Mission Impossible
medical intermission
Summary: Sam's sick and the boys have to go on a mission alone. An old 'friend' pops up unexpectedly.
Oh God I feel sick. Gonna hurl. Again. Whoo ya. Sleep now. Need sleep.
"Sam? Sam? Come on, sweetheart, wake up, you've got to drink something."
No, go 'way. Wanna sleep. And hurl. Aw crap.
"Jack, we need Jan here. This has been going on too long now. I don't know what to do for her. Please Jack."
"Yeah, Daniel, I think you're right. If this was food poisoning it would have stopped by now. Teal'c, can you run off to the Land of Light and put Operation Home Visit into action?"
"I will leave at once, O'Neill."
Good, yeah, wan' Jan here. My baby's sweet but he's not a doctor. Not that sort anyway. Shut up brain, want to sleep. And hurl. Aw crap, not again.
"Jack, she's throwing up blood now; we must be at the stomach lining for cryin' out loud."
We? What's this 'we'? It's only me throwing up. Sleep? Please?
"Uh huh, angel, you've got to sit up and drink this water. Come on, please. Don't want you dehydrating."
Why? It would be so much quicker than death by chunder.
Daniel looks exhausted. He won't leave her side except to take a leak. He won't let us look after her either. Don't know why.
"Daniel, let me stay with her. You need to sleep."
"I'm fine, Jack. Look, Sam hates it when you guys see her in a vulnerable position, kinda like... well, she..."
"Kinda like you?" I ask, in what I hope is a gentle tone. I know Daniel all too well. Sam and Janet are the only ones he lets near him when he's feeling ill. Injured is one thing - ill is something else.
Teal'c's gone. We were afraid of something like this happening at some point so we planned for it. When Jan gets the message she'll head to the Land of Light and Teal'c will bring her here. Tuplo will give her the code and all the symptoms so she knows what to expect - I hope. If this doesn't work, we'll have to get Jacob here.
Trouble is, we're supposed to be going to pick up the message for the new mission today - soon in fact.
"Daniel, I'm going to have to go and pick up the mission details."
"What? We can't go on a mission, Jack. And you can't go and pick up the details on your own. No way am I leaving Sam."
"No, you can't. But I have to go. SG-1 are already off-world. They won't have got the message to not leave the briefing. I have to go, babe. Nobody else can be allowed to see the information."
His shoulders slump as he accepts what I say. Damn. I should have thought of this before sending Teal'c off. I'm tired too. Even though Daniel's the one that's been staying with her, we've all been up and about and watching over her. I'm just not thinking straight.
I kiss his cheek and reluctantly leave.
I have reached the Land of Light and now I must quickly head to Tuplo. Despite us already having an agreed code for the SGC in case of medical difficulties, until recently we were not sure how we would implement the plan. Tuplo, fortunately, agreed to help us out on my last trading visit here - after Daniel Jackson's injuries on the mission to kill Petrocus, we were concerned about just this sort of thing happening so we needed to improve our plan as a matter of priority. We just did not think it would be needed quite so soon. We told him the details of our mission and he promised faithfully to protect us. We believe that he will.
I have arrived. Memnon, one of the guards that I know well has come to greet me.
"Memnon. I must speak with Tuplo. It is a matter of great urgency."
He nods and runs away. I wait until I see Tuplo come and then head to him quickly.
"We need you to call the SGC," I tell him after he has greeted me. "Major Carter is sick and we need their doctor to come and visit. Do you remember the procedure?"
"I do. Come, let us go to the ring. Memnon - run to my home and get the calling device."
He is talking about the GDO that his people were given so that they could contact the SGC. We start to make our way to the chappa'ai, Memnon will have to run to catch us up.
"What are her symptoms?" he asks.
"She is sick. She has a fever and cannot stop vomiting. She has been like this for thirty-six hours, a day and a half. Nothing we do for her is bringing down her fever and she cannot keep anything inside her. The others are very worried about this. They thought it was food poisoning."
He looks at me strangely.
"That is a condition brought about by eating food which is either not prepared properly or beyond the time in which it is safe to eat. Certain meats on Earth carry diseases in them, which when they are cooked well disappear. If the meat is undercooked it can encourage the growth of the bacteria - the cause of the sickness. But Major Carter has not eaten anything that we have not as far as we know. None of us are sick. It is most perplexing."
"I will relay the information," he says, "and I hope that Dr. Frasier can help her. Major Carter is a good friend to the people of the Land of Light."
We hear a set of fast footsteps behind us, and heavy breathing. It is Memnon with the GDO.
"Here," he pants. "The calling device."
We thank him and he sits down while we continue towards the chappa'ai.
I've just got the call I've been dreading. Tuplo came through and said his niece was sick. His niece is the code for Sam. Her symptoms sound like a sickness bug, but for so long? I don't know. And with alien bugs, it's never as simple as it looks.
Anyway, I've packed up everything I think I'll need. Hammond knows to let me go alone. He's citing the fact that I'm going to a 'safe' planet as reason to allow it. When the General's new second, Colonel Monkewitz, started to complain about me being unaccompanied, Tuplo acted offended and then said that he wouldn't allow a man anywhere near his virgin niece. He's proving to be a wonderful ally. We were so glad when Jacob came through and told us the plan to use them in emergencies.
So, the General has agreed to look after Cassie for me, I've got my stuff (and some treats for them) and I'm on the ramp. I hate gate travel, but here goes.
Brrr. It's so cold. They tell me that it take about a dozen trips before you get used to this. I've easily done that. Perhaps it's the distance of time in-between the trips that makes a difference. I think I'll look into that. Anyway, where's Teal'c? It's so dark here I can barely see my hand in front of my face.
"Dr. Frasier."
Ah, there he is.
"Teal'c. Good to see you again. Or it would be if you'd get close enough for me to actually see you. Come on, let's get to Sam, shall we?"
"We shall. It is good to see you again too."
We thank Tuplo and Teal'c is dialling up. Time to freeze my nipples off again... We step out onto a beautiful world.
"Wow. It's gorgeous. You guys should build holiday homes and rent them out; you'd make a killing."
Teal'c raises an eyebrow at me. "Why would we want to kill holiday makers?"
I miss him.
We're heading for... transport rings. Great. More tech. Still, if they're keeping safe...
"Daniel Jackson, we have arrived," Teal'c calls out.
"Oh, thank God. Jan, please, come quickly."
We run down the tunnel to where Daniel's voice is coming from. Oh God, he looks exhausted.
"Daniel, when did you last sleep?"
"Oh, I've been looking after her, Jan. I sleep when she does. I'm okay, just tired. She's not well at all."
"Go, eat, drink, sleep," I tell him, looking at Teal'c to make sure that he takes him. He's so tired that Teal'c has to lift him up.
"Go on, let me check her out, Daniel, I'll come and see you soon."
He nods and then makes his way out, giving me a quick rundown of what he's done before Teal'c removes him.
Now then, Sam, what have you got?
I'm shattered, but I'm not going to bed until I've heard from Jan - and Jack.
