AN Like I said, I'm into this story atm and the last chapter didn't have much substance to it. Lots of dialogue. Anyway, here's the next.

Chapter 13 -

It seemed to Jack that they had been crawling through service pipes between the floors of the institute for hours. His pesky watch however, told him it had been only ten minutes.

Daniel slumped unconscious over Teal'c's back as they crawled. He had woken briefly when they had taken him from his pipe and Jack was glad to hear him complain about being woken. Much more his usual self.

Roan lead the way, pausing now and then at intersections. Jack felt like a character from Startrek, constantly resorting to crawling through tunnels to solve any problem. Several long minutes of crawling later, Jack was sure Roan was lost. Perhaps it had been premature to place his trust in the man but if he could help them get out then...

He turned his head to mutter to Teal'c as their guide considered another choice of two directions.

"Teal'c, have we been in this bit before."

"I do not believe so." Roan glanced back at them before heading of down the left hand pipe.

"There! See? I'm sure I've seen that grey square panel before! Or at least...one that looked very similar... it had...edges -- just like this one." He was interrupted by a knocking sound that echoed in the confined space and made made him jump, smacking his head on the grey square panel above his head. Rubbing his bruised scalp he turned accusing eyes on Roan who was looking just a bit sheepish.

" Sorry—this is it."

"You're sure?"

"Yes Jack."

" Ok well--" He waved at the bolts. " -melt it already."

" No need, they are still undone from the last time I was here."

"Wait a minute—I thought you said you hadn't used the stuff before now."

" I haven't—last time I stole a bolt-cutting tool."

" You've escaped from here before?"

" O'Neill!" Looking back, Jack saw Teal'c's somewhat pained face, dripping with sweat. The archeologist's dead weight was no small burden and their combined body heat could not have been helping the big jaffa.

Roan hurriedly pushed the broken bolts loose and dropped through with surprising agility. Jack followed and turned quickly to take hold of Daniel as Teal'c lowered him. He settled the man down on a heap of foam squares, testing his temperature—too high-- and trying to coax a little of the water from one of the ready-meals down his throat.

Teal'c dropped from the hole in the ceiling taking the water Roan offered him but only drinking a little. Jack noticed that their new friend seemed much less afraid of SG1's resident bodyguard than when they had first met.

"What is our plan O'Neill?"

Jack considered for a moment

" Roan, You said that the marshals think this place is locked up. It hasn't been opened for years?" He waved vaguely around the store cupboard they sat in.

" It hasn't and it is in an area of the institute which is not often used. Only for storage."

" Right then, We stay here till nightfall, then we try and find Carter. If Danny's a bit better, we'll take him, if not, one of us can stay here and the others can bring Carter back here."

Teal'c was uncomfortable with Jack's apparent ease with the situation. It was unlike him to decide on a plan with such gaping holes in it. They had no idea where the major was, whether they could get to her or how they would then get out of the institute without getting the attention of the many armed guards.

"O'Neill--"

"We'll figure it out T. We have to. It's this or...well--"

He didn't mention the alternative since it wasn't much of one anyway and Teal'c, realising the truth of this fell silent.

SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1

"Fifty four bottles of beer on the wall. Fifty four bottles of beer - take one down; pass it around---"

"What's beer?" Jack stopped bouncing the chunk of rubber hose up and down on the two by four he had found and turned to Roan. Instead of answering, he did his best Homer Simpson impression.

"Mmmm...beer..." Roan edged away from Jack slightly, where the man sat on the heap of foam beside Daniel. Teal'c watched Roan's disturbed look and Jack's apparent fascination with his makeshift toy. His gaze shifted to Daniel, who seemed to have finally woken up and was rolling his eyes at Jack's back while the other man was blissfully unaware that he was being mocked. Faced with the sight before him; in an unusual show of humor, Teal'c burst into laughter.

Jack dropped the rubber hose and stared at Teal'c, wide eyed, thoroughly convinced that his friend had finally lost it. Daniel couldn't help laughing at Teal'c which drew Jack's attention to him at last.

"Daniel!" He clapped the man on the shoulder, making him wince. "Sorry—you're just in time. In about ten minutes we're going on a Carter hunt." His words made Daniel look around the room quickly.

"Sam—where is she?"

" She went back to that Hidin' creep."

"Hyden."

"Whatever."

"Why?"

"To help you."

"What!? He could do anything to her!" Daniel's eyes showed the fear each of them felt about what the governor could do to Sam. The atmosphere quickly sobered down.

Jack cleared his throat, forcing the lump back down in order to talk.

" So, how're you feeling?"

"Uh—better. I have some energy, not much. Breathing still hurts like a bitch, I think my head may be slitting in two and I feel like I'm sitting in a sauna. Other than that..." He shrugged.

"Think you can walk?" Instead of answering, Daniel began struggling to his feet. Teal'c moved to help him and once he was standing let go. Daniel Smiled for a half second before crumpling to the ground again, breathing heavily.

"Maybe in a bit. I could do with some food." He took a couple of bites from the dry cracker before slipping into sleep again. Jack sighed.

"Roan, You know your way around here. Let's get going."

SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1

Sam was now deep within the the labyrinthine corridors of the institute, with two unconscious guards in her wake and one of their stun guns in her hand. Following a path she had decided on while hacking into the plans on Hyden's computer, she moved out of the main corridors and into the storage area. If she was going to break the guys out they needed supplies.

