Chapter 7

Authors Note:

Yes, I know it's been ages since I updated and I am really really sorry but here's a nice long chapter to make it up to you. Enjoy!

Hammond strode off and Jack faced Teal'c. "What the hell did you think you were doing?"

"Major Carter has been through a great deal in the past few weeks. I felt it was my duty to spare her some more problems."

"Your duty? How is your duty lying to the base commander and covering Carter's ass? She was the one that threw a hissy fit and tried to beat a Jaffa to a bloody pulp. A Jaffa that, may I add, had not made any attempt to attack us!"

Teal'c was silent and Daniel previously quiet, stepped forward. "Jack, maybe we don't know the whole story. We should talk to Sam and sort this out. We have to explain it to Hammond anyway, why don't we leave the arguing until then?"

Sam woke to a bright light attacking her retinas. Instinctively she tried to squirm away but was held firm.

"Sam? Are you okay?"

She struggled up, surprised to find herself in the infirmary without any pain.

"Janet? What happened?"

"I was hoping you could tell me."

Sam tried to think back and slowly, she remembered. "Nil'ac. He was there. He thought I was still Hera. Oh, God."

"Teal'c carried you back. Apparently, you fainted."

With fear and horror building in her stomach she asked, "Then what?"

"Nil'ac said something that Teal'c' didn't like and rumour has it that he pummeled Nil'ac."

Guilt was now added to the mix as Sam swallowed the self-loathing. Teal'c had taken the fall for her?

"Really?" she asked weakly.

"Yeah. General Hammond is not very happy. Meeting in 5 minutes and I don't think Teal'c is going to be let off lightly."

Sam considered the options. She could let Teal'c take the blame. They couldn't kick him out of the military. He couldn't be court marshaled whereas she could. None of the others would ever mention it again and she could get off scot-free.

She made her decision. "Janet?"

"Yes?"

"Am I well enough to go to the meeting?"

When she arrived in the briefing room, closely followed by Janet, Jack eyed her with suspicion, Daniel confusion and Teal'c studiously avoided her gaze completely.

"Let's get started," General Hammond said as he sat down. "Would anyone like to tell me why there is an unconscious Jaffa lying in my infirmary?"

"As I said before General Hammond, Nil'ac was causing great offense to Major Carter."

"That's not how we deal with things here Teal'c! You can't…"

"Sir, it wasn't Teal'c. It was me."

They all turned to look at Sam. Now Jack was looking at her with respect while the others just looked horrified.

"Excuse me?"

Sam looked at the table, feeling the flush that traveled up her face. "Nil'ac thought I was still Hera. He acted in a way that would be appropriate to her but not me. I…I had a flashback."

"Great," Jack muttered, "Now you're having flashbacks of Jolinar and Hera?"

The others ignored him and kept their eyes on Sam, waiting for her to start talking again.

"What was the flashback of?" Daniel asked quietly, respectfully.

She opened her mouth to answer but the memories flooded over her again and she couldn't speak. Instinctively looking for shelter, she bolted out of the briefing room and headed for the sanctuary of her lab.

She hid in her lab for a good half-hour, trying desperately to block out the few memories from her time as Hera. After failing miserably, she figured that sooner or later, she had to face Hammond so it might as well be now.

She knocked timidly on the General's door, the tirade beginning as soon as she entered the room.

"What in God's name did you think you were doing, Major?!"

"I apologize, sir, it was an instinctive reaction…."

"You beat a Jaffa to near death with your bare hands! One that didn't even attack!"

"I know and…."

"You let Teal'c take the blame! And for all we know, the remaining Jaffa are planning to attack and get revenge!"

"I didn't let Teal'c take the blame. He volunteered it. And I am their goddess. They will not attack me."

George Hammond, seasoned General and commander faltered at the steely gaze in the eyes of the woman he had known all her life. The sheer confidence and disdain in Major Carter's eyes chilled him. He had seen his fair share of Goa'uld and the look in Carter's eyes was identical to that of the aliens. Was it possible that the symbiote had survived?

"Is there anything else, sir?"

"Just leave. I will deal with you later."

Sam sauntered out of the office, past her teammates who were pretending not to listen.

"So, Sam, what did he say?" Daniel asked anxiously.

"He doesn't know what to do with me. Colonel, I have a suggestion..."

"I'm listening."

"We need all the allies we can get, right? If we go and find Hera's Jaffa, maybe we can persuade them to join us against the Goa'uld!"

"Um, maybe that's not such a good idea Sam."

"They would probably try and kill us Major Carter."

"They would listen to me."

"I think they'd kill you as soon as they realized you weren't Hera."

"I could pretend to be Hera for a while, then. Just to gain their confidence."

"Major Carter, do you realize what you are suggesting?"

A flash of panic crossed Sam's face but she composed herself and laughed. "It was just an idea, guys. We aren't gonna beat the System Lords all on our own. Hey, anyone feel like lunch? I'm starved."

She walked off and the men stared at each other in shock,

"Major Carter is acting most out of character."

"Maybe this is something she has to go through." Daniel defended.

"That's all very noble Danny, but how far is she going to go?"