In their next mission, the environment was still tense between three of the SG-1 members. And unfortunately for them, planet PX4-270 was completely different from PX2-981. As soon as they left the gate area they were surrounded by the local inhabitants and taken prisoners. Who were very surprised to find out that one of the strange warriors that had come out from the Big Ring was a woman. Sam was set aside from the men immediately despite the loud protests from Jack and Daniel.
After a long walk through a dense forest, Jack, Daniel and Teal'c were thrown at a cell. It was situated deep in the heart of the cave system, accessible only by a winding, treacherous path through the rocky terrain. It was constructed entirely of rough-hewn stone, with jagged edges and irregular surfaces that reflected the harsh, unforgiving nature of the underground environment.
Jack had noticed that the entrance to the cell was a narrow doorway, reinforced with a thick metal bars that were set into the stone frame. The bars were cold to the touch and gleamed faintly in the dim light of the cave, providing a stark contrast to the rough, earthy textures of the surrounding rock.
Inside the cell, the walls were bare and featureless, with no adornments or furnishings to provide comfort or distraction to the prisoners. The floor was hard and uneven, with small protrusions and cracks that made movement difficult and uncomfortable.
In one corner of the cell, there was a simple metal cot, with a thin mattress and a scratchy woollen blanket. A bucket served as a toilet, while a small shelf on the opposite wall held a meagre supply of water.
Teal's inspected the cell very carefully and concluded that despite its stark and inhospitable nature, the cell was well-constructed and secure with no obvious weaknesses or vulnerabilities. The metal bars were tick and tightly spaced, making escape or outside interference all but impossible. In the stillness of the cave, the only sounds were the occasional drip of water from a nearby stalactite or the faint scratching of a rodent in the darkness.
"Did anyone see Carter?", Jack asked kicking the metal bars.
"Not since they separate us", Daniel said sitting in the cot and removing the blanket to one side.
"Fuck!", he cursed out loud, kicking the bars again.
"I believe your attempts of breaking free will only serve to injure your legs, O'Neill", Teal'c said seeing Jack kicking the metal bars hard.
Jack passed a hand through his hair. Strangely they had taken their weapons but they were allowed to keep everything else. Their tactic vests, boots, rations, bottle of water. And despite Daniel's attempts to communicate with them he had only managed to understand the words "female", "male" and "priest". Jack hadn't like that at all.
"I can't see shit", Jack said looking through the tightly spaced metal bars.
"I think we just have to wait", Daniel said in a resigned tone.
Jack looked at him furious.
"And in the meantime they are doing God knows what to Carter!", he yelled.
"I'm as worried with Sam as you are", Daniel said.
Their discussion was interrupted with the sound of feet on the floor and a light approaching them. Suddenly the cave door opened and Carter's body was thrown inside. Jack, who was the closest to the door, caught her before she felt in the ground. She was unconscious.
"Help me here Teal'c", he said as he gently grabbed her head.
Teal'c picked her up and put her on the cot. Someone had taken her tactic vest and jacket. She only had her undershirt who was ripped in several places, her pants and her boots. Her face looked unarmed but she was very pale.
"Is she alright?", asked Daniel in a concerned voice.
Jack was kneeled next to her, gently moving his hands around her body. She didn't seem to have any broken bone and there was no visible blood but until she woke up they had no way of knowing what they had done to her.
"Here O'Neill". Teal'c hand him a cloth soaked in water.
Gently Jack put it in her head.
"Hey Carter…", he tried.
She didn't move. He discretely picked her hand and caressed her cold fingers.
"Come on Captain. Time to wake up".
Her body suddenly jerked and she started to fight Jack hitting him on the jaw.
"GET AWAY! GET AWAY FROM ME!", she yelled trying to get up from the cot.
Taken by surprise, Jack felt to the ground. It was Teal'c that gently but strongly grabbed her hands.
"Easy Captain Carter! You're no longer with your captors. You're with us. It's Teal'c", he said trying to calm her down.
Sam looked at him with a surprised expression and stopped fighting.
"Teal'c?", she asked blinking several times.
"Yes, Captain Carter. You're safe now", he said.
"Yeah, Carter. You're with us", Jack said getting up and moving again next to her.
"Sir?", she asked trying to sit up.
"Easy Captain", he said helping her.
Sam sat on the cot and looked around.
"Where are we?", she asked seeing the cave and the metal bars on the door.
"Ah…in a cell. Not very nice but not the worst we've been", said Jack looking at her.
"How long have you been here?", she asked looking for the first time at her ripped shirt.
Jack noticed her fingers going through the holes in her shirt and took his vest and his jacket immediately.
"Here, put this on or you'll get cold", he said handling her his jacket.
Sam took it but didn't put it on.
"Sir?", she asked confused.
"Put the jacket on. It's an order, Carter", he said putting the vest over his shirt again.
"Yes, Sir", she obediently put the jacket on and crossed her arms. She hadn't even noticed how cold she was.
"One day tops, Sam", Daniel said coming closer and sitting on the cot with her.