"Teal'c, Jack went off to pick up the mission briefing on his own. Could you go and dial up and send a VCD through please? Just check up on him for me, will you?"
Teal'c looks at me and then actually smiles a bit.
"Are you trying to take O'Neill's place as the mother hen, Daniel?"
"No, I couldn't - he's way too bossy for that to happen. I, I, just, I..."
"Need one less thing to worry about?" he asks kindly.
"Yeah, you know me well, Teal'c."
"I too am concerned about them both. I shall leave at once."
"Thanks, my friend, I appreciate it. If he's not there, call me. You're not to go through the gate on your own, okay?"
He inclines his head and then departs. I need a coffee. Perhaps Jan will want one too. Come on, come on. Why is it coffee takes twice as long to make when you need it in a hurry?
There - it's done. A quick one down the throat, and now the second one to make sure the first one has a chance to work. One for Jan... there. Into Sam's room and...
"Jan? Coffee."
"Thanks, Daniel. I thought I told you to sleep."
"I will, when Jack gets back. Teal'c's gone to check up on him. He went to pick up the mission brief on his own."
She nods, knowing just how worried I am.
"What's wrong with her, Jan?"
"I'm not sure. I think it's just a bug - maybe something she ate. I don't know though. I'll stay with her until she's better, that's for sure, but if she hasn't improved in the next few hours, I think we should call Jacob and see if he can help her. I've given her some stuff to stop the vomiting, and here's an IV with fluids - the usual dehydration replacement stuff."
I love Jan when she's like this - no medical terms that I won't understand, no medicine names, just telling me what it's doing. I can cope with that.
We sit on the floor and wait and watch over Sam. She's sleeping peacefully now, her temperature has dropped, hopefully she'll be over it before long.
"She scared us, Jan," I confide. "We tried to keep water in her, tried to keep her temperature down, but every time we got it under control, she'd start again. Just because she's looking better now doesn't mean she's going to stay this way. We were so afraid that we'd lose her."
Jan holds my hand and squeezes it.
"I heard you died again, Daniel. You really have to stop doing that, you know."
"I don't do it on purpose, Jan," I chide, but her eyes are sad. I pull her into a hug.
"I miss you guys so much," she says. "Cassie was devastated when I told her."
"How is she?"
"Getting better about it. She understands why, doesn't blame you or anything, but she misses her family."
"We miss you and her too, Jan. I know this place looks like paradise, but it's hard for us. We wish you could come and live with us. But we couldn't ask that of you or Cassie. She has a future to look forward to. She's more or less guaranteed a job at the SGC, given that she's a living Goa'uld detector," I joke. "No matter what she trains as, she'll be able to work there."
"How are things between you and Jack, now that you can be together, I mean."
"Wonderful. We still argue, but nothing like as much. No big fights or anything. Sam and Teal'c have been great about us so that helps."
"I'm happy for you, angel, it's about time you could be together without censure. The General sends his regards, by the way, says that he'll send some more of your books on the next SG-1 trip out."
"Thanks, Jan." I yawn. "Sorry, just tired."
She nods in understanding and then pulls me into her arms. This is nice - and I'm sleepy. Wish Jack would hurry up.
So much for being worried about me. Daniel's fast asleep on the floor of Sam's room, his head on Jan's lap so she's making the most of it and stroking his hair.
"Did you slip him a Mickey?" I ask with a grin.
"No need, he was exhausted, poor thing," she whispers back.
I lean down and kiss her cheek.
"Missed ya."
"Missed you too," she replies. "It's not the same without you guys at the base, it's too damned quiet. So, did you get the mission briefing?"
"Yeah, I did. Took me a while to find it this time. Haven't looked at it yet though - guess I'll do it in a minute."
"Daniel made some coffee," she tells me.
"Like that's a surprise. Do you want us to move him?" I ask, pointing to my unconscious honey who's snuggled up even closer to her.
"No, he's fine for now," she says kindly. "Unless you're jealous?" she adds with a grin.
"Oh no, I'm sure I can trust you both, at least while he's sleeping. How's Sam?"
"Quiet. I think it's just a violent bug - if that's the case she's going to be okay soon, but wiped for a couple of days. If you do go on the mission, she can't go with you."
I nod in understanding. I kinda figured that one out anyway.
"I'll go get that coffee. You want anything, Daniel's got a comm on his wrist. We got Jacob to turn the various devices into a single piece of jewellery. It means we don't have to carry anything - and it just feels like we're wearing a watch on both wrists."
She looks down and I show her the gold-coloured metal and point out the comm. We didn't want the devices looking like Goa'uld or Tok'ra, so they're all incorporated into a chunky bracelet. We can operate the comms, the rings and the VCD with them.
"Neat," she agrees and I leave her to it. A quick look back as I leave the room and I see her looking down and smiling softly at Daniel, stroking his hair again. It's only now are we going to realise just how much our coming here has affected others too.
I pour myself a coffee. Teal'c's sitting across the table from me and looking at the mission briefing.
"We need to do this, O'Neill. It may alleviate our current situation."
Oh? Let me have a look. Another auction? Not a slave one, thank goodness. For technology. Ah. An alien race, quite probably thieves by the looks of things. They sell tech to the highest bidders. There's something the Tok'ra are interested in, but they can't afford to go there and be seen. We've been given lots of the multi-planet currency - those gems we were given before - and told to get the tech at any cost.
There's a description of it - it's a healing device, in essence like a sarcophagus, but without the soul-sucking side effects. For once, the Tok'ra are giving us lots of information. Trouble is, the auction is tomorrow. We have to get this, don't we?
"So we go without Sam," I say.
"You also go without me, O'Neill."
"What?"
He hands me another piece of the briefing. Crap. No Goa'ulds allowed. So, the Tok'ra couldn't have gone anyway. Shit. I think I need to wake Daniel up and get him properly to bed. He's going to need to wake up refreshed and not with a crick in his neck.
"Teal'c, come and help me get Daniel to our bed, will you please? I think he's going to need to have a proper sleep."
"I will. Then you must follow him. It is starting to get late now, O'Neill and you will need to be up early."
"Yeah, you're right."
"I know."
Daniel Jackson is now in his bed, O'Neill will join him soon. He is just rereading the mission briefing. Now he has finished and he stands.
"I'm gonna look in on the Doc and then I'll hit the hay."
"Why would you wish to assault straw, O'Neill?"
"It means 'go to bed', Teal'c," he replies with a sigh. I knew that.
I follow him into Samantha's room. Doctor Frasier is still sitting by her side. I have an idea. While O'Neill talks to her I go to my room and retrieve the mattress that is on my bed. I rarely use it, but they insisted that I have it for my own comfort. I believe it makes them feel better if I have it.
I take the mattress to Doctor Frasier and lay it on the floor next to Samantha's bed.
"Doctor Frasier, you will need to sleep. I will fetch you some covers."
"Thank you Teal'c. Tell me, how are you coping with all of this?"
"It is most interesting, Doctor Frasier. I also feel that we are accomplishing more than we were before."