She made her way down the correct corridor, checking the labels on the doors as she went until she came to a corner and heard a voice.

"Check in here. This might have what we're looking for."

Crap! Had news of her escape already got round to the marshals? She readied the weapon in her hand and spun around the corner quickly firing three times into the dark before ducking around the opposite wall.

The stun guns were not loud, she could not be sure that she had been on target but the resounding silence that filled the dark corridor told her she'd hit her mark. Rising to her feet she rounded the corner, moving down the corridor cautiously to avoid tripping over any unconscious guards.

She didn't have time to yell as a strong arm covered her face, smothering her. Her right arm was pulled sharply to her side and came into contact with a solid knee, making her drop the gun in her hand. She let out a groan of pain before her training kicked in and she bit down hard on the arm over her mouth before quickly throwing her head back hard into the the face of her captor. This was followed by a quick elbow in the ribs which weakened the man's hold enough for her to spin and swiftly jerk her knee into his groin.

"OW! Holy shit, for the love of god!" The voice was instantly recognisable What? What the fuck was he doing here?

"Sir!?"

Jack squinted up in the darkness from where he stood stooped nursing his bruised pride. I have to be hearing things!

"Carter!?" She settled her hand on his arm. "What in god's name are you doing here!?"

Her response was decidedly sheepish but she sounded as though she might be trying not to laugh.

"Rescuing you Sir."

"Christ, you could've fooled me." Yeah, now she was definitely laughing at him and he wasn't quite ready to forgive her yet. Not after what she'd done. He stood up straight.

"Something funny major?" She caught onto his tone. It stung her that her joy at finding him again had to be tainted by what she had done. She had known he wouldn't be happy but her relief when she realised who her supposed 'attacker' was drowned out the nagging little voice that told her she had disobeyed orders. His orders. She had never done that before. She did however know that she would do it again, without hesitation if it meant that Daniel was alright.

"No, sir. Nothing funny. How's Daniel?"

"Fine. Come on, get in here, grab some of this food." Sam moved to the open doorway to a store room the colonel had obviously been in the process of raiding when she shot at him.

"Roan? What are you doing here?"

"Samantha!" The small man impulsively hugged her. Jack entered behind her as she stared down at the top of the bald man's head in utter bewilderment.

"Nice reunion, but do you think we could concentrate on the matter at hand Carter?"

"Yes sir." Sam blushed furiously as Roan pulled away, looking embarrassed.

SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1

Daniel looked up at the pair of them in shock as they entered. Jack had a nasty bruise over his nose and was limping slightly. Sam was carrying food under one arm, while cradling her right arm, with her sleeve pulled up showing an angry red and purple swelling where Jack's knee had struck Dodgy knee my ass!

"What the hell happened to you two?"

"O'Neill, were you attacked?"

"Yeah T, actually I was. Fortunately --I won!" Jack was positively spitting. From the moment he was sure Sam had suffered no ill effects from her day with Hyden, he had withdrawn and allowed his anger to simmer under the surface for the whole time the three of them had been making their way back. Her little reunion with the bald guy hadn't helped much. No wonder he was so willing to help us, since he and Carter have a nice little repartee going.

Sam was immediately at Daniel's side.

"We managed to get hold of some medical supplies and Roan found our vests. They'd been chucked in storage with a bunch other stuff confiscated form testers."

Sam quickly administered a painkiller, carefully making sure she didn't give him enough to make him drowsy. Teal'c began checking and passing out vests and weaponry. Jack was glad to get his P-90 back and clicked the safety on and off a few times to get reacquainted.

"Right. SG1, Roan, Carter" Jack added as though it were a footnote. "Let's move out. Carter you know the way to the exit right?" Sam pointedly ignored his insult and the shocked glances Teal'c and Daniel directed at her.

"Yes sir."

"Good. I want to be into the woods outside the city by day break."

Daniel paled.

"Jack. I'm not sure I can go quite that fast."

"Well then, when you get tired, the major here will give you a piggy back."

Sam said nothing. She knew Jack was punishing her for disobeying orders. It was proper military practice, but she knew that the work that came with the SGC; SG1's close friendship and the situation they found themselves in would, normally have deterred her commander from this unspoken dressing down.

He obviously had another bone to pick with her and would get to it when he felt good and ready, or when Daniel and Teal'c gave him a talking-to. Until then, she would just have to deal with all the shit he threw in her direction, try not to trip up and above all, not question his motivations.

Zipping her vest up and shaking her self comfortably into her military persona once again, Sam set out past him to take point without meeting his penetrating gaze. This was what they did. This was how things worked. They were soldiers and right now they had a damned hard journey ahead of them and only her knowledge of their prison would get them safely out of here. The last thing they could afford to do was to get emotional.

AN Oh dear, can't have them getting emotional about things can we? Geez, aren't you guys lucky? Two chapter uploaded in one night (except it was really one chapter split into two). Please let me know what you thought.

On another note, I have a muse. It's quite dark, very angsty. Post apocalyptic - AU. I don't want to tell people too much but it's SJ (eventually) and I'm not quite sure I want to try and take on something too heavy, especially since it would mean other things were updated less regularly. I was just wondering what people's response would be...?