"Oh…I lost track of time. I think I was drugged", she said rubbing her eyes.
Jack took his water bottle from his vest and gave her.
"Here drink. Clean your system", he said.
She did as he said.
"What do you remember, Carter?", he asked as soon as she finished drinking.
She started to play with the water bottle, avoiding his eyes.
"Not much, Sir. When they separate us, someone put a hood over my head so I couldn't see a thing. I know we walked quite a bit and the terrain was rocky. I slipped a couple of times and they grabbed me. Ahhh… Then we must have entered some kind of building because there were bright lights and I was seated in some kind of bench…" Sam stopped talking.
The cell fell into silence.
"Take your time, Captain", Jack said in what he hopped was a smooth tone.
"Someone took my vest and my jacket…".
Sam was now twisting the water bottle with such force that she had her knuckles white. Jack wasn't liking where the conversation was heading.
"Did someone attack you, Carter?", he asked very slow.
She kept her eyes down but Jack could see the tears gathering.
"It wasn't your fault, Carter. But I need to know what happened", he said very gently.
"Yes, Sir", she said clearing her throat.
Daniel gave her a gentle shoulder bump to cheer her up.
"We are here for you, Sam", he said.
"Indeed", Teal'c confirmed.
Sam moved some hairs from her face trying to put herself together again.
"Right. Like I was saying, they took my vest and my jacket and they tried to take my shirt too. I started to fight them at that point. I suppose that explains the ripped shirt. Suddenly someone took the hood but I couldn't see anything because it was too bright. There was a lot of shouting from men and suddenly I heard a woman's voice. Suddenly everything went quiet. A man with some robes started asking me questions. But I couldn't understand him. I had no idea what he was talking about. He kept insisting", she said.
"They have a strange language. It's a derivation from Latin, French, English and something that I've never heard before", Daniel said.
"I could only understand that clearly they knew I was a woman. And you were men. I think he was trying to ask me if I belong to any of you but I'm not sure", she said blushing a little.
"Oh that actually makes sense. They were very surprised when they found out that you're a woman. In this type of societies woman don't usually travel without their husbands. You might be right, Sam. They were probably wanted to know if you were married to one of us or single", he said with a smile.
Jack looked at Daniel with a puzzled face.
"Why are you smiling?" Do you think this is funny? What they made Carter go through?!", he asked in an annoyed voice.
"No, no. No obviously not. I'm saying that if that is their problem we just have to say that Sam is married to one of us", Daniel explained.
"Excuse me?!", Sam asked looking at Daniel like he was insane.
"Listen guys. Things around here don't work like in Earth. We are probably dealing with a patriarchal society that limits the autonomy and freedom of women. In such a society, women are expected to be dependent on men for their safety and security, and their mobility is often restricted to the domestic sphere. So for Sam's safety she has to be married to one of us or they might force her to marry some guy from here", he said in a serious tone.
The three of them looked at Daniel in silence.
"It's a pretence marriage, guys. It's not like Sam has actually to marry any of us. We just have to say she is married. We lie, guys", he explained.
"Okay, I can do that. I can lie to these assholes", Jack said shrugging his shoulders.
"Sam?", Daniel asked looking at her.
"Well, I supposed I can say that I'm married…", she said blushing.
"So volunteers…?", Jack asked looking at the other two men.
"I'm already married", said Teal'c.
"Well, me too, Jack", Daniel said.
Jack turned to his very red Captain.
"So Carter it appears you're left with just me. Sorry. We're married", he said smiling.
"All right, Sir", she said biting her lip.
Daniel got up from the cot.
"One word of advice. If indeed this is the case of Sam being single or married, you might have to act a little more…". Daniel cleared his throat.
"What Daniel?", Jack asked annoyed.
"Married", he said very fast.
"We cannot, Daniel. We've rules to prevent that", Sam said looking at her CO.
"Well, I suggest that while we are in here in this planet… Prisoners… That you put that rules a little aside and pretend to be married if we want to get Sam safe out of this. Otherwise things might get ugly", he said.
Jack and Sam exchanged a long look. Finally, Jack decided to take the initiative. He was the CO after all.
"Very well. For the sake of one of our team members we'll overlook some rules that apply on Earth. Since we aren't on Earth let's say those rules are temporally suspended. I'll pretend to be Carter's husband and she'll be my wife for all those assholes out there. If we've to do anything that goes against our frat rules, you have my permission to do so, understood Captain?", he asked looking at Sam.
"Yes Sir", she simply said.
"Okay, so we just have to wait for them now", Jack said sitting on the floor.
They spend the rest of the night by shifts with the exception of Sam. She didn't tell them the rest of the story and Jack decided not to press her for more details. He could find out latter. Now they had to get out of there. All of them. With her safe. That was his top priority for the moment.
In the morning there was movement outside the cell. The guys moved instinctively around Sam and Jack took her hand, putting her behind him. Teal'c was the first facing the door.
A large man in blue robes opened the door. He was carrying some sort of weapon that looked very much like a pistol but more advanced technological. Silently he pointed to Sam. Teal'c didn't move. The man pointed the pistol to Teal'c's chest.
