Short chapter, but I think you'll understand why :) (and I don't really watch Buffy so no worries that I'm stealing any ideas, except I later found out the term might be similar, but that happens a lot in stories, whatev!) I did however have that idea of a character just appearing out of nowhere from Buffy, but that was the farthest the inspiration went. Okay okay on with the story!

xxxxx

"Well, it appears to be some sort of message board," Daniel informed Hammond and his team after a little over a week of working on the translations.

"What?" Jack spat out.

"I guess it's some sort of mutual meeting place for the Asguard- I think- to leave messages for one another."

"So what exactly does it say?" General Hammond questioned.

"Well, it appears that the Asguard do not all live in perfect harmony. There are different, um, groups with different beliefs, different policies. They are searching for a way to save their race, but they don't seem to have the same morals as Thor and the other Asguard we've met." Daniel furrowed his brow, trying to explain what was going on. "This group speaks of running tests on humans and other species as if they were lab rats. The wall marks their progress in finding the answers they seek. What I can only assume is that most recently one of these groups created somebody or something as some sort of key. They carry secrets of Asguard technology that can be used in harmful ways, so the Asguard High Counsel managed to steal this key. Apparently, as well as being a wonderful weapon this person holds all the information the Asguard have formed on helping to save their race. The High Counsel may be currently hiding them in order to keep the information out of the hands of these bad guys who helped create it."

"Say again?" Jack asked, completely and utterly lost.

"The bad guys made some person basically into a key. The good guys got their hands on the key and they have hidden them for now so that the bad guys cannot use the information to harm anymore innocent people."

"Thank you," Jack nodded, understanding a little bit more.

"What does this all mean?" Sam questioned.

"Well, the 'bad guys' have been trying to track down this… key, and according to the last message a group known as the Gormaan were getting closer. They left the coordinates of their planet. I think we should go there, and find out all that we can," Daniel suggested to the General.

"Seeing as we haven't been able to get in touch with Thor for a while, Sir, I think this mission could help improve our relations with the Asguard," Jack added.

"SG-1, you leave tomorrow at 0800," with that General Hammond said his goodbyes to the team and headed back for his office. He had an odd feeling about this mission, but something told him to let the team go. He scratched his head, wondering when things got so complex.

xxxxx

Sam awoke in the middle of the night to see a dark figure hunched over the windowsill. She walked over to join him, running her fingers down his bare back. "Jack? Are you alright?" He shook his head and she could feel the tenseness in his body. Jack pulled Sam into his arms and it was then she realized that he had tears in his eyes. In a way it scared her to see him so vulnerable. It sent the same shivers of pain as seeing an open flesh wound on his body. "Let's talk about it," Sam led Jack back towards the bed and pulled him down. She lied down next to him, her elbow propping her side up.

"Sometimes it hurts just to breathe. I don't know how I'm going to get through the day… How could I have let myself get like this? Not again, dammit," Jack raised a fist up, "not again."

Sam rested her head on Jack's chest hoping to keep her tears from falling onto him. "I'm so sorry, but accepting Haley was the right thing to do. I can't even begin to understand how much it hurts to lose not even one but two children, but I promise you it's healthier to let out these feelings."

"Everything's so much easier when I force it down-"

"Easier, not safer. I know it hurts, but we all have to go through pain. I promise you I will be here to help you through this. It will get better, I promise you." The two laid still for a few minutes until Sam noticed a small smile starting to appear on Jack's face. "What is it?"

"You're so much smarter than I am," he encircled her in his arms, pressing her head against him.

"You know that's-"

"The absolute truth. And that's one of the many reasons I love you." Sam lifted her head, her blue eyes huge and nearly bulging out. "You heard me," he stiffly smiled.

"I thought you were waiting for better circumstances…"

"I'm beginning to wonder if the circumstances will ever be better. Besides, you promising to always be there for me seem to be pretty good, don't you think?" Sam silently nodded, her eyes softening a bit.

"Well, I love you too," she responded after being unable to come up with anything better to say. Jack flipped her over so that he was now on top.

"What's that? I don't think I was able to hear you," he said before laying kisses all over her neck.

"I love you."

"What? I'm sorry, I missed that. Once more?"

Sam started giggling, "I love you, you idiot!" his lips finally left her neck and met hers.

"Well I think this is cause enough to celebrate…"

xxxxx

The planet of the Gormaan was dark and chilly. It seemed they had been wandering around for nearly an hour now, trying to find some sign of inhabitation. It had taken them a little over a day to travel towards the mountains in the distance. Jack really wished they had sent out a UAV. He trudged along behind Daniel, who was attempting to use the barely visible stars to find his way. Jack stifled a yawn, but Carter was the only one who noticed.

"Up all night again Sir?"

"Something kept me awake Major."

"Oh? What would that be?" Sam was definitely pushing his buttons. He looked ahead to see Daniel gazing at the sky and Teal'c fidgeting with all the navigating equipment Daniel had given him to hold. Jack gave Sam a playful push, but her balance was off and she tripped over a rock, falling back.

Oh shit, Jack thought as he reached too late to catch Sam. Something in front of her shimmered and she disappeared into thin air. "Carter?" Jack called out. "Carter?" Still no response. "Sam?"

Daniel took a few steps towards the site of Sam's disappearance. One more step and he disappeared from Jack's vision. Jack shrugged at Teal'c and the two stepped forward to find out what this thing was.

Jack's first thoughts were of a very fuzzy memory that he still had trouble pulling. It was of an Asguard cave. This time there weren't dozens of the tiny grey guys swarming around him. Then he saw Sam sitting on the ground reaching for her first aid kit. She had a nice little scrape on the front of her hand.

"Geeze, Carter, I'm really sorry."

"If it hadn't been for your complete lack of unprofessionalism we probably wouldn't have found our way in," Daniel stated.

"But can we find our way out again?" Sam asked.

"Let's just take this step by step here. Daniel, let's find this… key and get out of here so we can bring it to Thor and his buddies."

The four wandered through the tunnel until they heard noises. They carefully crept in the direction of the noise until something caught Teal'c's attention.

"O'Neill," he pointed to a corridor that forked to the left and had less light than the one they were in. Daniel and Sam let out slight gasps as they saw humans and creatures that seemed very similar to humans in small cages. They were all enraged with the sight but Jack knew that he couldn't do anything just yet. This was purely recon until they found that key.

"Jack they're caged up like lab rats," Daniel protested.

"I'm sorry, but we can't afford to start any trouble yet. Maybe if we have time we can come back for them, but I'm not making any promises. The best thing we can do is get out of here and send Thor the coordinates. We need to find this key."

There had to be a few hundred of these small cells. SG-1 kept walking until a small sob caught all their attention. "Please, I don't know what you're talking about. Just leave me alone already!" Jack's heart stopped, it couldn't be what he thought it was. He motioned for them all to fall back at the sound of a second voice.

"You are a stubborn creature, but we will break you…" as SG-1 hid behind a nearby wall the sound of the second voice became inaudible. Teal'c placed his hand on Jack's shoulder, hoping that he would not do anything irrational and blow their cover. Light footsteps passed them, the little grey creature not thinking to look down the dark corridor behind him. As soon as he was out of sight Jack ran back to the last cell. Curled up in a ball against the back corner was a girl, sobbing quietly into her knees. No, this can't be. I'm seeing what I want to see, Jack thought as he took a few steps away. Carter reached through the bars of the cell and lifted up the girl's head.

"Of all the places…" Daniel muttered before an idea hit him. "Haley is the Asguard key."