AN: Hey! New part... hope everyone likes it. Thanks for being so supportive and for your wonderful words. :) It really helps with the ol' motivation factor. Which means everything because I LOVE to write and sometimes it's so hard.

"Come on, Daniel!" Jack's face was fierce. "Where is this piece of filth and what's the plan? We can break into a prison if necessary – I don't mind."

"He's not in prison – not yet at least."

"Well, where is he?" Jack demanded.

"In hospital. My friend took care of him." Daniel told the team with a small smile of pride. "Broken arm – probably requiring surgery and a severely broken nose. At least."

"Excellent work!" Jack declared approvingly. "Couldn't have done better myself."

Teal'c and Daniel exchanged raised eyebrows that went unnoticed by Jack at least. Sam on the other hand was starting to get that look she got when she was trying to understand the inner workings of alien technology. Like it was only a matter of time before she figured it out.

"I can find out if he's been charged yet, if you want." Sam told Daniel. "Hack into the police server. It'd be easy. I would suggest we keep an eye on this case. We've got plenty of friends in high places who could intervene if necessary."

"Yeah, that'd be good, Sam. Thanks. I hadn't even thought about that yet. More worried about how my friend is taking all this. He's the type that feels like he alone is responsible for saving the world."

"Sounds like me." Jack grinned, and then quickly added before anyone could object. "Well, not just me, of course. Me and my team."

"Well, my friend doesn't have a team!" Daniel snapped. "The closest thing he has to back-up were two of the girls who were raped! Can you imagine how he feels? Like he failed to protect them! Not just those two but the other four and god knows how many others who may not have come forward yet."

Teal'c stepped forward and put a large hand on Daniel's shoulder. "He is not alone, DanielJackson. He has our friendship to help sustain him in this difficult time. We will convince him that the fault is not his."

"Woah, woah, woah!" Jack held up a hand in confusion. "You're telling me that you also know this mysterious friend of Daniel's?"

"I do, O'Neill. I also consider him to be my friend."

"Is this someone I'm supposed to know?" Jack asked Daniel.

"Probably." Daniel replied in an off-hand way.

"What's that supposed to mean exactly? Do I know him or not? Who is it?"

"Just forget it, Jack. I don't know what I'm saying any more." Daniel walked into his office where Sam was sitting at his computer. "How's it coming?"

"I'm all set. Give me the name." She replied.

"Frankston."

"First name?" She looked at Daniel.

"I don't know." He sighed, aware of Jack's gaze on the back of his head. "He's a teacher at Cheyenne Mountain High School."

Jack's mind immediately made certain connections. The girls who were raped were high school kids. Children. He was going to kill this Frankston. No, wait! He'd find the coldest, most controlling and ruthless Tok'ra symbiote he could find – someone like Anise maybe – and he'd shove it into Frankston. A snake that wouldn't let him have control of the body ever and would take him into seriously dangerous situations involving much torture and chance of death. Yeah! And then he'd somehow arrange for the Tok'ra in question to be accidentally captured by Ba'al. He envisioned even more terrible and painful scenarios for several minutes and he was so involved in this that he didn't follow on with these connections to the conclusions that Carter was just about to make.

"Oh my god." She whispered. "Your friend is a student at Cheyenne Mountain High School? You mean that its… Holy Hannah!"

Daniel sighed again and shared a look with Teal'c. They both turned to Jack and waited for him to catch on. It was only a matter of time before Jack's brain caught up with everyone else. And who knew how he was going to react to this news.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - -

John didn't know how to react. What was he going to say to Ally? How could he possibly get out of this without losing her? He couldn't lose her. He sat back down on the couch. Defeated and lost. His mouth was dry and both his head and his heart hurt. He needed a drink. A strong drink.

The thing that hit him hardest was that at the height of her pleas for information about his past, she had called him John. She'd never called him that before. Ever. It proved to him just how serious she was about her request. No light-hearted joking and mucking around now. This was it.

What could he tell her? He remembered signing the non-disclosure documents and he wasn't sure he could get around those just because it had been the Real O'Neill signing them and not this particular cloned hand. Even though somehow the Air Force had overlooked the need to make him re-sign those papers, John still felt obligated to adhere to the agreement because he truly believed in the reasons for secrecy.

However, at the same time he felt that simmering resentment inside. The feelings of abandonment. Did the Stargate Program or the Air Force even deserve his loyalty? How could a person be shoved out in the cold and still be expected to keep all these secrets locked up inside? Always having to keep everyone at arm's length? It was different for the Real O'Neill. Different for Carter and Daniel and Teal'c. They had each other. They were part of something. Safe inside Cheyenne Mountain there was no need to watch what you said. Everyone was a part of the special little Stargate club.

Apart from the visits from Daniel and Teal'c, Ally was truly all he had. She was part of his every day life. She was his life. With his completely screwed up situation, there was no way he'd ever be able to find a friend like her ever again. Not that she could ever be replaced. He needed her. Without her, he felt like he would lose it. That the darkness that had threatened to overwhelm him before he'd met her would find its way back to him. It would consume him and there'd be no escape from the overwhelming and pointless despair. The overwhelming pointlessness of his existence.

"I can't." Finally, he managed to find his voice. It sounded so weak.

"Can't or won't?" She asked. Calm. Not offended or judgemental.

"Can't."

"Classified?" Her voice was nonchalant. Soothing.

"Yes." To admit even this small thing was beyond relief.

"Now we're getting somewhere." She smiled at him and sat down next to him.

"I can't tell you more." John replied wearily. "I refuse to lie to you, Ally. I won't."

"You don't have to lie, O'Neill – but you don't have to tell the whole truth either. Use vague analogies that don't make sense and I'll at least get some idea of what's going on. I won't press for details. I just need enough so that I know you. Okay? We can do that without comprising any national secrets."

"I don't know…"

"Just try it, O'Neill. I'll ask questions and you can answer what you feel like. Be as vague as I know you can be."

He rolled his eyes at her.

"You can trust me, O'Neill. You know that. I swear that I will ignore any conclusions my amazing mind comes up with." She laughed.

He wanted to laugh along with her but this was too serious. She was pretty sharp. That combined with the fact that he just wanted to completely spill his guts right now was a dangerous combination – but what choice did he have? He had a sudden urge to call Daniel. Maybe he'd know what to do. Except that he was too afraid that Daniel would advise against telling Ally anything at all. It was safer that way – but John knew he had to take the risk. She was worth the risk.

"Okay." He said finally. "Ask your questions."

Nervous. :)