"Hey", Jack said moving Teal'c aside. "I'm in charge. What do you want?", he asked still holding Sam's hand.
The man noticed the gesture and took two steps back outside the cell. Apparently there were more people there. It was too dark to tell from where they were. But they could hear the voices.
"Anything Daniel?", Jack asked in a low voice to the archaeologist.
"Something about woman with man, not alone, plan, mistake…I can't understand most of it, just loose words", he said frustrated.
"Okay, you stay with me all the time. Understood, Carter?", he said squeezing her hand.
"Yes Sir", she said in almost a whisper.
The man with the blue robe entered the cell again this time pointing the pistol to Jack.
"What?", he asked.
The man pointed to the corridor.
"You want me to leave? Fine. I just have to do something first", he said hoping his 2IC wouldn't freak out with what he was about to do.
Gently he pushed her hand to his body and when she was close to him he just whispered "Play along, Carter". Then he put one hand in her neck and kissed her in the mouth. First just brushing his lips over hers feeling her body growing tense but then her mouth opened to him and she kissed him back. Jack was so surprised that he opened his eyes while the kiss kept going…and going.
Until Daniel cleared his throat. Sam, blushing bright red, took one step back, looking at the floor.
"Right, let's move on with this", Jack was finally able to say, still tasting her in his lips.
That had been a goddam hell of a kiss.
The man with the blue robe left the cave and Jack fallowed him, giving one last look to his blushing Captain. She was still looking at the floor but Jack noticed she was smiling. Oh! Right.
He received a shove in his back forcing him to move forwards. The corridor wasn't long but the floor was irregular and Jack tripped once and a while. Until they reached a bright room with a bench. Like Sam had described. What she didn't say was that the room had also a large wooden table full of strange metallic instruments. Very bad looking metallic instruments. The room had no windows and he could just see another door, opposite to the one he just had entered. It was closed.
He was forced to sit.
"Okay, I'm sitting", he said looking around. There were at least six men in the room. All with robes of different colours. They looked around mid-thirties, with the exception of the blue robbed that was still pointing the pistol to him. He was older. Maybe fifty. His air had some whites in it.
Someone frisked him rather roughly while two of them kept his hands firmly held behind his back. When the idiot that had frisked him appeared satisfied, the pistol was put in a colder, inside the robe. The other door opened and a woman with a bright red robe entered the room alone. All the other men bowed. So she must be someone important.
"Man", she said looking at him.
"Yes, that's me", Jack said with a smile.
"Woman", she said picking Carter's jacket that someone gave to her.
"Yes, she's mine", Jack wishing he could move his arms and point to him.
"Woman", she repeated.
Jack tried to get free but the others were too strong.
"She's mine, lady. We're married, okay? She belongs to me!", he said trying to make her understand.
She looked at one of the man and said something that Jack couldn't understand but he left the room in a hurry.
"Woman", she said again.
"Jesus, can't you say any other word?", he asked rolling his eyes.
Suddenly the door from where he had entered opened again and the man that had left appeared with Sam by his side.
"Carter! Are you okay?", he asked concerned.
"Yes Sir", she said as she was made sit next to him.
"Sure? No one hurt you?", he asked lowering his voice.
"No Sir", she said looking at the woman in the red robe and swallowing. Shit!
"Woman", she said again and both looked at her.
"Why does she keeps repeating that?", asked Jack looking at his 2IC.
"I don't know, Sir", Sam said looking at the stranger woman.
She turned her back to them and started looking at the table. Sam closed her eyes. This wasn't happening again. Please, no. Not in front of her CO!
The woman turned back to them with something in her hand. It looked like a super-sized tampon.
"Carter what the hell is that?", Jack asked alarmed.
"I rather not answer that question, Sir", she said feeling the first beads of sweat in her forehead.
"Carter…", Jack was looking at her and he could see she was terrified.
"Hey, red lady. What the fuck do you want?", he asked trying to divert the attentions to him.
The woman looked at him with a puzzled look.
"Yeah that's right. You deal with me and leave her alone. Me!", Jack said trying again to get his arms free.
The woman put the instrument back on the table and Sam sighed in relief. Then she approached them and pointed her two index fingers to each one of them, slowly joining them.
"Now you get the picture! We're together. Married. She's my wife!", Jack said seeing finally some progress.
The woman looked at Sam with suspicious eyes.
"Carter, you better start showing more enthusiasm with our marriage", he advised through his teeth.
Sam took a deep breath and smiled to the woman in the red robe. Then she slowly moved her head towards Jack and with the little movement liberty she had, kissed him again in the mouth. This time Jack was prepared and kissed her back properly. They only broke because they run out of air to breath. They were both flushed and breathing fast.
The woman was looking at them with renewed interest. She said something to the man in blue and he gave some instructions to the men holding them. Who got them up and moving to the door where the lady in red had entered. Sam and Jack entered in a corridor completely different. It was all in marble, from top to ceiling with chandeliers and flowers. They were escorted to a door that someone opened and them dumped in a room. Someone locked the door.