Chapter 28: Conspiracies

Warning: This chapter contains violence, abuse/torture, and the attempted sexual abuse of a child.

"Daniel, I'm just going to use the ladies before Teal'c gets here," Sam announced, getting up from her chair in Daniel's office. Daniel had picked her up from her classroom after school, and brought her downstairs to his basement office. Teal'c was stopping by as soon as his duties permitted, and they were going to meet under the guise of Daniel giving Sam extra lessons in French, and Teal'c would behave as if he were merely cleaning if anyone stopped by, though Daniel had assured them both that the lower halls were seldom frequented. Most of the teachers had offices in the newer buildings, but Daniel's lowly status as a resource teacher, as well as one of the newest, relegated him to one of the very old offices in the lower level. Daniel didn't seem to mind, as used to as he was in working below the surface of Cheyenne Mountain.

"What? Oh." Daniel blinked and looked up from the papers he was grading, squinting at her slightly. "You know the way?" She nodded, and he relaxed. "Ok, I'll be here," he waved at the pile of papers and books on his desk. Sam grinned, and slipped out, thinking how much Daniel's new office reminded her of his usual one at the SGC. Already, the small office was crammed with papers and texts, and even a small assortment of statues and art objects in lieu of artifacts.

Sam stifled a huge yawn with only partial success as she headed down the hall. The day seemed to have dragged on more so than usual. She knew that she was the only one to blame though; after all, she was the one that had consumed the donuts and latte the previous night. She should have recalled that while a latte was mostly milk, there was plenty of caffeine in the drink. There had been no excuse but distraction for eating the donuts. As such, she'd spent half the night with that unusual surge of energy, and a good part following that feeling jittery and irritable like she never had before. If she had been thinking clearly, she should have called it quits and had the Colonel take her home, to spend the evening winding down. But she'd remembered the time after the Dairy Queen though, when she'd let Jack talk her into ice cream after the first half day of school. Jack had nearly gotten on her last nerve about that stupid award that day, and she had decided to funnel the energy into work instead rather than spend the evening at home with little to occupy her mind.

She didn't remember ever being so affected by caffeine before. Everything had seemed sharper, and she felt like she could go all night. At least at first. She had vague recollections of things becoming less wonderful, and then she'd woken in her own bed with no memory of how she'd gotten there.

It was a minor miracle that she'd woken at all, her alarm buzzing insistently, perhaps the first time in her child state that she'd had to rely on something other than her internal time clock. She'd had to wake Jack. They'd rushed out that morning, barely making it in time for the last bell.

It was all she could do to focus on the tasks at hand that morning. Her head ached, and felt fuzzy even after her hurried breakfast of a cereal bar on the way to school. She was tired from lack of sleep, and her body seemed to respond with unusual sluggishness to even simple commands. She caught herself nodding off several times in the first hour. To her chagrin, she'd fallen asleep during class anyway. Gym class.

Sam still wondered how she'd managed that feat. The class had been playing dodge ball, a rather noisy undertaking, and her fatigue had caused her to be one of the first to get out, despite her normal agility. Sitting on the sideline, she could only think that it was her soldier's ability to sleep anytime, anywhere that allowed her to doze off despite the noise level.

Luck had been on her side, if one could call it that. Before the teacher could notice her sleeping, a wildly thrown ball rudely awakened her as it connected with her head. While the ball had not stuck her very hard, having bounced first, the teacher had been concerned enough to send her to the nurse's office, where she'd been able to take a nap after convincing the woman she was ok.

The nap however had been hours ago, and as much as she'd have loved to go home, today was the first after school lesson with Daniel. Teal'c hoped to stop by in his guise as janitor, and Sam missed regular visits with her teammates more than enough to soldier on a little longer.

The lower hallways were quiet and empty, and it seemed to her that there were fewer lights as well. Her footsteps echoed softly down the corridor. The bathroom was a bit out of the way, but she had no trouble finding it.

On the way back, soft voices intruded upon her thoughts, and Sam slowed, listening. An open door ahead beckoned, and she approached, something making her cautious.

