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Chapter 14

The lake was serene. Placid and calm, barely a ripple across the surface. He stood on the dock, watching the dark forest on the other side. Movement was barely discernible amongst the trunks, furtive and sly, the whispers were waiting with bated breath for something to happen.

He felt her presence behind him. There was a whiff of floral scent in the air, subtle in its aroma. She came to a standstill beside him.

"I thought I'd have more time." He finally said in the silence. Didn't look at her at all. Wasn't sure if he wanted to at this moment.

"I'm sorry, Jack."

He finally turned to her. Blond hair. Blue eyes. Familiar in every sense but the truth.

"Why do you look like her?" He asked. His hands hanging by his side. His body somehow numb.

"You gave me this form." She said in the end. "She means something to you?"

He looks away from her. To the forest and the whispers that were waiting. He finally nodded. What else was he going to say to her that knew everything about him already. He swallowed his fear, his Adam's apple moved up and down with the motion. She reached out. Put a gentle hand on his face, turning him so that he had no choice but to look at her. Her eyes were alight with a hidden fire. Drawing him in.

"It has to be this way." She said. Took a step closer, closing the gap between them. He took a ragged breath. Fear was making his knees go weak.

"Please." He wasn't sure where that came from. He wasn't used to begging. Used to voicing any of his fears. Not even Anubis had managed this from him.

"It will be like going to sleep, Jack. It's not going to hurt. I promise."

He finally reached up. Pulled her hand from his face. Held on to her wrist. "There has to be another way." He said. She took another small step. Was inside his personal space and oh so close that he could feel her chest move as she breathed. She shook her head. Tilted her forehead so that she touched his. Her eyes mesmerised from this distance.

"Jack?"

He took a deep breath. Knew there was no more time. She seemed to read his answer in his face for she leaned forward and then she kissed him. Her lips were soft. Caressing. He parted his mouth. Felt her as she deepened the kiss. Her hand was behind his neck. Caressing his hair. A voice inside his head encouraged him to let go. To allow her in.

He swallowed a sob. Ignored the tears that seemed to have sprung from nowhere. At that moment he knew her name. She opened herself to him. Allowed him to see her. See what Anubis had done.

And with it came the understanding. Off all the times she had waited for him here since the first time he had dreamed of this place. Of what she had done to protect him as much as she could from Anubis. That even as he had been the boy, she had been Sam inside his head.

It was confusing as hell.

Kebechet was gentle. Murmured to him that it was going to be okay. That he will still be there. That she won't take what hasn't been freely given.

Let go, Jack.

It was the boy's voice. His own voice. Both different yet the same. Encouraging. He felt small fingers curl into his. It felt similar to Charlie. Too many memories there that he didn't want to surface. Didn't want to be pulled apart and seen.

He was aware of her. Aware of the boy. Aware of the Others. Aware of the whispers.

He remembered long ago Sarah talking to him about faith shortly after Charlie had died. About letting go. It had been futile then. Even as he contemplated ending it all, his control hadn't slipped.

Faith.

She ran her fingers through his hair. Her lips resting on his. Waiting for him. He came to a decision. Reached for her and as he completed the kiss, he stepped over the proverbial cliff and let go.

"Jack?"

A hand was shaking his shoulder. He managed to open his eyes, to find Carter hovering over him. For a moment he was confused, his memories and dreams intermingling while he tried to find a semblance of balance.

Jack

Her voice was inside his head. It was a pressure that he couldn't quantify. He reached up, gripped the sides of his head and curled into himself. He was nauseous. The light was too bright. Sam's voice grated. He squeezed his eyes shut, slammed his hands over his ears as he tried to find his equilibrium against everything.

Let me.

He shook his head. Trying to fight it but Kebechet was gentle. Insisting.

Jack. Let me.

Fine.

He gave control. Felt she switched sides with him. The light dimmed. The noise lessened and he heard Carter gasp. Stumbled away onto her backside as she looked at him with fear. His body rose effortlessly. Daniel was bending over Sam, helping her up while Teal'c studied him.

"Who are you?" Daniel asked, having pulled Carter to her feet. Both of them are standing next to each other.

"I am Kebechet. Daughter of Anubis and Anput. Granddaughter of Nyphtys and Osiris. Daughter of the Nile. Murdered by my father."

"O-okay." Daniel clearly didn't seem to know what to do with this.

"Jack is fine." She said, in his voice. "He's still here."

Daniel ran a hand through his hair. Blinked behind his glasses. Sam's eyes narrowed, her lips thinned and he knew she wasn't convinced. Teal'c gave a brief bow of acquiescence. Seemed to take this all in his stride.

This isn't going to work. He said to her.

It's the only way, Jack. You know that. We need to work together. Stop my father from unleashing hell.

Why are you doing this?

I told you.

He shook his head. Managed to wrest his voice back and all he managed was a pathetic – No.

"Jack?"

But the pressure of maintaining control was too much. He let go. Allowed her to take over again. A passenger in his own body and it grated.

"We don't have much time." Kebechet said. "My father is consolidating his power. It won't be long before he is ready."

"Uh, ready for what?" Daniel seemed a little lost. He had seen that look before. "I don't understand."

Sam tilted her head. He could see her thinking. Her eyes widened. She took a step closer. "I don't feel a symbiote."

He felt his lips tuck into a smile as Kebechet answered her. "I'm not …Goa'uld."