O'Neill bids us both goodnight, I fetch the blankets for the Doctor. It is now time for my kel'no'reem.
Ugh. How did I get in here? Doesn't matter. Got a head as thick as a Goa'uld's ego and as dull to boot. I'm shattered. Don't feel like I've slept at all. Think I need coffee. Then some more sleep. I feel like I was drinking all night and I didn't have a thing. I hate that.
"Hey Daniel, you're awake."
"Yeah - hush Jack. Eyes are open but the brain is still pushing out the Zs. "
"I'm not even going to ask, the coffee's already on. You need to wake up, oh Genius. You and I are going to do the mission on our own."
"W.w.what? I thought MIA was a four-man team, Jack. Ach - tell me in a minute. Just help me up and point me in the direction of the kitchen. I've lost my bearings."
"As long as you don't lose your marbles."
I'm too fucking tired to even answer that one. Ah, coffee. Lots of coffee. Uh huh, no, Jack, this is my pot. Go find your own. You want me awake, it's going to take this much I think. What hit me last night? Was I drugged?
"No Daniel, you were just very, very tired and you slept heavily, that's all."
Second mug is going the way of the first. Ah ha - coherence is nearly upon me.
"Okay - what's the briefing, Jack? And why are we going alone?"
He passes on the information. The Tok'ra must have known about this when they asked us to do it. Bastards. Are they trying to get us killed or something?
"Daniel, it's only a tech auction," Jack encourages.
"Jack, it's a tech auction, granted. However, the mission is, 'Bring us this piece of tech by whatever means are necessary'. In other words, if we can't buy it, we have to steal it. Whatever else we are, Jack, you and I are not thieves."
He sighs in response to that. It's true, after all.
"Anyway, c'mon, we have to go," he says. "Get dressed. Just stick your Tauri get-up on - we don't have to pretend to be anyone in particular."
Okay, that suits. Jeans, T, sweater, sneakers, jacket - yeah, that will do. We look in on Sam, who's still sleeping. Teal'c will watch over the girls for us, Jan's asleep on a mattress next to her. I don't mind leaving Sam quite so much now that Jan's here.
"We're hoping to be back tonight," Jack says, "but it all depends on how the mission goes. Give us sixty hours and then you can come looking for us."
Teal'c agrees and we leave.
We step through the gate and onto a planet which looks like a contradiction. These people are technologically advanced, but there is a more primitive air to the whole set-up. My mind goes back to the Star Trek characters, the Pakled. Technology gatherers, but not necessarily able to either use it properly or able to fix it when it goes wrong. So why the auction? Perhaps if they find more than one of something they auction it off? Don't know. We're going to have to find out more about them I think.
The instructions said we had to register to bid, so we find the place to do this.
"It will cost you," the clerk says. He tells us how much and we tell him to get stuffed. Then he makes a more serious offer. We ask to see proof and discover that this one is the correct cost. Jack pays him (we use assumed names) and we have our right to go and inspect the goods.
The race is called the I'krell, telling me nothing whatsoever. They are human, but a mix of Earth races. Driven by greed by the looks of things. I have no idea how they got here. There is no sign of Goa'uld activity, which could be why they are adamant about there being no Goa'uld allowed to bid. Or it could be something completely different. I just don't know and that is very frustrating.
Daniel is not a happy camper. He can't get a handle on these people at all, and neither can I. It's not doing much for our tempers, that's for sure.
We've looked at the various goods for sale, trying to look as unenthusiastic about everything as is possible to do. We've found the healing thingy (it's got a name I'm not even going to try to pronounce) and it's still in the sale, so this part of the mission is on. If we don't get it though, we're going to have to think on our feet.
It's not as big as a sarc. What it looks like is a pole with a basketball ring minus the net on it. I'm guessing the ring moves up and down to heal. It's a bit thicker than a basket, but not by much. So, hopefully we'll be able to carry it. We're trying to show little interest in it - don't want to encourage anyone to think that we want it, the price will rocket.
The reserve price seems steep to me, but what do I know about intergalactic exchange rates? Jake once tried to explain to me in terms of the gold reserve at home, but I kinda lost him at Fort Knox. Basically, I know how high I can bid (Jake said in the briefing papers that it's the equivalent of over a million dollars, so I'm feeling rich). It might not be enough. If that's the case, we're going to have to steal it.
So, Daniel and I are currently casing the joint.
"Security is high in the sale room," he tells me - in the Ancient's Latin just to make sure we're not understood.
"Yeah. We'll have to take it outside."
We do that, looking at the back doors where the goods are likely to come out. Again, high security.
"Where are the ships, Jack?"
"Ships?"
"Spaceships. Or the transport rings to get people on and off the planet?"
Good question. One to which I do not know the answer. Let's go find out then, shall we?
Teal'c woke me up with a cup of coffee. I so miss him and the guys it's unbelievable. He sits by my side, drinking juice which he tells me is made from one of the local trees, a cross between a grapefruit and orange to taste and looks like a plum. He gives me a sip. Wow - that's sharp, but refreshing. I'll stick with the coffee for now though.
"Would you like some food, Doctor Frasier?"
"Not just yet, Teal'c, thanks. And call me Janet, please?"
"I shall try to remember," he says with what can only be described as a smile. Will wonders never cease?
"What's it like being here with the boys? Now they can be themselves I mean."
"They are amusing, most of the time. I have never known two people more devoted to each other than they are, that is for certain. They do not flaunt their relationship in front of us, though on occasions they have been... demonstrative."
"Is it a problem?"
"No. Not at all. They do not exclude either Samantha or myself, neither do they look for special privileges. Though they once had a two-day break at the Goa'uld pleasure palace. I believe it was necessary when they did it. O'Neill certainly seemed much better when he returned. They even thought of us when they were there and sent us gifts back. No, their relationship is not a problem to us."
"Is it a problem to them?" I ask, curious about his choice of words.
"You are aware that Daniel died on the last mission."
"I am."
"O'Neill remained at the side of the sarcophagus. If Daniel's healing cycle had not finished by the time the room was engulfed in flames, O'Neill would have died in the fire. They will not leave each other."
"I was afraid of that," I sigh. "But at least they can be together now. It must be a blessing in disguise, being here I mean."
Teal'c nods his head and we are about to say more when Sam makes a noise.
Oh God I feel lousy. Daniel? Where are you?
"Hey Sam, Daniel's not here at the moment, sugar, but I'm here for you."
Jan. Hey Jan. Good to see you. Or would be if I could open my eyes. Feel sick again.
"Okay, sweetie, I'll give you another shot of the anti-nausea drug. Just lie still, honey, let it do its job."
Okay. I can do that. World's going black. Ah world's light again.
"You with us again, Sam? That's good."
Thirsty, very thirsty. What's that? Straw. Good. Ah, cold water. Hmm better. Oh God gonna hurl again.
"Damn and blast. The drugs aren't working. Perhaps they haven't had time to do their job. Hang on Sam, try to keep still and you won't upset your stomach so much."
I hate being sick.