"…No one comes down here, not this time of afternoon. And Curtis made sure the camera doesn't work. We'll be perfectly safe," said a young, vaguely familiar female voice.

"I don't know…" answered another voice, this one male.

"Relax," said the female voice. "Besides, Curtis will be here soon, and he'll have news from the Mistress. It's worth the risk," dismissed the female voice.

Flattening herself against the wall, Sam edged up to the doorway, risking a careful peek. The backs of three heads greeted her, and Sam frowned. Something about the three youths was familiar. Just then, the girl turned slightly, flicking her hair long, dark hair back, and Sam ducked back around the edge of the door. The glimpse had been more than enough to confirm her suspicions. The three were the ones that had given her a hard time outside of the principal's office that time she'd been delivering attendance records. Taking a slow, quiet breath, Sam willed her heart to slow.

Here, finally, was the evidence she had been looking for. That is, if this "Mistress" of theirs was Seshat. She had her suspicions, but without concrete proof, there had been little she and SG-1 could do. After the encounter in the hallway, she'd quietly asked Daniel to find out what the badges the students had been wearing signified, but he'd gotten vague responses from the staff he'd questioned. Seemed no one was particularly clear whom the students looked to for guidance in their little group, and he'd gotten mixed answers, which had only heightened her interest.

Even without the prior encounter though, the hushed whispers and clandestine location were enough to raise Sam's curiosity. Had she not confirmed the group's identity, she may have listened in anyway, especially after that tantalizing phrase. After all, it made perfect sense, now that she thought about it, for Seshat to have contacts in all levels of the school, including the students. It was the usual Goa'uld MO to take advantage of the locals in order to run things from afar. Find those useful persons that could be influenced, or intimidated, set up the power structure, and step back to let the underlings take care of the day-to-day affairs.

Carefully, she edged back to the door, and turned her head, listening with all she was worth. With her prior suspicions and her curiosity piqued at the secret meeting, the conversation she had stumbled upon might just hold the key to the information SG-1 was looking for, and Sam needed little incentive to continue listening in. If the group could just confirm her belief that their Mistress was Seshat, and even better, give some indication to when and where the next meeting would be…

"…I don't know Aiden, you might not be cut out for this," hissed the female voice.

Sam missed the words of reply, but from the boy's tone, he was reassuring that he was indeed, meant to be a part of the group.

"That's good. We must have only the best. Our Mistress demands…" the voice trailed off as the girl's voice lowered, and Sam strained to hear.

Suddenly, a hand clapped over her mouth, and arm wrapped around her chest as someone taller and stronger lifted her easily, carrying her into the room. "Seems I caught a little spy," announced the older boy holding her. "Who was lookout?" he demanded, "Agh!" he yelled.

Twisting and thrashing, Sam followed the kick she'd just delivered to the boy's knee with an elbow to his gut. A finger slipped into her mouth and she wasted no time biting it. Even as he cried out though, the young man proved he was made of sterner stuff. Wasting no time, he slammed her onto a table, dislodging her bite as he called for help from the others.

Sam caught a glimpse of the three middle school students heading her way, and gathered breath for a loud yell. Daniel wasn't that far away, if she yelled loud enough… A vicious blow to her kidney drove the breath from her. Blinking away tears, Sam caught a glimpse of a sandy haired boy, about 15 or 16 years old. Tall and wiry, the boy had a grip on her arm, which he'd twisted up behind her, and was using his frame to pin her down. He was gesturing for something on another table, and Sam fought harder as she realized it was a roll of duct tape.

Unfortunately, she was no match for the four older children, and they soon had her secured, hands behind her back, feet taped together, and a thick piece across her mouth. The oldest boy flipped her onto her back and hauled her fully only the table, heedless of the objects that scattered or pressed into her back. Angry blue eyes regarded her, as the boy stood panting. "Aiden, get the door and stand watch," he ordered, not taking his eyes off her.

