Season 7 Episode 21 – Lost City Part One

Episode summary: SG-1 find a repository of Ancient knowledge, and plan to try to extract it for study. However, their position is compromised, and they have to destroy it to prevent it falling into Goa'uld hands … but Daniel says they can't just let it go, and Jack downloads the knowledge into his mind once again.

Disclaimer: I've used a couple of lines of the original episode dialogue in this. I am in no way claiming this as my own.

Author's note: This is an alternative to the scene when she goes to his house to talk to him about what he has done, because obviously Sam wouldn't be quite so circumspect about it in my new timeline. In fact … she's pissed.

Jack jumped when there was suddenly a pounding on his door.

Not knocking. Pounding.

"Alright, alright …"

He opened it cautiously, not at all surprised to see his 5 foot 9, blonde visitor.

She glared daggers at him and pushed past him into the house, and his eyebrows shot up; she had a right to be pissed at him, but still … Carter didn't usually resort to blatant insubordination.

"Do come in." He said to her retreating back, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"What the hell did you do?" She asked in a monotone, her voice shaking with the effort of controlling her emotions.

"Carter, take it easy. It's going to be fine."

"No. Don't you dare use that excuse. You can't just throw your life away and expect that it will all turn out fine. This time you crossed the line."

"You think I screwed up the timeline?" Jack asked incredulously. "This is the one time I'm actually certain I didn't. I hesitated before I did it because I was worried about the timeline, but I realised that if I didn't know about all that future crap, I would absolutely have done it. I'm certain."

"What if you were supposed to hesitate because of your knowledge of the future and then not do it?" She asked furiously.

"Wouldn't that be a paradox?" Jack asked.

"How are we going to fix this?" She asked, almost hysterical. "The Asgard almost never respond when we try to contact them, and when they do they're usually late. You've only got days."

Jack walked the few steps to reach her and put his hands on her shoulders, pleased when she didn't back away or shrug him off. "Sam, breathe. We've been in worse situations than this. You have to trust that we'll figure this one out too."

Sam closed her eyes briefly, visibly calming down, but when she looked at him again she was still glaring with fire flashing in her blue eyes.

"Maybe when you get access to the Ancient knowledge you'll come up with a way to save yourself." She suggested with a sigh.

Jack forced a smile, and patted her shoulder before releasing her. "There you go. Think positive."

Sam sighed again and sat down on his couch. "I could murder Daniel."

Jack blinked. "Why?"

"This is his fault, if he hadn't been so passionate about getting access to the knowledge that he was ready to stick his own head in that thing …"

"It's Daniel, it's in his DNA. Of course he wanted the Ancient knowledge." Jack sat down next to her. "I just hope it's worth it."

Sam looked at him sharply, shaking her head. "Even if we do find the Lost City … even if we get there and find exactly what we're looking for to defend the planet –"

"That … would be worth it." Jack cut her off.

She shook her head, looking crushed. "Not to me."

He held her gaze for a long moment, wondering not for the first time why she valued him of all people so highly.

"It's going to be fine." He said again. "Just trust me."

She sighed and sat back next to him, sinking into the cushions. "So what now?"

"Now, I'm going to drink a lot of beer, and watch a hockey game I recorded a week ago and haven't had the time to watch yet." He cocked his head at her. "Want to stick around and join me?"

She smiled a little. "Sure."