So, no ships allowed in the system, eh? Therefore everything must go through the gate. At least that gives us a chance to set up an ambush if necessary. The auction's in two hours' time, so Daniel and I are currently eating at some inn or other and discussing our tactics.
"I have no idea what to do, Jack. The people here give me the creeps. They're so commercially minded, it reminds me of Christmas at home."
"You hate Christmas, don't you?"
"I hate the fact that a religious time, one of the most important days of the Christian calendar has been turned into an excuse to screw harassed parents for excessive amounts of cash for crap faddy toys that fall apart by the next day. I hate the abuse of such a sacred day."
"You're not religious, Daniel," I point out.
"True, but I respect anyone's right to worship. Any god that doesn't ask to kill in his name is not so bad. And if you read the texts, God doesn't. The prophets might..." his voice trails off, not really wanting to get into a theological discussion. However, he does add, "Of course, anyone pretending to be a god just to subject people deserves to be disposed of... by any means necessary."
The grimace that accompanies that statement makes me grin.
It's time to go into the auction. We find a place by a wall, visible from the point of view of the auctioneer, but not too obvious. Some of the characters around are not too pretty. Our lot is number #49, so hopefully it won't take too long.
"Don't enter into the bidding too soon," Daniel cautions. "We don't want to look too eager."
"You've been to auctions before?"
"Oh yeah, mainly small country ones. How do you think I got a lot of my furniture?"
I thought he'd been to antique shops personally; shows what I know.
The bidding starts on lot one. Here we go. I watch Daniel wince as some books, real live books, go under the hammer. We don't have any currency to spare on them, unfortunately. Some greasy-looking thug has bought them. Daniel's fuming underneath his mask of calm.
Lot #24 looks like some sort of alien commode. I so do not want to know what it really is.
Yikes - Goa'uld pain sticks for sale. I'd happily buy them just to break them up into small pieces. Damned things.
Lot #38. Getting closer. We're whispering between ourselves, trying not to get too caught up in the whole sale process. Daniel had to grab my hand a minute ago to stop me bidding. Okay, okay, I know we have no need for three boxes of meditation candle holders. It's so easy to get carried away though.
Ah ha. Lot #48. Nearly there. I never knew you could get one of those to do that!
The bidding has started. Daniel doesn't let me bid. He's told me to put my hands around his waist and not let go. Okay, I can do this.
"Daniel," I hiss, "aren't you going to bid?" The bidding is fast and furious, several people taking part.
"Not yet, let some of the others drop out first."
The price is going up and up, still within our grasp though. Ah ha. The final challenger to the one I think is most determined to win has dropped out, nobody else seems interested, guess the cost is too high. The guy does think he's won till Daniel waves his hand. The auctioneer looks like he's orgasming. As well he should, he's got a 10% mark up on this. Just hope Daniel remembers that.
"Remember the mark up," I whisper.
"I know. Now hush."
I watch the competition, he's nervous but determined. When Daniel gets as high as we can go though, the competition drops out. It was just too rich for him. We won. We are therefore in deep, deep shit. Nothing ever goes that well for us.
Jack doesn't look happy. I'll find out why in a minute. First things first, we'll go pay and then pick up the item before the sale finishes. That way we won't get caught up in the rush. I hand the ticket I was given along with the gems to the sales clerk, get the ticket stamped and go back to the auction. I attract the attention of one of the auctioneer's assistants and he looks at the ticket and then fetches the machine.
"Great, let's get out of here," Jack growls.
I'm inclined to agree.
We're heading directly to the gate. Jack is looking nervously around us.
"Jack?"
"We're out in the open, heading for the gate with our hands full, Daniel. Remember what we were planning if we couldn't win the bid?"
"Ah."
Crap. In other words he thinks we're about to be... ambushed. Shit. Okay, okay, it's hard to put your hands in the air while you're holding onto something.
"Your arms," the thug says.
"Are currently holding our legitimate purchase," I reply, getting a kick from Jack.
"Ixnay eethay aitingbay," Jack whispers.
He gets the full benefit of my raised eyebrow.
"Damn, I knew those Latin lessons would come in handy."
"Oink."
"Pig."
"Me? I've seen you and a chocolate mousse."
"Are you saying I've got bad manners?" I give him my best 'insulted' look.
"No, not as such. But hey, I've also never seen someone fucking orgasm over dessert."
"It wasn't just dessert, dear, it was chocolate. And besides, I've never once come over food. I've used food to make you come though."
Jack's doing his best not to laugh his ass off, me too. The thugs that have ambushed us are looking bewildered. Keep this up and we'll get out of this one alive. Or not. We are now at the end of something that looks remarkably like a zat.
"Shut up!" the guy on the other end of the zat orders.
"See! See!" I say, trying to get worked up. "Now that was rude. 'Shut up' indeed. You must have been away the day they were teaching good manners. You could at least say 'Would you please be quiet?' Notice, the emphasis on the word please. I mean, would it hurt?"
He looks at me open-mouthed and squeaks, "Would you please be quiet?"
"Of course," I say with a smile. "You only had to ask."
I once asked Daniel why he baits people that piss him off. He just said 'precisely' and walked off, leaving me confused.
I think - think mind - it's because, well, they piss him off and he doesn't feel like they deserve him being nice. And of course, the majority of people that do piss him off are usually of a lesser intelligence than him - pretty much most of the known universe then.
I'm good at it. He doesn't bait me as such, though he will argue with me as he just did, but mainly to get a, eh hem, rise out of me. Ya know, it's hard to concentrate on defeating an enemy when you're just plain hard.
We're not relinquishing control of the healing device. If they're gonna take it, they're gonna take us with it. Or kill us. Either works, 'cause Jake will do the job for them if we go back empty handed having spent all that money. I'm hoping these guys will be quicker.
They're dialling the gate and Daniel's trying not to look like he's looking at the symbols that are being punched in. I look at him and he shrugs when the gate fires up. Not somewhere he recognises offhand then. The one guy's talking on a communicator, so he's working for someone. Hopefully we'll find a way out of this yet.
Daniel looks into my eyes, his own telling me that he's pretty calm about this at the moment, but he's also worried about what will happen to me.
The guy's off his communicator and nudging us towards the gate. Ah well, let's see what happens. We're pushed up to it so we step through, hoping that we're not going to be shot when we emerge.
Ah, something else has gone right for us. We're not shot. We are however in the biggest load of shit since that nasty incident on PR6 whatever it was and we ended up stepping out of the gate and into a herd of cows, some of whom had apparently been barbecued by the wormhole and the rest had had an attack of the runs as a result of the shock. It took us a week to stop smelling bad. The 'I'll bet you've got your wormhole exits off pat' jokes lasted a lot longer.
"Hello Yu," Daniel groans. "What are you doing here? This isn't your home planet."
"Daniel Jackson, I should have known it was you when my servant told me how much trouble you were being."
"Trouble?" Daniel says all innocent like, batting his eyelashes and trying to look like he's not the universe's pissiest archaeologist. Or human for that matter.
