Alternatives

Chapter VIII: Something About Her

Based upon Stargate: SG-1

Rating: PG - T (for mild language, nothing more)

- JOR - Based on the Season 6 episodes "Frozen" and "Abyss", takes place during and between said episodes-

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No. No. No no, no no no. No. I'm not going to do it. You might as well stop asking, Carter. I'm not going to let them put a snake in my head. Are you nuts?! I don't care if he has the vital information the Tok'ra need to defeat the Goa'uld. I don't care. They're not gonna put one of those things in my head.

I don't care if it's temporary. It's not happening. No.

Jack really wished he had the strength to say at least some of what he was thinking. Unfortunately, he didn't. His protests went unheard.

If it's either Jack 'Snakehead' O'Neill or Jack 'Six-Feet-Under' O'Neill, I'd take six feet under any day.

Come on, Carter, just let me die here. I had a good run. Especially the last five years. You have been great -- I mean -- you as in the team. I love you -- all of you guys, I mean.

He opened his eyes just enough to see her, which was a mistake.

Oh, come on, Carter. Crying is cheating! Don't cry. Damn it.

No. I'm not caving on this one. No snakes. You can let those perfect big blue eyes cry all you want, but I'm still gonna say no. You just stand there and cry and I'll just lay here and die.

Carter! You're killing me here with the crying! You know what? You keep crying and I'll just let you kill me and then you won't be able to put a snake in my head. Ha! What do you think about that?! Yeah, I found the loop hole in your little 'Cry to get the Colonel to do anything' plan. I am so on to you.

"Sir, please."

Damn it. Jack's mind fumed. Damn you, Carter! Damn you and your little blonde head. You are just . . . I can't believe you . . . For crying out loud!

He made some almost unperceivable affirmative and she smiled, turning up to the observation lounge, she said, "He'll do it."

Damn it, Carter. You are killing me. Killing me!

You know, if you knew that you could make me do anything by saying 'please' and batting your eyelashes, maybe shedding a cute little tear or two, I would never be in control again. Oh, who am I kidding? You know already, don't you?

That's what that little smile was about. You know that you can make me do anything, don't you? Don't you? Yeah, your silence only confirms my suspicions. I am so on to you, Major, so on to you.

She stayed near him for most of the time when they were prepping him to be shipped out. To be snaked. So he kept his concentration on her, what little of it he had, cursing her the entire time.

He was mildly aware of the 'gate activating. Carter put her hand down to him, but it was stopped short by something. She was resting her hand on something. What the hell? It took him a few moments to realize that he must be in a hazmat pod. However, he lost interest when she smiled. He saw her lips move, but he couldn't hear the words. Well, maybe he did hear her words, but he wasn't processing them.

She smiled.

Damn it, Carter! I can't believe you talked me into this. Two words! That's all you needed to talk me into this! Two words! 'Sir, please,' he mocked her in his head. You have got to be kidding me! That's the oldest trick in the book. And it worked!

There's something about you, Carter. Something that wraps me around your little finger, just like that snake is going to wrap around my spine; controlling me in every way. Damn you, Carter!

- . - . -

Kanan felt awful sitting in his new host. Just plain awful.

For starters, they gave him just about the sickest, closest-to-death host they could find. Good job with that, by the way. But his host's condition was not the only thing affecting his mood.

It was Shallan.

He had left her behind. He couldn't believe he left her behind. Why the hell did he do that? She had betrayed Ba'al because she loved him and he simply left her behind. He hadn't cared about her, as if she had just been a tool, a piece of equipment.

Leaving her behind -- leaving her to Ba'al's mercy -- was one of his worst nightmares, but he couldn't figure out why.

It hadn't bothered him at the time. He remembered making the decision and being more than okay with it.

But now . . .

It must be his host. Kanan knew that it must be his host's fault. He had never felt this way about someone before. He had cared for her, that was true. But now . . .

There was something about her.

There was something about her that made him feel like she could say anything and he would do it. All she would have to do was say 'please,' or perhaps bat her eyelashes.

Damn her!

She had complete control over him and she probably didn't even know. If she had known, she might have asked him to take her with him. And he wouldn't have been able to tell her no. If he had said no, she might have cried and that would have simply killed him.

He wouldn't have been able to bear tears from those beautiful eyes. He thought of her smile and how he would have much preferred to say 'yes' and see her smile. A smile that was the light in the darkness and stretched from ear to ear; innocent and pure, breath-taking and perfect.

Damn that little blonde head of hers!

She had complete and utter control over him.

Well, that decided it. He had to go back for her. He couldn't leave her to Ba'al. Not only because he knew that he shouldn't have left an ally behind, and not only because he needed to protect her, but because he didn't know what he was going to do without her.

There was just something about her.

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