NOTE from the Phoenix: Well I'm still out of town and my laptop does not want to connect to the internet here. So I'm on my hubby's lap...er...top, laptop. Anyway, couldn't keep you guys waiting too long. This is not the last chapter, but we are getting close. Sorry I haven't been able to respond to all the wonderful reviews from the last chapter! Each one was read and loved! HUGS! PS- do not annoy me with any nit-picking about Goa'uld devices and how they work, just go with the flow. Thanks.
ENJOY!!!
Chapter Thirty
Curled up in a large blanket Sam tried to focus on what they had gained rather than what they had lost. Jack seemed locked in his own thoughts as he kept her hugged close to his chest. Sitting on the floor in the back of a medium sized vehicle they were making their way down a dirt road that cut through the jungle.
Tai was sitting close to Jack and made no attempt to talk to the other dragons. He knew the fine line he was walking and the more he thought about it the more his courage failed him. He wasn't the sickly yellow colour anymore, but at the same time he wasn't the same fire orange that Sam remembered him being.
Just thinking about Jac'antha caused Sam's eyes to well up with tears once more. She would never forgive herself if Tai was unable to return to his new wife and child. They still didn't know how they were going to make sure Tai was sent home safely, but Jack had already made it clear that he wasn't leaving until he knew Tai was back with Ser'in.
Sam spent some time trying to remember what her own home looked like. Earth was such a distant memory now. She remembered the big things, but couldn't quite recall the details, like what the food at the greasy spoon diner near the Base tasted like, or what floor Daniel's office was on. In someways she was more than a little nervous about the prospect of returning to the SGC. They couldn't just pick up their lives where they'd left them.
"Jack?" Sam asked quietly.
"Yes?"
"How long do you think we've been gone?"
"No more than a week."
"I didn't mean from Ser'in, I meant from home."
"Oh." Jack stopped and thought about it. "It can't have been a year yet."
"Are you sure?"
"Maybe a year. It's kind of hard to tell."
Sam fell back into silence as she continued to try and figure out how long they'd been among the dragons. So much could change in a year. The struggle against the Goa'uld had been at its peak when they'd left. What if they were stepping out of one war zone and right back into another? The SGC might not even be there anymore. Earth itself could have been destroyed by now, it had certainly come close to destruction several times before.
"You need to stop over thinking things, Samantha." Jack said suddenly.
"Wha...what?"
"I can practically hear the gears in your mind whirring away." Jack smiled. "We've been living day to day for so long, don't give up on that just yet."
"How much do you think has changed while we gone?"
"The details have all been shuffled around, but I'm sure the basic nature of Earth is still the same."
"You're not worried about adjusting back into a normal life?"
"Nope, can't, never lived one." Jack said confidently. "Besides, we're not going back to our old lives, we're going to be starting a new one."
"I hadn't thought of it that way." Sam smiled.
Jack mirrored her smile. He was practically vibrating with excitement. There was no anxiety or doubt in his mind and it showed. It put Sam at ease to know that things weren't going to go back to the way they had been before. A new life sounded wonderful, a chance to put the past out of her mind. Jack nuzzled her and she smiled again as she realized that she had gained far more than she had lost over their stay here.
"I can't wait to see the look on Daniel's face." Jack chuckled and made a look of over exaggerated shock. "Teal'c's expression won't be as much fun, but I do miss that big guy's quiet dignified way of going about life."
"I bet we get a raised eyebrow out of him."
"You're probably right. I wonder if we can talk the two of them from taking some time off of work and joining us at the cabin in Minnesota for a few weeks. There are going to be some long stories to swap back and forth."
"I bet." Sam nodded. "Although don't you think the cabin and everything will have been sold by the government?"
"No, I willed everything I had to Daniel long ago, in case I didn't make it back one trip."
"You did?"