The younger boy looked them over, frowning slightly, and then did as he was told, slipping out the door and shutting it behind him.

"Curtis?" asked the other boy, watching them. Curtis had taken a step back, out of range of her kick, and circled the table, looking down at her with an eager glint in his eye that Sam didn't like. Casually, he lifted his hand to his lips, and Sam was pleased to note there was blood.

"She hurt me. And she was listening to a private conversation," the boy said, still circling the table.

"We should teach her not to listen to things she shouldn't be," said the girl, exchanging a look with Curtis, and the boy treated her with a smile.

"An excellent plan Laney, I think we should do just that."

The other boy looked worried. "She's just a kid," he said, shaking his head.

Curtis glared at him. "Are you with us, or against us Dustin?" he demanded. The younger boy gulped, backing up a step.

"With you," Dustin said, looking away. Curtis smiled again, sending a chill down Sam's spine.

"Look what I found," Laney crowed. Sam craned her neck to spot the girl by a drawer, holding up a pair of pliers. She squirmed, but a hand held her in place. In her distraction, Curtis had approached. Holding out his other hand, Curtis accepted the tool, gesturing for the other two to come closer. A look of eager anticipation lit his young face.

"Hold her," he ordered. Laney immediately grabbed Sam's shoulders, pushing them down onto the table. Sam bucked as Dustin hesitated, trying to find the leverage to break Laney's hold and get away from the group despite her bindings. "Hold her, I said," Curtis growled, "I don't want to get kicked again." Under the older boy's scrutiny, Dustin hurried forward, grabbing her legs and pulling them straight. Sam grunted, and twisted against her bonds and the hands restraining her. In vain, she tried to reach her watch, but the tape had been tightly placed over her wrists, covering the device. Arching her back, she tried to twist her fingers to press the buttons under the tape, but couldn't reach them. In frustration, she sagged, panting from exertion. For the moment, she gave up thoughts of overpowering her captors. She was just too outmatched.

Curtis watched her struggle, a slight sneer on his face, his eyes taking in every movement with a calculating look. Sam couldn't help but note that the boy was handsome, at least in an unfinished kind of way. The curves of his features had not yet settled into the defined lines of maturity. His face was smooth and unblemished, hinting at a surprising predator like intelligence, and a level of intellect that surpassed the youth's age. A shock of dirty blond hair hung onto the boy's forehead, and his eyes were an unusual shade of blue, almost gray. Yes, one day, he'd definitely be handsome, and likely already had the girls following his every word. That is if something in his eyes didn't make her want to vomit.

The boy had grabbed a handful of her t-shirt when she'd gone limp, yanking it up to expose her abdomen. "You shouldn't have been listening at the door. Now I have to punish you," he said, as he lowered the pliers towards the exposed skin. She tried to jerk away, but had nowhere to go. A sickening smile spread across the boy's face as he squeezed the handles, and his eyes were filled with pleasure at her involuntary whimper. He released the grip, but gave her little time before he lowered them again.

Sam bucked at the new contact, but Curtis forced her flat with a hand to her chest, his eyes never leaving her face as he applied his chosen instrument of torment. "You shouldn't have struggled," he said, releasing the pliers and catching another fold of skin. Sam grunted behind the tape, jerking unwillingly.

His eyes gleamed at her reactions. "You shouldn't have bit me," he said, this time, twisting the pliers savagely. In vain, Sam tried to get away, tears leaking from the corner of her eyes.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked contemplatively, delivering a new pinch. He frowned when she only grunted. This time, he gave her an even more vicious twist, making her cry out, the sound muffled on the gag.

"Curtis," spoke Dustin hesitantly.

"Shut up, I'm giving a lesson," Curtis said, his gaze still intent on Sam. His casual delivery of the words told Sam that this sort of lesson wasn't all that uncommon.

"But Curtis," the other boy tried again. The fear in the boy's voice gave Sam a small hope that she might have an ally.

