A/N- Due to my own duh moment, I accidentally wrote Chapter 4 in the last one, and it was actually Chapter 3. This is Chapter 4, but I'm sure you all know that. That's what happens when you have way too many files for the same story!

Chapter 4

Back in the mine…

"Jack…I…" Daniel began again. It had been hours since the Jaffa had taken Sam out of the mines and they hadn't heard anything about her condition.

"Don't Daniel. It wasn't your fault." Jack's tone was laced with a bit of anger. He continued to pound away at the rock, now more out of frustration than the order to work.

"She needed medical attention."

"I know. It wasn't your fault. We had to take the opportunity when we did."

"But if I hadn't…" Daniel's voice was shaky, and he looked at Jack, silently pleading for forgiveness. He just couldn't stop blaming himself for what happened to Sam, even if no one else did. But he wasn't quite sure that was the case either.

Jack stopped swinging his pick axe and glared at Daniel. "Look Daniel. It happened, okay? There ain't a damn thing we can do about it right now! Just let it go okay?" A slave boy came and offered a cup of muddied water to Jack, who snatched it from his hand. After gulping down the contents, he looked up to see Daniel and Teal'c staring. "I've had worse."

Daniel and Teal'c looked at each other, and then back at their leader. Realizing an argument wasn't going to get them anywhere, they went back to digging out the mineral.

Shaylon led Sam out to a tree lined path in the forest. "Isn't this splendid?" He smiled and turned around as he walked.

Sam grinned at him, he looked like a school boy in a Lego factory. "Why are we here?"

"I know you must have seen much in your travels, but surely you've never seen anything quite so beautiful. We call them trees."

"Ah, I see. So do we."

"So you've seen them before on other worlds?" Shaylon stopped in his tracks.

"Yes, I have." Sam answered.

Shaylon's face fell. "I am a fool aren't I? I mean surely you have seen more incredible things than I can imagine. Please, Samantha, tell me about them."

Sam sighed. She needed to find out about her team. "Look, I would really like to tell you everything you want to know, but…but my friends…"

"My mother still believes you and your friends have a nefarious purpose here." He stated, but something in his voice told Sam different.

"But you don't."

"We will convince her that you are good and honest people who will bring no harm to our kingdom."

Sam was almost afraid to ask, but did so anyway. "I don't suppose we could go talk to your mother now?"

Shaylon shook his head. "She is not well now."

Sam was getting discouraged. "I don't want to spoil this little thing we have going here…" She was cut off before she could finish.

"That almost sounds romantic."

Sam's eyes widened at that comment, it came out of nowhere she intended on going. "Oh boy. Um…here's the thing. I am very grateful that you saved my life and that you want to help me free my friends, but I'm sensing that you did that because your, ah.."

"It's very easy Samantha. Because you are my destiny."

"Whaa…what??"

Shaylon began walking again, and after a moment Sam began to follow. "Before he died, my father used to come out here and take long walks at night. You can see every star in the sky through the treetops."

"No, about the destiny thing?" Sam was getting more uncomfortable by the minute, but was hoping by having this odd conversation she would gain some insight on how to free her friends.

"He used to tell me that a beautiful woman would come from beyond the sun, just for me. She would help me rule the kingdom."

"Oh boy." Sam blew out a breath.

"I had come to believe my father was wrong. That my true love would never come. I stood on that cliff, ready to end my existence, and wished one last time. At exactly the right moment you were there to save me Samantha Carter. You cannot deny this fate."

Shock was putting it mildly. Sam couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was this man truly thinking this was an act of fate? She stopped walking, and stood as Shaylon continued. "Crap. This is so not going well." Shaylon looked back at her impatiently, and Sam shook her head as she took a few long strides to catch up with him.