"I figured that he could use a home, hopefully he moved out of that little apartment after we were gone for a while and into the house. As for the cabin, I'd be really surprised if he sold it. Ah....retirement is going to be sweet."
"Do you really think you'll manage to actually retire?" Sam asked seriously.
"I have to, regulatio..."
"I was actually thinking that I would step down from the Air Force."
"What?"
"I don't think I can take anymore missions."
"You say that now, but if the Goa'uld are still a problem...and I can't imagine that they aren't, then you are going to be itching to get back out into the field. I'll probably find a way to join you, I mean Daniel and Teal'c aren't military and we let them run around the galaxy."
"That doesn't sound like retirment."
"No, I suppose not." Jack mused.
"If we are going to start a family, is it fair to keep taking such risks?"
"We can't just walk away from the fight we started."
"No, we can't."
"Wait...what are you saying?"
"I don't know." Sam lied.
"You don't want to go back."
"I didn't say that."
"Samantha, we don't have to be on the front lines to fight the Goa'uld." Jack said softly. "If you aren't comfortable having either of us going out into the field, then we won't. There are other ways. You've made more breakthroughs in the lab than anywhere else. Leave the Air Force, you're still a brillant astrophysicist."
"What about you? Could you be happy on the sidelines?"
"Despite some hardships I've been happier here with you than I've been in a very long time and this isn't the sidelines: we don't even have tickets to the game here."
"That's not the same."
"Of course it is."
"But is it fair to have a child in a world and lifestyle like ours?"
"Life's not fair," Jack leaned down and kissed Sam's temple "but it's still worth living, and brining a new soul into it."
Sam's eyes stung with tears again, but this time for a different reason. The weight that had been crushing down on her heart wasn't gone, but it lifted a little. She turned around in Jack's arms so that she could embrace him. He chuckled and bear hugged her in return.
"How did you learn to say just the right thing?" Sam smiled.
"Years of listening to Daniel."
Sam laughed and kissed Jack's cheek. She was suddenly excited again about going home, about trying for a child once more, possibly a few. Tai suddenly made himself known by purring again. When Sam looked over at him he was a lot brighter in colour. The dragon looked proud of what he had accomplished with them and Sam wished she had a way to truly thank him.
"Tai, I just wanted to say 'thank you' again. Gala."
"Bringing Ser'in to me tanks enouff." Tai said seriously.
Sam went to say more, but the vehicle came to a sudden stop. Jack showed that he wasn't as at ease as he was trying to pretend. His entire frame tensed in anticipation of trouble. The back doors opened and Zingiha bowed to them deeply and said something.
"Tree is here." Tai translated.
"Let's see if this puppy still works."
"'Puppy'?" Tai asked confused.
"Never mind. Let's go."
Jack and Sam had washed off in a near by pond before they had left on the trip, however during the travel they had both become stained again. The bleeding had almost stopped, but for right now the sight of more blood only served to deepen Zingiha's faith in them. He looked as though he had won the war already.
"Dak, dak!" Zingiha chirped as he led them out of the vehicle and pointed at the tree.
Pointing out the massive banyan tree was not really necessary, it was imposable not to stare at the gigantic battered tree. The pictures had not prepared them for the scale of the tree. Even though it had died from its wounds it was still magnificent. Jack snaked his arms around Sam's waist and breathed in her ear.
"There it is."
Sam's eyes traveled up the blasted trunk of the tree until they landed on the piece of Chevron that was exposed. Some moss had grown over it so if you didn't know what you were looking for you'd never see it. However to her it was plain as day.
"Tai, do you see it?" Jack asked.
"Yess."
"Have some of the men start to cut it out of the tree."
"I don't think that's necessary." Sam said. "It should still spin and be able to establish, after all we've got the Gate that buried underground to dial whe..."
"A busy army is a controllable army." Jack replied. "I don't want them lounging around and getting into trouble while we hunt out the DHD."
