Note: Thanks to those of you that reviewed the last chapter. :) Anyways, this chapter will delve deeper into what happened on the planet with the beasties. Might even answer a few questions if not raise more. ::smirks::

SIX

While Janet worked on checking test results, Sam sat in the infirmary keeping an eye on Jack. She perched on the edge of a nearby bed while he dug into a plate of food hungrily. "Might wanna take it slow Colonel, you really haven't eaten anything in awhile," she warned worriedly.

Jack's eyes rose from his plate briefly. "Yeah, I know, but I'm hungry," He shoveled some buttered corn into his mouth before stabbing his fork into the bland, commissary-made roast beef. It was lousy food, but he didn't care, he was starved.

Sam couldn't help but smile. He looked at her with an adorable grin that just melted her heart, and she forced herself to stare at the floor, thinking of other things. She'd finally built up the courage to tell Jack about the debriefing, and the General's plans to send another team to P8Y-974, and to her surprise, he didn't say much about it. It was the first thing she spoke about before Daniel arrived with Jack's food. Since then, neither one of them brought the subject back up.

When he was finished eating, Jack shoved the tray aside, out of the way, and swung his legs over the edge of the bed so that he was facing Sam. "So, Carter," he began, making idle chit-chat in his boredom. "How's Dad?" He cocked his head to the side and smiled broadly. "I didn't get to say much before..." Jack waved his hand in a vague gesture and shrugged. "Well, you know."

Sam nodded with understanding. She lowered her eyes for a moment, not wanting to think about the Colonel almost dying. "He's good," she looked up at Jack again and returned his smile with a warm one of her own. "He actually stopped by just for a visit, but winded up being able to help us out. In more ways than one," she added, not wanting to remind him about the upcoming mission back to P8Y-974 again.

"Colonel," Janet called out, returning to the infirmary. She smiled as Jack looked up at her. "Your test results all came back fine. You're free to leave the infirmary."

"Great," Jack grinned and hopped off the bed, then reached out with his arms and stretched his lanky frame. He'd been confined to the infirmary for almost a full three days now, and he was more than happy to leave, with his health intact as well.

Sam glanced briefly at Janet before following him out. She'd tailed Jack down the hallway and around several turns before he stopped and turned to face her.

"Carter, Doc says I'm fine, you don't gotta follow me around ya know," he said with an amused smirk. Not that Jack didn't enjoy being around her so much, but he would have liked a little time to himself at the moment. There was much to think about, especially the upcoming mission, something he had to discuss with the General. There was no way he was sending anyone but SG-1 back to P8Y-974.

Smiling almost sheepishly at Jack, Sam caught up to him with an easy stride. "I know that sir," She ducked her head slightly and peered up through her eyelashes. "I was just...a little worried about you Colonel," Sam admitted quietly.

A slow grin spread across Jack's face as he turned to his side to look at her. "Thanks, but I'm okay Carter, really." He looked down at himself, feeling a sudden chill, and realized he still wasn't wearing a shirt. "I could just use a shower, change of clothes, and a little nap," Blinking, Jack released a loud yawn and tilted his head to the side before turning and continuing on his way down the corridor. As he walked he stretched out an arm in a wave back to Sam. "I'll see you in a bit."

-

Around 1900 hours, Sam found that her eyes ached terribly with the strain of staring at her computer screen for so long. Closing her eyes tightly and rubbing at them, she pushed away from her desk slowly after turning off her laptop. She knew Janet would give her a talking to after she'd warned Sam about over-doing it. Now her head hurt again and she was tired.

Reaching for the pill bottle across the desk, Sam popped a few aspirins in her mouth before yawning softly and stretching. Her brows furrowed faintly in thought when she realized that she hadn't seen Colonel O'Neill since he left the infirmary, and she felt like she was missing something. Closing her eyes as she stood in her lab doorway, Sam bowed her head and realized that it was Jack she felt like she was missing. Ever since she'd been discharged from the infirmary she noticed how much she had liked being around him all that time. It frightened her a little.