"Then what are you?" Sam asked. Kebechet didn't get a chance to answer as Merlin appeared, stepping from behind Teal'c, greeting her. Arms outstretched, a grin on the older man's face. His body stepped forward. Embraced the older man. Gave the man a kiss on both cheeks. "Myrrdin. Good to see you, old friend."

"How's the Others?"

She shrugged his shoulders. "Same as always. Not much has changed there."

"And Oma?"

"Concerned."

"Hold on." Daniel stepped forward. Interposed himself between them. Glared at Merlin and gave him a cursory glance. "You knew this would happen."

Good Daniel. Keep asking those pesky questions.

You were right. He's smart.

"Of course. That's the whole point." Merlin said. "I needed Jack because I needed her."

"But she's not Goa'uld." Daniel speculated. Turned to him. "And you're talking about the Others. Oma…" He paused. His hand came up. Swung in the air. An invisible orchestra was playing to his thoughts as he voiced it out loud to those who stood around him. Silently, Jack was cheering him on. "…the ancient machine…you said can only be used on a willing host. Implying that the machine was a conduit?...Jack has the ancient gene and we know that the ancients ascended…a way to circumvent those pesky rules the Others had applied on noninterference."

Daniel stopped pacing. Met Kebechet's gaze that had been steady on the archaeologist. "You're ascended."

"Very good, Daniel." She said.

"I don't understand. You're goa'uld. Not Ancient."

"So is my father."

"Oh. Right." Daniel almost looked embarrassed.

"If it makes you feel any better, Daniel. I didn't agree with what my father or the rest of them did. I would be considered Shol'va to them."

"A traitor?" Teal'c spoke for the first time. "I see."

She inclined Jack's head. A bow of respect at the Jaffa that had Teal'c raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"Why here? Why now?" Daniel asked.

"When Jack stepped up to the ancient device, it unlocked dormant genes so he could be utilised as a host. My father wanted him to open Pandora's box. If Jack did it, Anubis could ascend without interference from the Others. Without interference from Oma. He could use Jack as a host. Move freely between the plains. Utilise his knowledge he'd gained on the higher plains without fear on the lower plains. He would become …unstoppable. The Tau'ri will perish. Anyone else who opposes him will simply be …exterminated. His rule will be absolute."

"Okay."

"This is the only time where he would be vulnerable. If we steal the box, he can't ascend."

"What does Jack say in all this?" Sam asked. "Does he have a voice?"

Jack felt her as she stepped aside. His head dipped and when looked up, it was with his own eyes.

"I have a voice."

Oh man. He was sounding like Daniel on a bad day.

"Jack?"

"Oh, for crying out loud, Daniel. Yes. It's me. Sharing my head with a woman nonetheless. Sorry, Carter. Nothing against women per say but man – you guys have a lot of things going on."

Carter looked shocked and then she smiled. "Yes Sir."

"Jack. You can call me Jack." He turned from her to Merlin. "And she doesn't trust you either, buddy. Just so you know."

Daniel tried but failed to hide his smile. "Uh, Jack. You seem a little more …you?"

He sighed. A headache was starting. A Daniel sized one. Usually right before the man made his life difficult with pesky diplomacy issues where a gun would've worked just as well.

I can make it better.

He debated it briefly. Wondered if he should just grin and bear but in the end he acquiesced. Might just as well take advantage of it while she was in his head. He raised his eyebrows at Daniel.

"I'm always me, Danny. Well, except now but mostly …uh, me. So, who's up for little B&E?"

They were back in the common room. Kebechet was in the driving seat. It made sense. She was the one that had intimate knowledge of Anubis' ha'tak and his private quarters. Between her and Teal'c, they had sussed out troop movements. Had discussed Jaffa placements. When guards were likely to change.

When the best time would be to enter the quarters and steal the box.

It was something out of a movie. Jack felt excited. Suddenly all he had suffered at the hands of Anubis didn't seem for nought. He had saved his team then. Had endured and not given in. Hadn't opened the box even if he didn't quite understand why.

Are you always this focused before an op? She asked him. He thought about it. Couldn't refute it. She chuckled in his head. The sound wasn't unwelcome. He found that he was starting to get used to a shared living space in his head. To be fair, she'd been living in his head ever since he stepped up to the ancient device. He just hadn't really been aware. Focused on surviving Anubis. On keeping his sanity in check.

It had been easier when he'd been with Oma. It was a bit harder afterwards when he realised his memories weren't going to magically disappear. But he'd been there before. Compartmentalisation worked wonders. Had helped him survive his captivity in Iraq. Sarah had helped afterwards. Now…now there were more. His team, he knew would be there.

Why aren't you with her?

He was taken aback by the question. It had come out of left field. Not anticipated.

Who?

Sam. You like her. A lot.

Okay. He didn't quite know what to make out of this.

Uhm. That's private.

Just saying. I get now why you made me into her at the lake.

He frowned internally. Remembered the boy's words when he suggested he talk to Sam about the lake. Remembered Sam's confusion when he had asked her. She had never been to the lake before.

Wrong Sam.

Oh…oh. A few more things suddenly made sense.

What is so special about the house by the lake? He asked her. He felt her smile.

Right question. Wrong time.

She pulled his attention back to the map. To finalise a strategy. By the time supper came around, they had a working plan.