Title: Dichotomy pt7

Rating: FR-M

Spoilers: Abyss, Reckoning pt2, Ex Deus Machina

Summary: Part 7: They were System Lord and Tau'ri, male and female, yet perhaps they were more alike than they had imagined.

Feedback: Just click on my name, and you're done.

Author Notes: Sam/Baal pairing. I took the premise of Ba'al being on Earth from Ex Deus Machina and my muse is responsible for the rest. You've been forewarned about the pairing, too, so don't shout at me! (Hides under bed.)

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Dedication: For Sarah, always.

Dichotomy pt7

Copyright (c) August 2006, Ruth

O

"How else do you get what you want?"

"…I don't…"

"Then perhaps it is time that you started."

Their conversation still played through her head as she tried to sleep, needing to shake the feeling of exhaustion which had overcome her. What had he meant? Why had he not reacted in the way she expected; sarcasm, superiority, mirth, violence? He positively … understood. That was something which was going to take a while to get used to.

Of course, the possibility of an elaborate subterfuge remained lodged at the back of her mind; she wouldn't put it past him to play with her mind and her feelings until she opened up to him, providing him with information. And, she thought, a shudder running through her, whatever else it was that he wanted.

Still pondering that particular question, Sam fell into an uncomfortable sleep.

O

He ran his fingers gently through her hair, pulling it back from her face so that he could look at her, uninterrupted as she slept. Placing a brief kiss to her forehead, a smile broke out on his lips as he thought of the grief she would have given him for that, had she been awake.

This was the only time when he was able to enjoy her presence, regardless of what separated them; their race, their beliefs, their homes. Despite these differences, their dichotomy, they were instinctively whole and the attraction between them was undeniable.

It exasperated him, but at the same time it fascinated him; he longed to learn more about her, more than the purely physical desire which grew stronger in him by the day. His fingers paused at her collarbone, examining the bruise which had formed there; probably when she had activated the gravity manipulation field.

Truthfully, he had always held a degree of admiration for her. The only human females he had ever experienced before had been spineless, weak creatures, only too willing to divulge the secrets of their brothers, fathers, and husbands in order to escape capture. Samantha, on the other hand, had given him very little to go on - much less to actually put to use. Still, her revelation from earlier had occupied his mind for some time.

She didn't get what she wanted.

He found this difficult to comprehend; a woman of her strength, spirit, confidence and life would surely have everything at her disposal, everything that she wanted. Apparently not. He found it difficult to believe the sadness that he saw in those eyes, the tears that she had tried to hide from him. It was a side of her which he had never seen before, completely at odds with the proud, strong woman who had faced him over the ancient weapon at Dakara, daring him to comment.

He watched the slight rise and fall of her chest, finding some relief in the knowledge that she was sleeping. She would, at least, be the cause of no further distractions for a few hours. That left him enough time to think about how to approach her when she awoke, whether to restrain her or let her free, but the latter thought made him burn with jealousy and fear, two emotions which he would never admit to.

Jealousy; if he released her she would return to the SGC among the men he so despised; Teal'c, Jackson, Mitchell, O'Neill… It was only now that he recognised a part of his hatred of the Tau'ri stemmed from her; his desire to possess her, to make her his own, to take her away from them.

Fear; fear that she would expose him and his operation on Earth. However, this fear had been fading fast, he had other worries. Fear that she would reject him, completely and utterly, leaving him alone for the rest of his life. True, it wasn't as if he needed anyone to rule alongside him - in fact, he hated the very idea; he alone would rule, he alone would hold power. He had come to learn, however, that power didn't always provide him with what he wanted.

Perhaps they were more alike than they had imagined.

O

He must have untied her in the night, as she sat up on the bed and looked down at herself. Her clothes were rumpled and dirty, she'd been wearing them the night he captured her at O'Malleys and had no idea how long that had been. What she really needed was a bath, a long, hot bubble bath. She groaned at the thought of it, hugging her arms to herself. Yes, that would be perfection itself.

"Are you in pain?" he asked softly, causing her to gasp as she opened her eyes. She hadn't heard him come in, he moved silently but gracefully and sometimes it took her breath away. He had changed, and was now wearing robes of black, with small jewels sewn into the material. He looked magnificent, that she could not deny, and it scared her to think that this was a System Lord, her enemy, who was making her feel this way.

But what was she feeling? Her head was still sore and her brain more than a little so; she had not slept or eaten properly for days and was in desperate need of a bath. As such, she wasn't really in charge of her emotions and they ran riot through her, as she desperately tried to regain a modicum of control over them.

"No," she answered eventually, ignoring the irrational and frustrated part of her brain which had taken a great deal of interest in those powerful legs, covered with the finest black leather which seemed to stretch for miles. At their end was a pair of strong boots, which curiously made very little sound on the polished floor.

"What is wrong, my love?" he asked, sitting on the end of the bed, so close that she could smell him. It was some sort of cologne, dark and musky; she struggled to put it to the back of her mind before she answered him but he was like a drug, one infinitely more effective than that which he had put into her wine.

"You seem…tense," he continued, shifting closer to her on the bed, close enough to touch her. As his fingers made contact with her cheek she only just succeeded in stopping the groan which rose from deep within her, emitting a soft gasp instead. She tried to turn away from him, to remove herself from his arms; but he was so strong, so warm. She was frightened at the part of her that didn't want to, the part of her that was desperate for him to make his move, to put an end to this torment which he had started by taking her from O'Malleys.

"Please…" was the only word which slipped from her, so soft that he barely heard it.

But he did. And it threw him into turmoil. If she was… but then was she? How could he know, when she so obviously had no idea of herself? He was desperate to touch her, to hold her against him.

His lips descended onto hers and she made no move to stop him, welcoming his touch, his attention with the energy of one who had been starved of affection, of passion, for what seemed like an eternity. She knew instinctively that he had, too, and it was another bond which seemed to draw them closer together across the void which separated them.

Sam had not felt so happy in months; she realised, and no longer felt the need to restrain herself as his hands slid to her waist, marvelling at the toned expanse of skin he found there. She smiled against his neck and bit him there, gently, marvelling at the powerful sound which escaped his throat.

Pulling back for a moment, she looked into his eyes and knew that she was lost.

Hopelessly.

She was in love with a monster, a demon who had wished the death of her friends, though apparently not herself, on many occasions. The worst part was that she could not stop herself, could not keep these feelings inside, locked away in the darkest corners of her mind where they belonged.

No. She had let them out, let them escape.

Now all hell was about to break loose.

O

To be Continued…

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Author's Note: It's getting hot in here…so please send me reviews! I always appreciate and reply to constructive comments. Many thanks for all those received so far. See you next chapter!