Sam suddenly remembered how she'd confessed her feelings for her CO to Daniel. She realized he would never say anything to Jack, but she also knew that things would probably boil down to a point where she'd need to tell the Colonel on her own, no matter what the cost. Thinking about Jack made her feel like she needed to check up on him, so she took a little detour from her lab and decided to pass on by his quarters, knowing that both Dr. Fraiser and General Hammond were keeping him on base.

When she'd reached the Colonel's quarters, Sam knocked lightly a few times, then stood silent, awaiting some kind of response. Not getting anything from inside, she took that as a sign that he was deeply asleep, then carefully opened the door and peered into the dimly lit room. She spotted Jack curled up on the cot against the wall and sleeping soundly. He was dressed in a standard-issue black t-shirt with olive BDU pants, his hair sticking up and out at odd angles. Smiling widely, all Sam could think of was just how adorable the Colonel looked at that moment.

Daring to move over by the cot, Sam bent down and picked up the plain grey blanket that had fallen. She draped it over her Colonel's sleeping form, then sat down gingerly on the edge of the bed. Surprising even herself with that action, Sam felt her heart speeding up anxiously as Jack shifted on the bed, seemingly aware of her presense. Although she wanted to flee, she managed to suppress the urge and stood her ground, even as confused brown eyes fluttered open to peer at her.

"Carter?" Jack mumbled softly, closing one eye and squinting with the other. He twisted slightly on the cot so that he was half rolled onto his back, making it easier to look up at her.

Sam grimaced before smiling sheepishly, thankful for the dim lighting, fearing otherwise the Colonel would see her blushing. "Sorry sir, I uh... I just came to check up on you," she blurted hurriedly before springing to her feet and startling him.

"Have I been asleep that long?" He asked groggily, not yet responding to her abrupt motion of leaping away from him.

"It's been a few hours...sir," Sam rocked back and forth on her heels somewhat nervously. God, why am I being like this around him? She thought, mentally berating herself for the uncharacteristic behavior.

"Oh," Jack nodded slightly with acknowledgment, not making a move to get up. He yawned, slightly alarmed that he still felt so incredibly exhausted. Blearily noticing Sam backing toward the door, he shifted completely onto his back once more. "I'm goin' back to sleep Carter," he declared softly in a mumbled, sleepy voice.

Sam smiled tightly and nodded, wrapping her arms around herself. "I'll leave you alone then, sir." She found herself saying the words, but her actions were another thing altogether. Instead, she closed the door against the intruding light from the corridor and moved toward the bed where Jack lay, gingerly sitting down by his feet and leaning her back against the wall. She stayed there, just watching over him like a guardian angel.

Jack was already fast asleep once more and hadn't even noticed that Sam didn't leave.

-

Seeking out his friends that night, Daniel paused in the corridor just outside Jack's quarters after having recently stopped at Sam's lab to realize she wasn't there. He guessed she'd gone home to rest properly. Even though he promised himself he'd go home for the night, Daniel realized he wouldn't get much sleep, thinking too much about what information Jacob would bring back from the Tok'ra. Instead, he figured he'd probably end up passing out at his desk.

Through with debating whether or not to bother Jack by knocking, Daniel tapped very lightly on the door to his quarters before opening it slowly and sticking his head inside. His eyes widened briefly, and a slow grin spread across his face when he spotted Sam sleeping soundly at the end of the small cot where Jack was curled up, snoring lightly. With a satisfied nod, he carefully backed out of the room and closed the door to let them be.

-

While shifting languidly in position and attempting to stretch his longs legs, Jack found his movements halting as his feet nudged something at the end of his cot. Brows furrowing in confusion, he opened his eyes, craning his neck and peering groggily toward the end of the bed. Jack found himself smiling when he realized that it was Sam sitting by his feet, her legs drawn up, arms and head resting on her knees. He sat up slowly, leaning his back against the wall so that he was side by side with her. Carefully, Jack reached his arm around her shoulders, nudging her gently in attempt to maneuver her to a more comfortable position.

Sam responded to the gentle movements in her sleep, allowing herself to lay on her side, resting her head on Jack's lap.

Pulling up the blanket and covering her, Jack rested his hand on Sam's shoulder and stroked her arm tenderly. He cared for her deeply, and although he knew that if anyone walked in his quarters to find them in the seemingly-compromising position, he'd very well be facing a court martial and a possible dishonorable discharge from the Air Force. At that moment though, Jack didn't care. He had Sam in his arms, and that was all that mattered.