"He said shut up, unless you want to be next." Laney's words just as quickly dashed the hope. The girl's fingers dug painfully into Sam's shoulders. If Dustin were her ally, Laney was on board with Curtis. Dustin quieted, and Curtis smiled again, fully in charge and reveling in it.

"I asked," he repeated, "do you want me to stop?" Sam hesitated; earning another twisting pinch from the pliers. Logically, she argued, by refusing to give in she was only prolonging the pain. They weren't asking any questions, so she had nothing to protect from them. Compliance might present an unexpected opportunity for escape. On the other hand, if she resisted, she only had to hold out long enough for either Daniel or Teal'c to notice her absence.

Finally, after another brutal twist from the pliers that made her moan through clenched teeth, she reluctantly nodded, feeling like she was surrendering something of herself in doing so, but knowing that if they assumed she was cooperating they might be more likely to drop the information she was looking for, as well as relax their guard enough that she might be able to get away somehow. Information was why she was here, even if they didn't know that. The intelligence that they might unwittingly provide could be the very lead this mission needed.

Curtis was pleased by her response, and didn't seem to notice any of her inner debate. He wasn't finished though, and he pressed the pliers against her belly again, leaning down next to her face, nearly driving any other thoughts out of her mind. "If you tell anyone, I'll find you," he said, hissing into her ear as he squeezed the handles shut, twisting slowly. "Don't. Tell. Anyone. Understand?" he ground out, emphasizing each word with a twist or jerk. Tears spilled freely down her face and her nose was running too, making it difficult to breathe, and Sam jerked her head in a reluctant nod. The pressure on her stomach was released. Curtis twirled the pliers in one hand, giving a triumphant look to his fellows.

"I don't believe her, look at her eyes," spoke Laney suddenly, digging her fingers painfully into Sam's shoulders. As Curtis returned his gaze to her, Sam got a sinking sensation in her gut that was nothing to do with the fiery pain from the bruising she'd received. Fear motivated her, giving her strength. Yanking her legs out of Dustin's loosened grip, she twisted, and drove both feet squarely into Curtis's abdomen. Using surprise to her advantage, she reared up out of Laney's hold, driving her head backwards, connecting with the girl's face. Ignoring the pain at the back of her head, and giving Laney no time to recover, she squirmed off the table, landing on her feet. The tape securing her ankles held, but she remained upright and began to hop towards the door, trying to put as much distance between herself and her captors as possible. She'd only made it a few feet though when something hard slammed into her back, knocking her to the floor. Unable to break her fall or even see her attacker, she barked her chin painfully on the cement floor, jarring her teeth and driving the breath from her lungs.

Before she could recover, Curtis was hauling her up and slamming her back down on the table. Looming over her, he stood panting, the anger in the youth's eyes shocking her with its intensity. "I think you're right Laney. She hasn't learned her lesson yet. I think it's time we have a little fun."

He gave a jerk of his head, and the other two took hold of her, despite Sam's renewed struggling. Picking up the pliers in one hand, Curtis laid his other hand over her stomach, and then smiled, letting his fingers drift downward. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead as understanding gripped her. Curtis only smiled wider as he unbuttoned her jeans, and pulled down the zipper, his fingers lingering over the waistband of her panties, caressing her skin, and making her tremble.

"I don't know if we should do this Curtis," said Dustin worriedly.

Never taking his eyes off his victim, Curtis slipped two fingers inside her underwear, and pinched the thin cotton, pulling it away from her body. A shiver that had little to do with the new draft of air sent a chill down her spine. "She talks, and it's all over," he said, fingering the waistband and watching her face as he gave the material a little tug downward. "All the special treatment, all the rewards. Mistress Seshat has given us free reign, but not if we get caught," he said, glaring at the other two. "Only the stupid get caught, and the stupid are of no use to one like Mistress Seshat," he added. For a moment, his face grew dreamy. "She has shown me so much. When I am with her… she makes me feel alive," he paused, shaking his head slightly. "I am her tool. Hers to use, hers to punish. She is mine and I am hers."