Yu actually snorts. I think he's quite... fond may be a bit strong a word... of Daniel. He doesn't seem to be paying a great deal of attention to me. Daniel's got that too. He's talking to Yu, deflecting all attention towards himself. This is good. The more people ignore me, the more trouble I can be. I just hope that Daniel doesn't get himself hurt as a result.
They've taken the healing oojamaflip from us. Damn. That'll mean we now a) have to get out of their clutches, b) find the fucking thing again and then c) get the hell out of here. Hey ho, a normal day at the office I guess.
Yu orders that we get taken to his cells. He'll deal with us later, apparently.
At least we haven't been chained up or anything. As we entered the cell though, Daniel was on form. He looked down his nose and resumed his baiting of the moron that accompanied us there.
"Well," he said with disdain. "I don't think much of these accommodations. I mean, where is the bed? You really expect me to settle in here? Ah well," he sighed. "I suppose I can put up with it for a while. I'd like something to eat and drink now, please. And make it cooked food, please. It's been hours since we ate. Non-alcoholic drinks too, I think. Would you have coffee? No? Tea will do then please. No milk or sugar though. I take mine straight."
The guy shut the door, his mouth open but no sound coming out. Daniel looked at me and winked. I cracked up.
"You're fucking nuts," I told him.
"I'd rather be fucking and playing with your nuts," he replied.
Now he's sitting on the floor next to me, resting his head on my shoulder. We can't speak in English, just in case Yu's listening in. So he's making me talk in Latin. The Ancient's variety.
"So, Jack, how do we get out of this one?"
"I have no idea, not just yet. Give me time and I'll figure something out."
"We don't have any weapons," he sighs.
"I do."
"You do?"
"Sure. In my boot. There's a knife."
He grimaces. Knives are messy and kinda permanent. Daniel's weapon of choice is a zat. It means he doesn't have to kill. And if he does, he doesn't have to worry about disposing of the body. He also understands that sometimes it's necessary to do this. To be honest, I don't like that any more than he does, but I'm more inured to it.
Guess we just wait until someone comes then.
Jacob has arrived on Remoc. There is no sign of Daniel and O'Neill. I have a bad feeling about this, but O'Neill instructed that I should wait sixty hours from his departure, just in case anything went wrong. I cannot go to that planet anyway. This is most frustrating. I have informed him of Samantha's sickness and he looks worried but says nothing about her. He is more interested in the device I think.
"So, they're not here then?" he asks.
I am often confused by the Tauri's amazing ability to state the obvious.
"They are not."
"They should be here by now."
"They should."
He looks at me with a curious face.
"They're in trouble again, aren't they?" he asks with a resigned sigh.
"That is most likely. If they are not on that planet, I have no idea where they could be. As you said in the briefing, no one bearing a symbiote may step foot on the planet. I therefore cannot search them out."
"Chances are they were ambushed," he says. "There was interest in that lot from what we heard."
"Who else was interested?"
"That we do not know," he shrugs. "I'm worried that it's a Goa'uld."
"Would a Goa'uld really be interested in such a device? When they have the sarcophagus?"
"Not all Goa'uld have limited their interest to their own technology, Teal'c. Some will study other technologies, to see if they can make something out of them."
"Which Goa'uld would do that?" I ask. Apophis was not interested in study at all.
"Nirrti, for example," he replies. I acknowledge that, she has shown herself interested in phase shifting after all.
He continues, "Some of the System Lords too; Ba'al, Morrigan and Yu are the most curious."
"Do you have agents in their courts?"
"We do," he replies cautiously. "I'll just look in on Sam and then I'll go back and see what I can come up with."
"That would be wise."
I follow him to Samantha's room. She had yet another attack of sickness. Doctor Frasier is looking very tired.
"Jacob," she greets him with a tired smile. "I have no idea what is wrong with her. If it was a stomach bug, she'd be over it by now, at least it would look like it was calming down. But as soon as I get her settled, she starts up again. Do you have any idea?"
"I'm afraid that medical matters are outside Selmac's domain," he says quietly, sitting by his daughter's side and stroking her hair. "What are you doing for her?"
"Currently I'm pumping her full of fluids to try to stop her from dehydrating, I've added antibiotics just in case. I'd have run blood tests but I don't have any analysis equipment here. Can you take a blood sample back to your scientists and find out what's wrong, please?"
"Of course. Do it now and I'll go straight back. We have to find out where Jack and Daniel are as well."
Doctor Frasier now realises that we have more to worry about than Samantha being sick and her face drops. She looks at me and says, "Teal'c, if you need to go, you go. I won't leave her until she's better, I promise."
"I know you will not. If I am needed for a rescue mission, I will go safe in the knowledge that she is in the best of hands."
I get another tired smile as acknowledgement. I insist that once she has taken the blood sample, she should take a break too. I think she needs it.
Well this is getting old. We've been here for a couple of hours and not seen Yu.
"Where's Yu?" I ask Jack. He looks at me as if I've lost it.
"Same place as you, stuck in this freaking cell. OW! What was that for?"
"Do I really have to answer that?"
"Guess not. Yeah, I know what you mean. It's not the usual snake MO. They like to come and prance and show off. You know, 'you're in the cell, I'm not, na na nanana'."
"Jack?"
"Yes Daniel?"
"How old are you really?"
Back to the uncomfortable silence. However, we do need to discuss something, and I'm having fun making Jack speak Latin.
"Yu isn't like the usual snakes, Jack. He's smart."
"Yeah, guess you're right. So, when we get out of here we take him out?"
"NO! No, we can't do that. The Tok'ra weren't wrong when they said that to take out the guys at the top allows the dross to rise and take over. Look what happened when we took out Ra. It allowed Apophis and Sokar to get strong. They're gone and now we've got the mysterious Anubis running the show. Don't you see, we can't take out the System Lords."
"Better the devil you know?"
"Something like that. Taking them all out, at least until we heard about Anubis, was a good idea. That would have caused chaos. But doing it one at a time isn't an option. What we have to do is take out the minor snakes first so there's no one to take their place."
"Daniel?"
"Jack?"
"There are a lot of minor snakes."
"I know. For now, it only has to be the ones that are rising in power - as we did with Ibo and Petrocus. If they are gone and then we take out the System Lords, it will give the remaining Jaffa the chance to rebel and stop any of the really insignificant snakes taking power."
"So, what's the plan?"
"We get out of here, grab the device and go back to Remoc."
"Nice plan; simple but effective. Any idea just how we're going to accomplish this?"
"You're the military genius, Jack, not me. I just give you ideas. It's up to you to figure out the details."
He's glaring at me again.
"Do you think we're being watched?" he asks.
"I'd say it's likely."
"I need my knife. It's in my boot. How am I going to get it out without being seen?"
"If you bend over it will be obvious you're up to something. Hang on, I have an idea. That corner, it's quite dark. Come on."
He comes to the corner with me. I put my back against it and pull him to face me. And we kiss. And kiss. Love this. However, this isn't getting the knife.
"I'm going down," I whisper.
"W.w.wha?"
"Shh. Just play along."
