us." She told him simply. She looked up at him as he grabbed her hand.

"I won't be going to Atlantis through the stargate, no. But I will be going in the Prometheus. I volunteered to escort the ZPM to Atlantis so I'll be there eventually." His chocolate brown eyes reassured her that she was going to be fine. "I heard you turned fifteen about an hour ago." He remarked in an off-hand manner.

"Yeah. What a great way to spend my birthday. Waiting for Ba'al to show up." Isabel laughed, it was the first time she felt comfortable around a guy, especially one in the military. "Thanks Ryan."

"What are you thanking me for?" Ryan asked genuinely puzzled, maybe he didn't know she could hear his thoughts.

"A few things. Treating me like a normal person, reassuring me about the little adventure we're on, and the compliment." She smiled at him devilishly. "I can hear your thoughts." She laughed at the shocked expression as a blush crept up his neck.

"Well that's different. Do you mind if I ask you a question?" he managed to say. "What number am I thinking between one and one billion?" How immature.

"Well, if you'd stop thinking of different numbers it would be a lot easier." Ryan was in complete disarray. "Remarkable? You think it's a good thing. Yeah it is sometimes useful but it's more of a curse." A tear rolled down her cheek. "When my grandmother died she was thinking of all the things she could have done differently. How she could have spent more time with us and all the things she should have said. I wouldn't call it a good thing." Isabel rested her head on the lieutenant's shoulder as his arm went around her shoulders as she cried.

Sam and Jack looked at the two young people, shaking their heads in amusement. "They like each other. They also remind me of us, you comforted me when my dad died and I bet that we looked like that." Sam remarked, remembering the scene.

"I don't see it." Jack commented mockingly. He knew that they looked a lot like them and was messing with Sam.

"I have to disagree, if Isabel had blonde hair the two of them could be younger versions of us. With one subtle difference. They're allowed to like each other." Sam had a small frown on her face. 'Yeah they're allowed each other, I fell for my CO, and she just fell for another guy.'

"You know, it might not be that way between us forever. I've been offered General Hammond's job, I'm just weighing up the good and bad sides. I can both stay at the SGC and see you guys every day or I can go to DC and ask you out." Jack looked at Sam to see a look of pure shock on her face.

"What are the bad points? If you stay you can't ask me out and if you go you won't see me all the time?" Sam asked. She was shocked to see him nod. "How long have you wanted to ask me out?" She slipped at him.

"Oh I don't know exactly how long but will it help if I say, since you first walked into the briefing room and challenged me to an arm wrestle."

"Really, seven years ten months and thirteen days. That's a long time but I do have to admit, same here." Sam smiled into his chocolate brown eyes; they now had a glint in them of mischief.

Early that morning Lieutenant Langer and Daniel were sent out to secure the perimeter so Teal'c could practise Kel'no'reem for a few hours. Jack made his way to Sam's side of the tent and shook her awake. "Old habits never die huh Carter? Don't freak out you were having a nightmare, a pretty bad one by the sound of it. You OK?"

"Yeah, I am now. Jolinar's first host was formerly a host to the Goa'uld Katesh. She'd tortured her family and some of the people from her village while a host. I was just remembering that." Sam was shaking so Jack held onto her and kissed her head. After Sam had drifted off again, he went to relieve Ryan and Daniel now that Teal'c had finished his Kel'no'reem.

Daylight started to appear as they finished their watch. When they'd returned they found that most of the camp was awake other than a few exceptions. Langer informed the General that Isabel had a restless night and that she was probably going to be asleep for another hour. He was a little worried that she wouldn't have the energy to go through with the next few trips to the planets.

Isabel then walked out of the tent on the farther side of the camp fully dressed with a zat strapped to her thigh. "Go keep her company Lieutenant. I trust you won't force me to make that an order." Jack smiled at the lieutenant as they made their way to the fire pit and took their seats. He was glad to see that the two youngest members of the mission were already deep in conversation. "How much do you bet that they will kiss before we leave for Atlantis?" He asked Daniel who was sat looking at the two young people.

"Fifty dollars." Daniel stated. "I am confident that they will get together unlike a certain General and blonde Colonel." Daniel slyly threw out there.

"We need to take down the camp within the next hour. If the Tok'ra stuck to their side of the plan then Ba'al will find out in twenty minutes. Let's move it." The General informed the camp and they went to work. They also laid down pine leaves so that is Ba'al sent gliders it would look like they were still camped in the area. They were all finished when they made their way to the clearing around the gate, waiting in the trees for his arrival. As the ground troops closed in they dialled the gate to the land of the light and repeated their experience there. Once they were on their abandoned planet they set up the ZPM and prepared for Ba'al to find them.

"Lieutenant, I have received a message that I am needed back on base to give a report on the mission before we leave with the ZPM. I need you to go with SG1 so that I can go back to the SGC. Is that alright with you lieutenant?" the General asked him. Ryan was in complete shock but managed to nod as the general walked over to the DHD.

Isabel was sat with Sam as they hooked up the ZPM; she was attempting to modulate the energy output of the ZPM through the DHD. "Isabel can I talk to you for a second?" the general asked her. They walked a short distance from the DHD so that they could talk privately. "I'm going to leave for the SGC with SG2 so I've asked that Lieutenant Langer take my place, we want to keep your security detail at the same number of people, I just thought you should know since it is your life we're dealing with." The general left her standing there in shock and went over to speak to Daniel.

"Isabel, the DHD is overloading I need you over here quickly!" Sam shouted. Isabel was brought back to reality and went over to help her. They managed to stabilise the DHD's power core and they were ready to take her to Atlantis. They dialled the gate and waited for the gate to get a lock. Daniel, Teal'c, Sam, Isabel and Ryan waited for Atlantis to allow them through. Isabel and Ryan were holding hands as they stepped through the event horizon of the gate, finally being able to take a step back and let the SGC take care of Ba'al. Once she stepped through the gate to Atlantis she was met with several P90s aimed at her. "Stand down! She's the girl we're trying to protect!" Sam screamed as Colonel John Shepard and Dr Elizabeth Weir ran down the steps.