Sam nodded. Tai gave Zingiha the orders and the red dragon was more than happy to follow them. He was particularly excited when the piece of the Chevron that was exposed was pointed out to him. He chattered something in a fast paced cadence at Tai.
"Tai, what the hell is he babbling about."
"Wishes to understand if it weapon." Tai replied.
"Yeah, sure, why no..."
"No," Sam interrupted "Tai tell him it is a temple, not a weapon."
"Samantha?"
"I don't want them going after Tai when we're gone and they realize they can't use it as a weapon."
"Good point." Jack agreed.
It took a bit of gesturing to get Tai to understand the concept of a temple, but he seemed to understand. Zingiha was clearly disappointed, but it didn't do much to dampen his enthusiasm. It wasn't long before the whole jungle rang out with the sounds of the dragons hacking at the Stargate out of the tree.
"Where should they start digging?" Jack asked.
Still in Jack's lose embrace Sam broke away from him to start figuring out where to dig. She pulled the picture from the book out of her pocket and unfolded it. Some time had past since the photo was taken so she had to do a little recalculating to figure it out. Eventually she drew a large circle in the dirt.
"This would be the best place to start."
"Excellent. Tai, can you have a few of them dig this area out...carefully."
"Dak." Tai nodded.
Of the hundred or so dragons hacking at the tree Zingiha pulled away five of them and they began digging out the circle that Sam had drawn for them. Having been instructed to be careful they used only small tools to work at the hard ground. Knowing this would take hours Sam wanted to help them rather than just stand around and wait.
"Gods don't dig around in the dirt, Carter." Jack pointed out, having read her thoughts.
"I don't want to just stand here."
"Let's go take a look at the pyramids, might find something interesting that we can bring back. Tai tells me that Zingiha is very proud of the ruins, he'd probably love to take us on a tour."
"Shouldn't we wait here?"
"They've got thing under control." Jack shrugged. "Tai, tell Zingiha that we'd like to look at the pyramids."
"Dak, Ja'ck."
Sam looked doubtful, but she stepped away from the excavation. Walking back over to Jack she looked up at the progress the dragons had made. They had secured ropes around the tree and climbed up them to start at the exposed Chevron and had already managed to clear the wood away from the face of it. They seemed fascinated by a metal that their axes couldn't even put a scratch on. She just hoped that they didn't figure out that it would be easier to burn the tree down. She'd hate to be responsible for them burning down half the jungle.
"Jack?"
"Yeah?"
"How are we going to get Tai back to Ser'in?" Sam asked.
"I've been thinking about that."
"And?"
"I'm still thinking."
Zingiha was more than thrilled to take the trio on a tour of the ruins. The pyramids were only a half mile from the Gate and they got their easily enough. Any kind of tourism had been shut down long ago and now more of the rebel men held guard over the place. The inside of the Goa'uld landing site had been turned into a museum and it still had glass cases of objects on display.
Sam looked around at the common artifacts as well as a few random Goa'uld trinkets and shivered. It just reminded her so much of their life before their capture. Rather than taking her mind off the dig it made her want to rush back and claw it out of the ground herself. Suddenly she realized that Jack had been right, it wasn't going to be long before she was going to be chomping at the bit for a chance to fight them again.
"Carter, come check this out!"
When Sam made her way over to the case Jack was trying to get Tai to tell Zingiha to open it. Since he was not the original owner of the pyramid he did not have the code to the case. However in the interest of pleasing his new found Spirits he bashed it open with the end of his gun. Jack reached in and pulled a device out and handed it to Sam.
"It's a ribbon device." Sam noted. "The Goa'uld must have left in a hurry, they don't normally leave these behind."
"Put it on and break something."
"What?"
"It will help with this whole 'god' act thing. I don't know about you, but I still don't really trust these guys. Plus it would be nice to know you had a way of defending yourself if something should go wrong."
