Metamorphosis

After witnessing what happened to Alebran and being aware of the treacherous Nirrti, O'Neill did not want Carter to accompany the team. And although he didn't want them either he had the Russian team as an excuse of more than enough back up. This got her back up - she was going.

Things did not go well.

Coming up from the bowels of the prison Jack wasted his breath trying to convince Wodan and Eggar of the truth. Protecting his goddess, Eggar had looked into O'Neill's mind and saw more than his intent to do away with Nirrti. He looked deeply into the Tauri's mind.

Standing in front of Nirrti, aware of what was awaiting him, O'Neill offered himself up. All he asked was for Carter to be restored to health and the rest of his team to be freed.

"You can do what you want to me." he said.

"Yes I can." Nirrti replied with a self satisfied smile.

To make him more amenable she appeared to acquiesce. "Take him away," she ordered. "And bring the woman and the others."

They didn't want to leave the Colonel behind - he ordered them to go. He asked Teal'c to get his team home. The Jaffa reluctantly took Major Carter from O'Neill's arms and left with Jonas Quinn.

Jack sat in the dungeon for what seemed like hours - alone - trusting a Goa'uld.

They came for him. Again he beseeched them to look into her mind. Eggar, fearing his goddess but needing to know the truth, looked into her mind and saw the startling truth - saw her treachery. Wodan, as soon as he was aware, snapped her neck and killed her Jaffa.

Eggar said "You should go. We will heal our people."

Jack took off running to the gate. Teal'c and Jonas were there with Carter on the ground between them. One look at Teal'c and he knew. He knew she was gone.

He had offered his life and it counted as nothing.

He slowly became aware of Eggar's fingers against his temple. Wodan handed him a vial. "There is still time. Make sure she drinks all of this."

And he took off running, he ran as if his heart would burst. And just as in the vision Eggar had placed in his mind, there they were before the gate with Carter prone on the ground. Kneeling beside her he put the vial to her lips, her fingers grazed his. "Drink it, drink all of it."

Then he sat back on his heels and could breathe again.

"All lose, whole find"

from 'one's not half two.' By e. e. Cummings