I drop to my knees and undo his jeans. He's hard. Of course he is. So, while I'm 'playing' and he's making a lot of groaning noises, my hands are running up and down his legs. And into his boots. Better make this quick, he's going to be coming in a minute. I know all the signs. Found it. Slip it up into my fingers and up my sleeve. Ouch. That's sharp. I think I'd better finish him though or he's going to kill me.
"Oh God, Daniel. So fucking good," he pants.
And we hear the door opening. Shit.
"YOU BASTARD!"
Jack isn't happy. What? He wanted me to finish him with a Jaffa audience? I grab his legs and pull him down, slip the knife into his hand and whisper, "Later, babe, I'm sorry."
"Not your fault, Daniel. Good work, by the way."
"YOU!" One of the Jaffa calls me. Shit.
I have no idea what's wrong with Sam. And now I'm worrying about the guys too. They should have been back a long time ago. Still, I can't expend any energy fretting about them, so I'm doing what I can to make Sam better. Jacob said if he couldn't find out what was wrong via the blood test he'd come back with his healing device and try.
Nothing I'm doing is improving her situation, but at least she's stabilised. She's not being sick as we're not giving her anything to drink at all. I'm pumping fluids in via an IV. Her skin had gone like paper at one point, she's almost back to normal now.
Funny how I was reminded of a little baby - her first birthday was the following day to the incident. I was working as an intern in a general hospital and doing a stint on the paediatric ward.
She'd been rushed in, in the late evening, with a sickness and diarrhoea bug and the poor waif couldn't keep a thing down. Within four hours of first being sick she was severely dehydrated, her skin was thin and had lost all elasticity, she was drowsy and in a bad way. Her mom was doing her best to keep calm but panicking underneath it all. We had to fight the little one to get a gastric tube through her nose and we pumped her full of fluids. Every hour we went in and squirted more through the tube. Eight o'clock the next morning she was literally running around the ward and making all the nurses go goo-goo-eyed. They even clubbed together and bought her some presents.
It's weird the way the mind plays tricks on you at times like this. Come on Sam, I want to see you up and about and running around too.
Teal'c's pacing around, desperate to do something. We've talked, eaten, talked some more. He's meditated, contacted Bratac to see if he can find something out, and now he's up on the surface cutting some logs to make furniture for the guys' cabin. He says that once theirs is done, he and Sam are going to share one too. I wonder if there's something going on between them? No point in asking Teal'c, he'd never divulge something like that.
Oh Sam, wake up honey, we so need to talk. I miss you so much.
Daniel had better be all right. I'll kill him if he's not. He hasn't been gone too long, but I'm itching and ready to go now.
I have to work out a plan. First things first, we need weaponry. One knife isn't going to cut the mustard. It will, however, cut some throats. I noticed that the Jaffa that took Daniel wasn't wearing the big heavy uniform, but the leather 'skirt' and tunic that we saw on Chulak that time. Good. So, the next one that comes in is going to get it.
I think I know what I'm going to do. However, I may need to make it up as I go along. So, what's new O'Neill?
I've been waiting here for ages now. If Yu's hurt him I'm not going to stick to Daniel's 'no System Lord killing' rule. I'll fucking kill him - slowly.
Someone's at the door. I'm going to have to take a chance I think. Daniel will kill me if I get this wrong.
It's the Jaffa that took Daniel. He has a tray in his hand and a zat attached to his belt. This will be too damned easy.
I go up to him pacifically, let him think that I'm waiting for Daniel.
"So, where's my friend?"
He looks at me and sneers.
"Your friend is entertaining my lord Yu in the great hall. I'm sure he will be very entertaining."
I'm so scared - not. Daniel told me that Yu was not the sort to torture for fun, and he didn't make a move on him when he thought Daniel was his personal slave, so I'm not really worried. Am I like hell? Of course I'm worried. But not as much as if it were someone like Apophis holding him.
I get closer to the Jaffa and make as if I'm going to take the tray off him.
"You want him back to finish what he started?" he asks, not able to change the level of sneer in his voice. He is so not good at intimidation.
"Yeah, well, of course. I mean, do you blame me? He is a god, after all."
That's got him. The Jaffa doesn't know what I mean by that. And while he's wondering if Daniel is really some sort of god, I strike. I haven't lost my touch. He's on the floor in seconds, unable to cry out because I've cut his windpipe. I have the zat and it's bye-bye time.
One actually kills him - well, it finishes him off. I take the key thingy that he's got and then make him disappear. I have to assume now that I've been spotted, I just don't know though. Where the fuck is the great hall?
Crap, I can hear voices. Hide, here, that's it, behind this door. There's two Jaffa. Good. More weaponry. They've gone past me, I look out and see no one else. One, two, they're both down. Two more zats. Finish them off and they and their staff weapons are no more.
So, to find Daniel. Let's try this-a-way. Or not. Okay, maybe the smell coming from here is telling me that this is the kitchen area. Not a problem. More voices. Hide again O'Neill.
"Hurry, hurry, our god does not wish to be kept waiting. He wishes his food now."
Good. Something else has gone right. Just follow them quietly down the corridors. Ah ha! Big doors. Big doors. Two Jaffa guarding them. I keep back in the shadows and watch and wait, checking out the lie of the land. The doors are open and I see Daniel sitting at a low table, TALKING to Yu. Damn. He said Yu wasn't like the others.
Daniel's animated, his hands waving as he describes something to the snake. Fuck me, Yu's laughing. No, I will never understand the snakes - not ever.
The food is on the table. I can see two Jaffa standing either side of Yu, none others, but that doesn't mean that there aren't any more out of view.
Daniel looks up carefully and down the corridor, as if he's looking for something. Yu questions him and Daniel shrugs. He knows I'm here for him.
Jack's here, in the corridor. I know it. Okay, babe, I'm waiting for you. I've just found out some particularly good bits of information. I need to let Jack know that there are two Jaffa behind the door. I have to assume he's there and that he can't... hear... me... what a fucking idiot. Okay, okay, switch the communicator on. Now all I have to do is tell Jack. How the fuck am I going to do that without Yu figuring out why I'm saying stupid things and playing with the jewellery on my wrist?
"Tell me, Daniel Jackson," Yu's saying. "Just what were your intentions when you posed as Jarren?"
Ah well, I doubt it will hurt him to know. Not going to tell him everything of course.
"Well, Yu, at first I was going to kill you all. I mean, no Jaffa were there, so it was the perfect opportunity to do something behind the scenes. The door was open for us, after all. There you all were, in the same place, ah," okay, I may have to rely on sounds here, "I had two objectives though. One was the assassination and the other was intelligence."
"Why did you not kill us?"
"Simple. The need for intelligence far outweighed our desire to see you dead. Besides, it makes more sense to keep you alive, especially with Anubis out there. You know as well as I do that the minute he gets his chance, he's going to take you all out. And he's going to move soon."
I just hope Jack got the message.