Opening her eyes slowly, Sam gasped when she realized where she was. She nearly jerked upright until she was stilled by a comforting voice and gentle hand pressing lightly on her shoulder in reassurance, to keep her in place. "Colonel?" Sam whispered unsurely, her cheeks warming with embarrassment.

"Shh, it's okay Sam," Jack whispered gently, now stroking her hair in a loving gesture that answered so much of Sam's own questions and concerns about their current situation. "Go back to sleep,"

Heaving a sigh of relief, she did just that, drifting off again to dream peacefully in the arms of the man she loved.

-

It was barely a day later that SG-1 was preparing to gate back to P8Y-974 after Colonel O'Neill had managed to convince General Hammond that they were the only team for the task at hand. Hammond had been a bit reluctant, but felt more at ease when former General Jacob Carter-turned Tok'ra, had insisted upon joining SG-1, taking with him the gathered knowledge about the planet's strange inhabitants.

Jack was raring to go, anxious for another stab at those so-called 'natives' that had captured them. He stood with his team, plus Jacob, on the gate ramp, all dressed in woodland camo BDUs and staring ahead at the shimmering water-like matter within the big metal circle. "Alright kids, let's move out!" He shouted after getting the go ahead from General Hammond. Waving his team forward, Jack fell into step just behind Sam after Teal'c, Daniel, and Jacob entered the wormhole.

Emerging from the gate on the other side, Teal'c and Jacob immediately took up defensive positions before Daniel, Jack, and Sam had even come through. Their trained eyes each took a sweep of the area surrounding the gate, weapons poised and ready for action. Neither man even turned as they heard the others exiting the wormhole before it was closed off.

Jack aimed his P90 and briefly scanned his surroundings before relaying orders. "Teal'c, Carter, scout ahead for any of the natives. Jacob, you and I are gonna stay by the gate," he turned to the team's archaeologist-linguist-anthropologist. "Daniel, dial home and send the MALP back."

Nodding quickly in affirmation, Daniel hurried toward the MALP and checked it over before dialling up the gate.

Jacob and Jack took up their positions on either side of the gate while Teal'c and Sam left to check for hostiles.

A few minutes went by after the MALP had been sent back to Earth before Jack reached for the radio on his vest. "Carter, Teal'c, come in." He stilled, keeping a look-out while waiting for a response.

"Carter here," Sam's voice came back shortly. "Teal'c and I haven't spotted anything sir,"

With a suspicious sigh, Jack nodded before toggling his radio again. "Alright, come on back, but stay sharp. We were ambushed the first time, remember?"

"Yes sir. Carter out."

The team, with Jacob, gathered by the DHD after Sam and Teal'c had returned from their brief scouting mission. They were currently discussing a means in which they should go about trying to get the information they seeked on the natives. Getting captured certainly wasn't an answer; once was more than enough.

Daniel crossed his arms, pacing in deep thought. He glanced over toward his teammates. "Well, the first time we came here we got ambushed and knocked out, so therefore we didn't actually see where we were taken. So that doesn't really give us any clues as to which direction we need to be going in."

"Yeah," Jack nodded in acknowledgement. "And that means the village - or whatever - could be just through the trees...or it could be fifty miles away," he muttered slightly in frustration.

Teal'c's gaze was fixed to the ground for a long moment, and everyone turned to him.

"T?" Jack prompted.

"There is a slight imprint in the ground here O'Neill," the Jaffa warrior answered stoically.

"Tracks," Jacob confirmed, now noticing them as well. He nodded. "They're faint, but we should still be able to atleast find out which direction they lead."

Jack knelt down and eyed the imprints in the dirt, recognizing them as some sort of transportation rather than footprints. "Alright then, let's head out!" He strode off determinedly, taking point. "Keep your eyes open people. Teal'c, you've got our six."

Falling into step behind Jacob, Teal'c held out his zat gun and made sure to take in their surroundings while they moved.

The forest was dense and almost swamp-like, creating a humid atmosphere, unlike the immediate area surrounding the gate, which was an open grassy field in what appeared to be a large circle. SG-1 trudged through the dense forest in the general direction of the tracks they'd encountered, but didn't see any further signs of civilization.