Frozen, for the moment, Sam stared at Curtis, forgetting her own very real danger. Horror and revulsion warred for control at his revelations. This boy likely had not been an innocent when Seshat had found him, but it was a sure thing that her interventions had only made him worse, much worse. Still, in some small way, he might almost be considered a victim too.

Curtis gave her clothing a yank though, dragging her back to the present. "I can't lose my place, so I'm just going to show this little runt what will happen if she squeals. Because I'll be waiting, and watching. I have eyes everywhere little one," he crooned, almost lovingly, leaning down. "I'll find out where you live. You'll not be able to hide from me. And then, when you and I are alone," he whispered, his hand slowly drawing downward, exposing her and forcing her thighs apart with enough pressure to bruise, the other hand holding the pliers moving into her field of vision.

Her struggles had no effect, and in fact, only seemed to please the boy as well as aiding in his effort to disrobe her. He watched her squirm against his hand ineffectually, a sick smile on his face until she slumped, trying to catch her breath, her attempts to break free hampered by her inability to draw enough air through her clogged nose and taped mouth. Realization grew that this was no normal adolescent. In mounting revulsion, Sam realized that she was at the mercy of a future psychopath. The other two were either cowed in their fear of the older boy, or as Sam suspected in Laney's case by the encouraging murmurs, envious of the boy's power and of a like mind. Trust Seshat to find and cultivate one such as this boy.

Mesmerized, despite her fear and the anticipation of imminent pain, Sam couldn't tear her eyes away from Curtis's. Her insight into the older boy's mind caused a cold dread to settle in her gut. The metal in the boy's hand glinted as he lowered it slowly, drawing out her trepidation, and Sam could only watch in a detached sort of way, disbelieving that this was really happening to her. Perversely, some tiny part of her was glad that she was who she was, that she'd be able to spare some real child this pain.

Unwilling to surrender despite her vulnerability, she looked up into the cold, calculating blue eyes above her, and mustered every last bit of defiance. She imagined what she would do if she were only free and her normal size. Something of her thoughts must have shown in her eyes, because inches away from the more sensitive areas of her body, the metal tool paused, and Sam saw Curtis' face subtly change. The carefully controlled features shifted, and she read confusion and surprise in the young face regarding her.

And then, abruptly, the spell was shattered. The door crashed open and Aiden appeared. Letting go of her, Curtis spun, diverted. "Aiden!" he growled, advancing toward the other boy, and holding up the pliers threateningly.

"Someone's coming!" the younger boy cried. Curtis paused, straightening hurriedly, raking the room with his glance.

"The locker, put her in the locker," he ordered brusquely, slamming the pliers on the table by her head and making her jump. The three younger students leapt to obey, dragging her off the table and across the room. Sam struggled, but at least one of them had her legs, and there was little she could do while still bound and gagged. She still fought and twisted though, until her head connected solidly with a hard surface when someone lost their grip, and dazed, she could offer little further resistance as she was dragged back up and pushed into a small space, her shoulders scraping a metal frame, as she was crammed into the confined area. Suddenly, a body blocked the light, and Sam was forced to look up into the oldest boy's face when he grabbed her hair to tilt her head back.

"Don't think I'll forget about you. You tell anyone, and I mean anyone about us, and you'll be sorry. If you thought today was bad, I'll show you worse. I'll find you no matter where you hide." With that threat hanging, he slammed the metal door shut, and Sam was left alone in darkness, unknown objects pressing against her sides and back. The small space immediately grew warm and stuffy, and Sam could almost imagine the darkness weighing down on her chest. Footsteps receded from the room, the door closing behind them. In the hall, a familiar adult voice berated the students for running in the halls. Daniel! Sam tried to cry out to him, but the sound was sadly muted. She pressed against the door with a muffled thump, losing her balance. In frustration, Sam heard the footsteps disappear down the hall, unable to make enough noise to draw attention to herself.