Oh Daniel, my sweet Daniel, I heard you. Two Jaffa behind the door, move soon. I got you. Okay, I can do this. Power up two zats. Good, the big doors are now shut. Creep out of the shadows and... gotcha! One, two, remove a zat, three... all gone. Two zats each should be enough. Just need to get those doors open now. I saw the symbol the slave pressed. Press it, slip the key in, stand to the side. The doors open. Nothing's happening. Come on, come on... THERE! Got you too! Both Jaffa from behind the door. A quick run in and I throw a zat to Daniel, he takes Yu out before the snake realises what's going on. A quick zatting of the Jaffa in there too... shit... that staff weapon blast was too close for comfort. Got him. Second zat to Daniel and it's time to go.
"Jack, we need the machine. It's over there, look. Yu brought it out to gloat. Come on, we have to go now!"
Tell me something I don't know, Einstein.
I zat the weapons and the Jaffa, Daniel scowls at me, but at least I leave Yu alone. I so want to take out his snaky butt, but Daniel's right on this one.
"Where's the gate room?" I ask.
"Over here." We grab the machine and head for it, mercifully there was only one Jaffa in our way (not for long though).
"Um Daniel, why aren't you dialling Remoc?"
"Explain later, GO!"
We grab the machine and get the hell out of Dodge.
No time to catch our breath. I've dialled an uninhabited planet. Time to go to another one.
"Yu told me he has a device that can track the last address a DHD dialled," I tell him.
"So we can't go home."
"Not yet, hang on, Jack, wild-goose chase time."
We step through onto a primeval world - we've been here before. Humid to say the least. If the Jaffa that follow us are in their get-up they'll rust.
I dial Remoc.
"Daniel, we can't go through to Remoc."
"No, but we can send this home and then go somewhere else. It will at least get it to the right place. Come on, Jack, let's do it."
"You take it."
"Jack, don't be an ass. Who's got the brain with the co-ordinates stored in it?"
"Okay. What's the plan."
"Dammit, Jack, you think of something for once, will you?"
I shouldn't be so damned testy, but I'm tired and I want to go home. I'm worried sick about Sam and fed up of chasing across the frigging galaxy.
"Let's hope they get the message that we're okay," I gasp as I dial up yet another uninhabited world.
We're at the DHD on a desert planet. Jack's gasping for air. It's HOT.
"Yu was explaining to me that the device only works for a couple of hours after the DHD has been dialled. So they know how long ago it was last used. How about I take us somewhere they're not so likely to follow us, we dial another place but don't go there?"
"Where?"
"We'll go to Kheb," I tell him. After all, it's got trees not too far from the gate. Just hope we don't leave tracks.
"Do it," he croaks, so I do.
At least the air here on Kheb is breathable. Jack's dialling... Remoc?
"Jack?"
"Hang on, got an idea or else we'll be stuck running around the galaxy. As soon as I've gone through, dial another world and then hide. If Jaffa come through, wait till they go again, dial yet another world and hide again. Do not get captured, Daniel. I'll be back before you know it."
The wormhole engages and Jack kisses me hard and then jumps through. I dial PR6-78X. Planet of the cow pats. Whoever took the beasts there left the planet and they roam wild. But they seem to like the grass in the field that houses the gate. Jack reminded me of there earlier.
I'm at the tree line, desperately trying not to make any tracks. Fortunately, the ground is rocky the way I'm going. I can still see the gate, but I don't think I can be seen. Which is just as well as it's dialling up.
Shit. Jaffa. Don't you dare come back through yet, Jack. Don't you fucking dare. I've got both zats in my hands, primed and ready. Oma isn't here anymore so I'm not afraid to use them if necessary. First sign of thunder though...
Come on, come ON. Good. They're dialling up. Phew. I counted them all out and I'm counting them all back in. Yep, they've all gone. Good. Next planet, I'll dial the desert planet again. That should confuse them if they come back here. I'm halfway across the distance to the gate. Hurry up Jackson. Shit, shit, shit... it's dialling. RUN you idiot! I bet I'm making tracks now! Hide, quick. Jack will kill you otherwise.
Jack. It's Jack. And Teal'c! My comms unit springs to life.
"Daniel?"
"I'm here Jack, and I'm on my way."
"Quickly, we don't have much time."
I'm running again. I wish I'd been the sporty-type at school. I'm fast now, but then I've usually got some enraged Jaffa on my tail. It does wonders for my speed.
"What's *gasp* the plan *wheeze* Jack?"
"We're going to dial up the pleasure palace, but we're setting some C4 on the DHD here. It's going to go three minutes after we leave. Hopefully, that will be enough time. Dial it up, Daniel."
Okay. Good idea. We can defend the pleasure palace easily enough if it comes to it. Jack and Teal'c are setting charges inside the panel. Wormhole's engaged and here we go.
We have rematerialised in the palace. Both O'Neill and Daniel are looking exhausted.
"Did you get the healing machine?" Daniel asks me.
"We did."
We are heading to some previously picked out positions for just this sort of occasion.
"And?" Daniel asks.
"Jacob is there," I inform him, "and he is currently using it on Samantha. Her illness turned out to be an alien virus. Doctor Frasier sent blood samples to the Tok'ra and they analysed them. They have no cure for it, and as it is not a good idea to use Goa'uld technology on non-blended humans unless necessary, they are trying the machine. If it does not work, Jacob will then use his own healing device."
O'Neill looks at me suspiciously.
"A good way to test the device, don'tcha think?"
"It is. However, I do not think they would have made her sick to test it, O'Neill."
"Funnily enough, Teal'c, even my suspicious mind hadn't gone that far. I was only thinking that it's convenient to test it, and that they could have used the hand device a lot sooner."
Daniel looks at O'Neill and cocks his head. O'Neill grins and says, "But now thinking about it, don'tcha think this is a hell of a coincidence?"
"O'Neill, what are you talking about?" I ask.
"Think about it, Teal'c. They want the device. They know we hate being split up, that the four of us are a team. They also knew that you couldn't go, and that Sam going was at best debatable. We'd have likely turned down the mission. But with Sam sick, and Daniel and I both worried out of our minds about her - you too, I know, but it's us they wanted to get to - we'd do anything to make her better. Makes you wonder, that's all I'm sayin'."
"Jack? Do you really think that Jacob would harm his own daughter?"
"I don't know anymore, Daniel. I'll bet you anything though, if the machine doesn't work on her, the healing device will."
"It has been more than long enough," I inform the men. "We should check to see if our plan has succeeded."
O'Neill agrees and Daniel dials up Kheb once more. We send through a VCD. I control it and we see eight Jaffa and a damaged DHD. I believe the plan has worked. We shut down the gate, ignoring the pleas of the Jaffa, and we go home.
I hate alien viruses. I'm never going to catch one again. Never, never, NEVER. I have never felt so damned awful in my life. Or so tired. The healing device the guys got worked on me, thank heavens. They came home, saw that I was better, hugged and kissed me a lot, looked funny at Dad for some reason, then Dad went home and the five of us sat down to eat. It was fun having Jan there. She says that whenever she gets the chance, she'll come and visit. Daniel's made her memorise the glyphs so she'll always know where we are.
I'm hungry, but Jan's only letting me eat simple foods at the moment, and not too much of them either. Still, it's better than nothing.