Although still doubtful Sam knew that Jack had a good point and he couldn't use the hand device himself. Sliding the metal bracelet on felt strange. She'd only used a hand device once and she wasn't fully confident that she could do it again. Looking around she spotted a jackal headed statue of who she guessed was Anubis.
Not a big fan of the particularly nasty Goa'uld she raised the hand device to the statue. Both Tai and Zingiha watched her with curiosity. With everyone focusing on Sam no one, not even Sam, noticed Jack reach into the broken case and steal two more items which he slipped into his pocket.
Taking a deep breath Sam put all her concentration into the stone in her palm. The only person in the room that wasn't shocked to see the statue knocked into a thousand pieces was Jack. He stood there with a proud grin on his face. Tai's jaw almost dropped to the floor and Zingiha actually did. Feeling a little sheepish about a totally unnecessary show of power Sam tried to act as if nothing had happened.
"You should wear that thing out on missions." Jack beamed.
"I can't fire a gun when I'm wearing it and personally I like the P90 better for its accuracy alone."
"Yeah, but this is way cooler."
Sam smiled and shook her head sadly. Tai helped Zingiha back to his feet. The blood red dragon was talking excitedly at Sam and making odd motions with his hands. She gave him a confused look and turned to Tai. Tai didn't seem to have the words to translate what Zingiha wanted to say. In the end the red dragon just beckoned them to follow him.
"He is certainly excitable." Jack said.
"Why do I get the feeling that we don't want to see whatever it is he wants to show us?"
"Because you're a pessimist?"
Sam gave Jack a deadly glare, but he just smiled brighter. He acted as though he was walking three inches up off the ground. She was excited that they may be getting close to home, but he was just over the moon with the prospect.
Zingiha led his guests out of the pyramid and around the back to a smaller pyramid that had a set of stairs leading up to the top. The upper third of the pyramid was missing although from their vantage they couldn't see what was on the flat roof. After a few hard minutes of climbing stairs they came to the roof. Although somewhat breathless Sam and Jack both gasped.
"A Goa'uld cargo ship." Jack chuckled. "That's perfect!"
"What do we need a ship for?" Sam asked.
"To get Tai home of course."
"You think it still flies?"
"Goa'uld stuff lasts forever." Jack shrugged.
Jack walked up to the ship's entrance and activated it. It must not have ever responded to alien touch because Zingiha yelped with excitement. Everyone piled inside and Jack offered Sam the pilot's seat. She took of the hand device and laid it on the floor. Tai looked around the craft nervously but Zingiha was nearly as bouncy as Jack.
"Tai, you still got that map?" Jack asked.
"Dak." Tai replied and dug into his pocket.
"Are we going to take Tai home now?" Sam asked.
"I think we should."
"I agree." Sam smiled.
"Take Tai home?" Tai asked shocked.
"Yes, we need to make sure you and Ser'in are safe." Jack said.
"How?"
"Fly."
"What 'fly' mean?"
"Show him, Carter."
Sam nodded and turned her attention to the ships controls. She was surprised how quickly it all came flooding back to her. Taking a hold of the large spherical steering device she launched the nimble craft into the air. Tai cried out in terror, but Zingiha made a sound that was frighteningly close to 'yeeeha'.
"The only way to travel." Jack chuckled.
"Tai dislike 'fly'." Tai grumbled.
"Don't worry, Samantha is one of the best. We'll have you back to Ser'in and Jac'antha in no time, then you can forget all about this."
"No, not want." Tai shook his head. "Never want to forget you."
Jack smiled and drew Tai into a bear hug. The thin reptile squeaked from being suddenly squeezed but they both laughed afterward. Zingiha was glued to the forward screen, pointing different landmarks out to Sam. Half an hour into their journey they flew over a large base that looked military.
"Indigo! Indigo!" Zingiha cried in a rage.
"Tai, are they going to be a prob..."