Almost two hours later, O'Neill stopped and looked around suspiciously as they neared a large clearing that opened up to a low, idustrial-looking building that appeared as though it was mainly underground. The walls looked cracked and dirty, vines crawling up along the outside and making it seem abandoned. Whether it was really old or the damage was intentional as a front was anyone's guess, but this certainly wasn't the prison complex they'd remembered escaping from. Jack guessed that particular place must have been on the opposite side of the Stargate, since they'd approached the gate from the west on their way home, and were now heading east. He wondered if the buildings were somehow connected through tunneling underground. If it turned out to be true, it wouldn't surprise him.

Jack turned to Jacob with a raised eyebrow. "So Jacob," He began in a light, almost-flippant, tone. "Mind telling us what you know about these critter-people before we find ourselves in the lion's den once more?"

Ignoring the deliberate pun on the Colonel's part, Jacob crouched down and motioned for the others to do the same. He'd already explained what he knew to the General beforehand, but the mission briefing had been short and he hadn't gotten a chance to reveal everything to the team. It was just enough to let them know that this was an important mission. Jacob sighed as Sam, Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c all gathered around him. "As you already figured out, the natives of this planet were genetically transformed by the Goa'uld, and at the mission briefing I explained that they were still in league with the Goa'uld, even though they haven't been taken as hosts due to their unique, and incompatible physiology."

Jack's eyebrow rose slowly, expectantly as Jacob took a long pause. "And, but, so, therefore?" He prompted impatiently. They were wasting time here.

Glaring briefly, Jacob took a deep breath and continued. "These...manimals," he used the term Daniel had chosen to call the natives, "are voluntary servants to the Goa'uld. They're given stolen weapons and technology for capturing possible hosts for the Goa'uld and serving as warriors when they're needed."

Daniel shook his head in disbelief. "Wait-a-sec," He waved a hand in the air and briefly closed his eyes. "That doesn't make sense. Why would the Goa'uld use them when they've already got plenty of Jaffa warriors to serve their needs?"

"Yeah!" Jack piped up unnecessarily.

"The Goa'uld do it as a sort of insurance. They know that these manimals have the potential to become much more powerful than the Goa'uld themselves, especially since they were originally human and can't be taken as hosts." Jacob said.

Sam's brows furrowed in thought. "Then why don't the Goa'uld just destroy them before they get too powerful?"

"Selmak and the other Tok'ra aren't really sure on that. We think that the Goa'uld are hoping these manimals will find some way to destroy us that they couldn't think of. Either that or some new weapons that would prove useful." Jacob shrugged.

"So," Jack added, rubbing at the back of his neck and squinting with mild confusion. "The snake heads figure the critter people are too valuable to get rid of, and too dangerous to keep around, so..." He blinked and rubbed at his forehead from the confusion he caused himself. "Wait, what?"

"That's right sir," Sam encouraged with a small smile. "So the Goa'uld are keeping them on a short leash, right Dad?"

"As far as I can figure," Jacob nodded. "You see, the Goa'uld haven't given them any information on how to use the gate, so they have no clue."

Teal'c added his input for the first time. "It sounds as though the Goa'uld are using their own mistake to their advantage."

"By creating this race that can't be taken as hosts, the Goa'uld use what the manimals learn from their own stolen technology, then take it from them when they deem it useful," Daniel spoke his thoughts without fully understanding what he was even saying.

"Right." Jacob shifted and stood after seeing Jack get to his feet, the others following their examples.

"These guys captured us to trade the Goa'uld for more weapons?" Jack questioned while taking the little scope from his vest pocket and peering toward the industrial building in the distance.

"Something like that," Jacob muttered quietly, then added, "But I think there's another reason we just haven't figured out yet."

The grim admission made Sam a little uneasy. "We also don't know which System Lord they're 'trading' with."

"Could be a minor Goa'uld, not a System Lord," Daniel suggested softly.

Sam grimaced. "Does that make you feel any better?"

Daniel sighed, then crept out from the thick trees as Jack began to lead the way out toward the clearing. "No, guess not."

-

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