The guys looked shattered. Teal'c told us of the moment Jack came through yelling on his comms unit for a VCD, tons of C4 and for Teal'c to come yesterday.
Janet gave us all something. Teal'c was given a large pack of barbecue beef flavoured potato chips. Jack and Daniel creased up at that for some reason. Jack was given a couple of individual portion boxes of Fruit Loops. Daniel was given a family-sized bag of M'n'Ms and I got some raw, blue jello to be made up. WOO HOO!
I'm staying tonight, but I'm going to have to go tomorrow. I miss Cassie. It's going to be so painful to leave everyone again, but at least I know that they're okay. Jack and Daniel have gone back up to the surface to bed, they're tired out. Sam is wide awake and desperate to catch up on all the base gossip. She's much better now, telling me that she feels wonderful in fact, so I'm happy about that. Teal'c excused himself and he's gone off to meditate. I think he hated being on the fringes of the action over the last couple of days, but given what happened there was nothing else he could do. He was a big help to me, that was for sure. So, it's up to Sam and me now to chat.
"What's it really like having the guys here?" I ask. "Teal'c said they're pretty well-behaved most of the time."
Sam's giggling.
"Oh, they are in front of us, but I've seen them a couple of times..."
Oh GOD. She's just told me about Jack tied up to the tree and then seeing them on the night of the aurora. Oh boy.
"They're that hot?"
"Incredible. It took all of my powers of self-control to not run over there and join in."
"What about when you are feeling horny?"
She's blushing.
"Sam?"
"Well," she coughs, "Daniel said that if I get like that he'll, er, help me out. I've slept with them... only slept, I hasten to add. They hate leaving me out of anything."
"So? Well? Come on, Sam, are you interested?"
"I'm not sure," she replies carefully. "I mean, both guys are sexy, and I love them both to pieces, but I don't think it would be right. I think... no, I know that if I asked they would give me a night I'd never forget and that they would never hold it over me or tease me or make me feel bad. I just don't think it would be the right thing to do. Besides, Teal'c and I..."
"Teal'c and you 'what'?"
"We're getting on very well, if you see what I mean. I think that if I asked, he would be interested. But I can't ask him that."
"Why not?"
"It's, er, personal, Jan. He's a good man, a good friend and I love him as much as I love the guys. But he's not emotional at all. The others wear their hearts on their sleeves when it comes to me, I know they love me. I know Teal'c likes me, and I know he respects me, but I'm not sure that he loves me."
I was about to re-enter the communal area to ask something of Doctor Frasier, but I stopped when I heard them talking. Samantha is not sure that I love her. I do believe that I will have to do something to prove it. Not now, of course. When Doctor Frasier has gone though, I think I should say something.
"Jack, just how tired are you really?"
"Tired," he says with a grin, "but I think I could be persuaded to stay up for a while. Have anything in mind, do you?"
"Oh, I'm sure I can think of something."
We're in the cabin now. It's got all of its walls and a roof. We've brought one of the mattresses from the pleasure palace and it's on the floor. We still have to make a bed and put partition walls up inside, but at least we have room to walk about and it's warmer. The nights are starting to draw in now and it's getting chilly later on in the evenings.
"If you're tired," I say, "why don't you just stand there for a minute and let me do something?"
"Do what?" he gasps as my lips touch his neck.
"Wait and see."
I remove his shirt and take a deep breath when I see his bare skin. I've seen him like this hundreds of times, but it never fails to thrill me. My hands do their own thing, undoing his belt and then his flies as my mouth goes on its own journey around the top half of his body. We've already kicked off our shoes and socks so no need to worry about feet. He's naked now, magnificently and proudly standing in front of me.
"I think..." I say as I start to remove my own clothes... "I think that I owe you something from earlier, something that I didn't finish."
"Daniel," he gasps. "Let me, please. Make it the other way. Want to do this, babe." He's pleading with me. Aw, love him. Of course he can.
"Okay, on the bed then. You shouldn't kneel."
My clothes are off and I take him by the hand to the mattress. We get down to it - and, um, get down to it. Boy does he ever.
We're kissing, hard and fast, putting every ounce of love we have for each other into it. Oh oh, a naughty idea has just struck me.
"Hey, thought I was going to do the work," I say.
"Daniel, please, I want to taste you, be inside of you," he begs.
"Oh, Jack, you are so going to do that."
I push him onto his back and then prop him up against the cabin wall so that he's half-sitting, half-lying.
"Daniel? Ah!" He gets it. And so do I.
I'm on my knees, straddling his chest and he's now face to face with my dick. Oh God yes! Straight to the point, so to speak. He's not hanging around, just sucking hard and fast, fumbling for the lube on the floor by the side of the bed. My hips are moving in time with his tongue and I'm slowly fucking his mouth. The feeling of his hot, wet, lively tongue as it alternately licks and then sucks hard is amazing.
Two fingers inside me straight away, stroking, pushing, moving in tandem with my own movements. It feels so good. I'm trying to hold out, to make the most of this but he's tired and so am I. Time to let myself go. I surrender to the emotions, move more forcefully, more back onto his fingers than into his mouth, I'm grinding myself back, so fucking desperate. I want more. I try to pull from him but he won't let me. He wants me to come. Who am I to disappoint?
"God Jack!"
Before he's finished wiping his mouth, I've wrenched his fingers out of my ass and I've sat on his dick hard. Yeah, that feels so fucking good. I'm not hanging around, just slamming up and down on that lovely big cock of his.
"Daniel, oh my God, Daniel."
That's my name, don't wear it out.
"That's my fucking dick, don't wear that out either!"
No chance. I'm looking after that. My entertainment centre.
He's pulled me for a kiss, sucking on my tongue, holding my head hard in his hands. He's thrusting his hips up to meet me slamming back down on him. Ohgodohgodohgod that is so fucking good. Damn, I'm getting hard again. Thought I was too tired for that.
Fuck, those nine years between us tell sometimes. He's hard again. Still, I am not complaining. He's on fucking fire tonight. His head snaps back and I see into his eyes, there is no blue there at all, just black. He is so turned on it's unbelievable. So am I. I'm trying every trick I know not to come yet, he's getting so much out of this. I love to watch his face when he comes, so I'm going to make him do it again.
My hand grabs his cock and I gather up all my remaining strength. I'm working him hard, his mouth is open but no sound is coming out. He's torn between his actions and wanting to thrust into my hand.
"That's it, Daniel, come again for me, babe, you're so fucking beautiful when you come. Want to see your face when you can't take any more. Let yourself go, that's it, come on, come for me."
I'm encouraging him, he gives me a little grin and then throws his head back, his mouth open, his eyes screwed shut and he's coming hard over my chest. Oh jeez, that feels so good, he's squeezing me and I'm coming too, and coming, letting it all go. That was amazing.
"God, Daniel, you were incredible. Love you so much."
Don't know whether to laugh or cry. Just got a "Mmmffrml" from him. He's still on his knees and straddling me, but his head is buried in my neck, his arms around my chest and he's snoring. Love him, he's out cold.