Jack was cut off as shots were fired at them from the ground. Unconcerned Sam just increased their speed and it wasn't more than a few seconds that they were out of range. However the well funded army was not about to let them go without a chase and soon they had a dozen small planes up their tail feathers. They fired on them again an this time it was enough to rock the Goa'uld ship.
"What should we do, Sir?"
"Think we can just out fly them?"
"This ship's not built for real speed and maneuverability." Sam pointed out. "Plus we can't afford to get lost."
"True, but I hate to get into the middle of their war." Jack sighed as another blast rocked the ship. "On the other hand..."
Zingiha started chattering again.
"Zingiha wishes to know if he...uh...gifted his blood to you if you would destroy these birds. These birds will understand where this bird came from. They will go to Stargate if never stopped."
"Tell Zingiha to keep his blood." Jack growled.
"Sir?"
"No, choice Carter. Turn us around."
"Yes, Sir."
Jack sat down at the weapons controls. Being a cargo ship she could defend herself, but didn't have particularly strong fire power. He just hoped that it was going to be enough. The dragons on their tails didn't expect their prey to turn around so quickly and were easily caught off guard. They had armor, but it wasn't strong enough to stop two hits from the Goa'uld weapon.
Zingiha wooped and danced as Jack brought the ships down one at a time. Two of them tried to turn tail and run, but Jack was determined to ground them and ordered Sam to follow them all the way back to their base. He didn't relish the thought of killing off an enemy that he had no true fight with, at the same time he had no intention of being kept from the Stargate by more lizards.
"Do you see any more on the ground?" Jack asked.
"I think that's their runway over there."
"Take us in."
Rather than seeking out any planes they might have hidden in any number of the large hangers it was more efficient to destroy a portion of the runway. Satisfied that this air strip wasn't going to cause them anymore trouble Jack ordered Sam back towards where they had left Ser'in.
"I'm sure they have other bases and will probably either hunt us down or head for the pyramids so we need to make good-byes short." Jack said. "Push this bird to her max, she only needs to take us there and back again. What the..."
Jack pulled away as Zingiha took his hand and started licking it. Tai smiled and explained to Jack how grateful the blood red lizard was. The advantage that the planes gave the military was one of the main reasons the war continued unwon.
"Grateful or not, don't lick me."
Sam chuckled and then asked for help with their direction. It didn't take more than a few hours in the fast ship to reach the out skirts of the seaside town they had left Ser'in and Jac'antha in. Tai recognized the outline of the buildings and started chattering with excitement. Sam put the ship down in a field that didn't seem to have anyone in view.
"Tai, thank you for everything." Sam said as she gave Tai a warm hug.
"You are most welcome, Saman'tha."
"Take care of Ser'in and Jac'antha and say good bye for us." Jack added with a hug of his own.
"Tai will. Good bye, Ja'ck, Saman'tha." Tai purred. "Remember always."
"Same here." Jack said.
Jack pulled off the dog-tags and tooth necklace he was wearing. After removing the note from Sam's diary and placing it in his pocket Jack looped the gift over Tai's head. Tai's eyes dilated and he purred loudly. Unclasping the hemp necklace with the single earth coloured bead on it he secured it around Jack's throat.
"Tank you, Ja'ck."
"Gala, Tai."
Sam opened the craft door and looked around. Not seeing anyone she signaled to Tai. After one last round of hugs he stepped out into the tall grass. He looked over his shoulder one last time before sprinting off towards the road. Sam's eyes stung with tears. She watched him leave until Jack put his hand on her shoulder to let her know they had to get moving.
On their way back to the pyramids they made sure to swing out around the military hornet's nest they had stirred up on their way through. There was no questions that they were going to be sending troops towards the pyramids soon, they were just hoping that it wouldn't be too soon. As the pyramids came into sight Sam sighed.
"It's not our fight, Carter." Jack said quietly. "We have no way of knowing which side we should even be on."
"I know."
"Let's go home."
"I can't wait."