Stifling rising panic that the group would come back before someone else found her, Sam assessed her situation, and tried to take stock of her environment. It wasn't completely dark. Narrow slits admitted thin beams of weak light, sending dust motes, but nothing of use, dancing in front of her eyes. Something that felt like heavy canvas hung at the back of the locker, and a hard object pressed into her side. Squirming, she tried to bring her hands around, to see if there were any protuberance she might use to get the tape off her wrists, and the watch that would alert the rest of SG-1 to her predicament. She ignored the fact that her pants were slipping down as she tried to explore the area she could reach behind her with her bound hands.

While she was twisting, something poked the side of her face. A hook! Turning her head, Sam rubbed the side of her cheek against the coat hook, earning a scrape. She hissed with pain, but ignored the sting of the shallow wound, overlooked the warm moisture as blood welled up and oozed sluggishly down her chin. Persistence paid off as she worked the hook under the gag and loosened it enough to pull the tape half off. Gratefully, she sucked in several welcome breaths, before resuming her frantic search for some way out. So intent was she that she almost missed the sound of footsteps returning. Freezing, Sam listened hard. Relief flooded her as she realized it was only one set, and too heavy to be anything but an adult. She drew breath.

"Help!" For good measure, she threw her small body against the door, rattling it.

"Sam?!" came a startled shout from the hall as the steps halted.

"Daniel!" she cried in relief. She heard a crash as the room's door was flung open.

The footsteps approached, and then hesitated, unsure, still several feet away. "Sam? Where are you?" Daniel called.

She closed her eyes, allowing her body to relax at the nearness of rescue. "In here."

"Sam?" This time, his surprised voice came from just outside the locker.

"Yeah," she replied, forcing her tone to remain even while she forced down the last of her fears. "Can you get me out of here?"

She heard the door rattle, and then more forcefully. "It's locked," he reported, sounding frustrated. "Sam, are you ok? What's going on?"

Drawing a steadying breath, Sam fought rising panic. "I'm fine. Just get me out of here, and I'll tell you later, please," she begged, her thin façade beginning to deteriorate.

"Ok. Just hang on Sam, I'm going to get Teal'c," he said, seeming to sense her distress. "He can probably unlock this, I left him in my office. When you didn't come back, I went to see if you were ok. I'll be right back."

"NO!" she cried, startled by her own vehemence.

"Sam?!" Daniel cried, no doubt equally startled. The door rattled again, as Daniel no doubt vented his aggravation, attempting in vain to open the locker again.

She struggled to calm herself. "If you leave, they might come back," she explained, barely able to contain a shiver of fear over what Curtis would do to her if he returned and found her alone. The fact that the older boy was probably long gone having been seen outside the room by a teacher, and even if he returned would likely be as unable to unlock the door as Daniel was, did not occur to her irrational state of mind.

A short silence answered her declaration, and she heard him pace a few steps in either direction. "Sam, I'm not sure I can get you out of there by myself," he worried, giving the door another good shake as if to illustrate his point.

Licking dry lips, Sam squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember what she'd seen of the room. The tools had indicated it belonged to maintenance. "What kind of lock is it?"

"A combination lock," he answered immediately. She nodded. Not the most secure kind for the determined thief.

"Is there a screwdriver around, flat head?" she asked. She cocked her head listening as his footsteps receded. Several drawers opened and bits of metal clanked together until she heard a triumphant noise.

"Got one," he announced on return.

"Good. Use the tip to pry off the dial," she directed.

Scraping noises echoed inside the enclosed space. An unexpected clang followed by a muffled yelp, and a curse in Abydonian made her jump.

"Daniel?"

"Easier said than done," he muttered in a tone of annoyance, as scraping resumed. "The screwdriver slipped." Metal protested, and a sudden pop made her jump again, bumping her head on a low shelf. "Got it!" Daniel cried.

Squeezing her eyes shut to envision the mechanism, as well as keep panic at bay, Sam gave Daniel the instructions needed to disable the locking device. It seemed to take forever, though she knew it was only bare minutes before the door abruptly opened, and she was forced to squint in the sudden bright light.

