Part II: Sadness

Jack and Teal'c haul Daniel through the gate by his forearms and as the scientist materializes on ramp in the gate room he is still screaming, "—an't just leave her here, Jack!"

He looks startled when the sounds of staff weapon fire are replaced by the echo of his voice in the cavernous concrete room.

General Hammond's voice booms over the loudspeaker, "SG-1, report!"

"The son-of-a-bitching-snake-bellied-mother-fucking-pain-in-the-asses have her, General. Major Carter's been captured and compromised."

The iris slides closed behind the men.

"Briefing room now, Colonel. Your med-evals will have to wait."

In the briefing room Hammond allows the men a few moments to compose themselves. Jack paces in an uncomfortable arc around the table. Teal'c fidgets restlessly until George worries the man will break his own fingers. Daniel is a mass of sucking sobs that turn his face a deep magenta and his eyes a brilliant and watery pink.

"Pull it together, Daniel," Jack barks.

"I can't believe we just left her there. She's…god only knows what…Jesus, Jack!"

"Major Carter is a formidable warrior, Daniel Jackson. She will not share any of your secrets with Votan or his Jaffa."

Daniel stares at him aghast. "I can honestly say that was the last thing on my mind."

"Unfortunately, not on mine, Doctor Jackson," Hammond interjects. "Colonel O'Neill?"

"Well, it's not exactly the most pressing concern I have at the moment."

"Your report, Colonel," Hammond badgers gently. He knows where the priorities of Major Carter's team lay; he needn't the reminder from each corner. What he does need to know, however, is what happened between a fairly innocuous report from SG-1 thirty hours ago and only three-quarters of his flagship team stepping through the gate.

"We don't have time for this, General. Every moment we waste here decreases the chances we'll be able to rescue her."

"Votan is more likely to keep her alive for the…entertainment value…she'll provide to his troops than he is to kill her, O'Neill."

The color drains from Jack's face.

"Are you saying—"

But Jack cuts the General off. "I told you she'd been compromised."

"I didn't know you meant…" and George finds himself unable to complete the sentence.

But Daniel continues the thought with reprobation, "that she'd been raped? Repeatedly? And that was just during the time we used to mount our rescue? That we have no idea how many times it's happened since we decided to leave her there?" Daniel flashes hot eyes at Jack.

"I'll remind you to watch your tone, Doctor Jackson. I'm not unsympathetic to the situation and you know me well enough to know that."

But Hammond may well have not even spoken because the end of his sentence is nearly obscured by O'Neill's incensed outburst, "You think I wanted to leave her there, Daniel?"

Daniel flies to his feet. "You're the one that ordered us out of there. You're the one whose name she was screaming for help. And you just walked away."

Jack's eyes go steely and lurches in Daniel's direction; his pointing finger stops inches from the younger man's nose. "You of all people should understand what that cost me." He makes a quick glance at Hammond as if he's said too much.

He has. But then again, it's not like he's providing any new information. George Hammond is neither blind nor stupid. What he is, though, is hopeful and he's always hoped things hadn't gone too far between O'Neill and Carter.

"Gentleman, the events of the last thirty hours, please."

Jack listens attentively as Daniel recounts the story of the festival to which the inhabitants of PX6-432, who refer to themselves as the Votani, had issued SG-1 an invitation. On the heels of a two-day recon mission that had been extended to a two-week wait-out-the-weather trip, the festival had been both a welcome change of pace and an irritating delay in SG-1's return home.

But George had heard all of this. He already knew all about the invitation to the festival that, once begun, would ensnare his team for four days – it was that very invitation the Colonel had dialed in to inform him of just thirty hours ago. What he doesn't yet know is, "Doctor Jackson, what happened between the start of the festival and only three of you returning through the gate? Colonel, what happened to Major Carter?"

But it's Teal'c who answers the questions: "Votan arrived."