Jack leaned in and kissed Sam's cheek and she set the Goa'uld ship down on the top of the pyramid. Zingiha was itching to return to his men and tell them all that had happened. When they came through the jungle a surprise waited for them.
The whole Stargate had been chipped out of the tree, yet the tree still stood around it. Down in a shallow pit the DHD lay exposed to the late afternoon sun. Sam tried to keep her emotions in check, knowing that there was still a chance that the Gate wouldn't work. Pushing her thoughts aside she took Jack's hand and they walked down into the large pit that the dragons had dug.
"Okay, which one of these is not like the other." Jack mused.
"That one." Sam instantly pointed to a strange symbol. "I've never seen that symbol before."
"Point of Origin, check. Address..."
"Wait, we can't just dial Earth. We have no way of letting them know to open the iris and we might not have time to wait for them to dial back here, send a MALP, get approv..."
"I'm way ahead of you." Jack stopped her and knelt down to the DHD.
Sam watched him dial in an oddly familiar address. It took her a moment to recall where it led to, but when she did she smiled brightly.
"Of course," Sam nodded "perfect place to dial the SGC from."
"Yup." Jack grinned. "This way when we knock at least one person is sure to answer the door."
Once the Gate was spinning Sam finally allowed herself to truly believe that they were going to go home, or at the very least somewhere else. Jack ordered everyone away from the Gate as it began its final spin. He laced his arms around Sam's waist from behind and they both watched as the vortex splashed out towards them. The dragons either ran in fright or fell to their knees in praise and shock.
"I love that sound." Jack sighed contently.
"Sounds like home."
"Yes it does. Let's go."
Sam did not need to be asked twice and taking Jack's hand they walked up to the event horizon. Sam half expected Zingiha to run up and stop them, but he just watched from a distance. When they got to the edge of the shimmering blue pool it was Jack who brought her to a stop.
"Jack?"
"I wanted to one thing before we left, before we return to the 'real' world."
"And that would be?"
Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out two rings he had taken from the broken glass case. Sam instantly flushed as she looked down at the odd rings. They looked to be made of a mix of gold and naquahda. The two metals were swirled together to make an almost wood grain pattern. She had never seen anything like them and wondered if it was a Goa'uld trend that had fallen out of fashion long ago.
Jack placed one of the rings in Sam's right hand and closed her fingers around it. With that he took her left hand in his own. He stared at her for a minute, admiring the way the shimmering light of the open gate played on her features. He took a deep breath and locked eye with her.
"I don't remember all the words, but words are hardly the point right now." Jack said softly. "I, Jack O'Neill, here by take you, Samantha Carter, to be my true mate, through better or worse, through captivity or freedom, rain or shine, for as long as we both shall live. Do you accept this ring as a token of that love?"
"I do."
Jack smiled brightly and slipped the ring over Sam's finger. The ring did not fit perfect at first, but as it got used to its new owner it quickly changed its size accordingly and by the time he released her it was as though she had always worn it. Sam took Jack's hand and the ring he had given her and tried to stop smiling long enough to repeat the words he had improvised.
"I, Samantha carter, here by take you, Jack O'Neill, to be my true mate, through better or worse, through captivity or freedom, rain or shine for as long as we both shall live. Do you accept this ring as a token of that love?"
"I do."
Sam slid the ring onto Jack's finger and it preformed the same trick as it had for her. They both stared at the dual coloured rings for a moment. Sam heard a sudden collective purring and when she looked over the whole dragon rebel army was staring at them. She flushed and turned back to Jack.
"I guess you can kiss the bride." Sam chuckled.
"I was hoping you'd say something like that."
Jack carded his fingers into Sam's hair and engaged her in a passionate kiss. When he broke free she giggled as he swept her off her feet, literally. Holding Sam in his arms he carried her through the event horizon like newly weds over the threshold. In seconds they were a hundred light years from the dragons and that much closer to home.