She only got a brief look at Daniel's face, filled with concern as he took in her appearance before she fell into his arms. Gently, he gathered her up, laying her on the floor. Quickly, he removed the rest of the tape from her mouth, sharing a sympathetic wince.

"Sam?" he asked, eyes taking in the state of her clothing and her bound wrists and ankles, the blood and bruise on her face. "Let me see if I can find something to cut that tape off with," he said. "Are you hurt? Who did this? What happened?" he asked, as he propped her gently in a sitting position against the wall, and started to stand to look about for something sharp.

"I'm fine," she said immediately, and then bit her lip, looking down at her knees as she wondered how to explain, when footsteps in the hall made her freeze. Picking up on her tension, Daniel turned toward the door. He motioned for her to stay silent, and crept away, using the workbench as cover. He peered into the hall, and just as a look of recognition played across his face, Sam realized that whoever approached walked with an all too familiar tread. Before she knew it, Daniel was waving in Teal'c, who took in her condition immediately. He'd dropped into a defensive crouch, scanning for threats before Daniel even had a chance to explain. Teal'c relaxed only slightly at the news that whoever was responsible for Sam's condition was long gone and crossed the room in a few long strides.

Kneeling down beside her, Teal'c produced a pocketknife, which he used without delay on the tape about her wrists, before passing the blade to Daniel, to use on her ankles. Daniel was passing the knife back when he stopped, one hand lifting the hem of her t-shirt to expose her abdomen. "Sam?" he asked, concerned blue eyes searching her face.

"Someone didn't want me to talk," she explained quietly. Teal'c made a noise, oddly like a growl, but Daniel's eyes narrowed, and his jaw tightened.

"Your pants are undone, did they…" he began to ask. "No," she said quickly. Daniel's brows knitted together at her hasty response. "No," she said again more firmly, and then looked away. "They were interrupted," she said, unable to meet his eye. "I'm ok," she said. But her hands, trying to close her pants were shaking too badly to get the job done. Wordlessly, Daniel moved her hands gently aside and accomplished the task. Sam realized that more than her hands were shaking.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Daniel's arms enveloped her securely, and Sam bit her lip, fighting back tears as she wound her fists into his shirt. "I'm ok," she repeated, "I'm ok. I'm sorry," she apologized, though disjointedly, she knew she had nothing to apologize for.

"Shhh," he replied, rubbing her back and seeming to need the contact as much as she did. "It's me who's sorry. I should have noticed you were taking too long, and gone looking for you sooner." Sam started to protest, but Teal'c interrupted, having moved to the doorway, to peer out into the hall.

"We should leave this place," he urged.

"Agreed," said Daniel, rising with her still clutched in his arms. "We'll talk later."

"But," Sam protested, still fighting back the emotional response. Immediately, she worried what would happen if someone saw them together, especially the way she looked now. Questions would no doubt be asked.

Daniel transferred her to a more secure position on his hip. Sam wanted to argue that she could walk, but couldn't bring herself to voice the protest. As if sensing her reservations, Daniel gave her shoulder a gentle pat. "No buts, you're in no state to argue Sam, Teal'c is right. I'll call Jack on the way, he can meet us at the base."

"We will not be seen," added Teal'c, as if sensing her concerns.

She sighed, not loosening her grip on Daniel's shirt, and nodded, leaning against his chest. "Ok." Daniel glanced down at her quickly in concern, but then decided they'd have time to deal with events later, and indicated that Teal'c should take the lead.

They met no one on the way out, whether because of their stealth, or the circuitous route Teal'c chose. They reached the back lot where Daniel had left his car with no one the wiser. Tossing Teal'c the keys, Daniel slid into the backseat with Sam. It was probably fortunate that there was no booster seat, because Sam wasn't sure she could release the death grip she held on her teammate. Daniel continued to rub her back in soothing circles. Dimly, as she fell into a fitful doze, she was vaguely aware that the man was softly singing what sounded like a lullaby in some language she didn't recognize, the melodic syllables a liquid music of their own.