Heroes and Demons

TITLE: Heroes and Demons
AUTHOR: Trish Williams
EMAIL: bartricia_w@yahoo.com
CATEGORY: New Character, Angst, Action/Adventure, Romance (Teal'c/Other), (Sam/Jack)
SPOILERS: Children of the Gods, Family, Bloodlines, Bane, Shades of Grey, Fair Game, Jolinar's Memories, The Devil You Know, A Hundred Days, The Broca Divide, Crystal Skull, Maternal Instinct, Forever In A Day, Nemesis, Small Victories.
SEASON / SEQUEL: Set during 'Nemesis' and 'Small Victories' (end of season 3 beginning of season 4). This is the sequel to 'Undiscovered Country' which is archived on Heliopolis 2.
RATING: NC-17
CONTENT WARNINGS: Adult situations, explicit sexual situations, violence, some choice swear words.
SUMMARY: Teal'c comes to a decision about pursuing a relationship with a new member of the SGC, while Jack confronts his feelings for Sam. But the technobugs could thwart both of their plans…
STATUS: Complete
ARCHIVE: Heliopolis 2---all others please ask permission.
DISCLAIMER: Our God, MGM/UA, who art the owner of all things Stargate SG-1, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Showtime/Viacom's will be done, by Double Secret and Gekko Productions on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this fan fiction, which is my daily bread, and forgive me my trespasses as I twist thine stories into those that fulfill my fantasies. For thine characters are owned by you, and you have the power and the glory while I enjoy the fantasy for no pay or sexual favors, forever and ever, amen. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere or reproduced in print without the consent of the author.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is the fourth installment in the Kama Sutra series. For those of you who have been following along with this series, I promised at least four stories. Depending on how this story works out there may be more. Feel free to drop me feedback on this one or if you'd like to see more stories in this series--I'll leave you virtual chocolate if you do. And as for flames, well, they go right into the circular file.

HEROES AND DEMONS
by Trish Williams
Copyright 2000

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Colonel Jack O'Neill strolled through the halls of the SGC with an extra spring in his step. All he could think about was his upcoming getaway to his beloved rustic cabin in yeah-sure-you-bet'cha-Minnesota for some way-overdue rest and relaxation. Saving the planet, or other planets for that matter, took a lot out of him. And he figured heading out there was the perfect reward, especially since SG-1 was on stand down anyway due to Daniel's appendix deciding to revolt.

Jack gave himself a mental pat on the back for finally getting up the nerve to ask Sam to join him on his trip. Over the past few months, he couldn't help but pick up some strange vibes from her. And when things started to get really funky after he'd returned from Eudora, he knew something was up. Through the SGC grapevine (whose reliability depended on which way the wind was blowing), he'd discovered Sam felt he didn't appreciate how hard she'd worked to bring him back.

She had to understand--he thought he'd never see Earth again. Laira provided him with a life to look forward to. If it weren't for her honesty, he wouldn't have known Teal'c was coming to bring him back in the first place. He figured the least Carter could do was cut him some slack. The air needed to be cleared between him and his second in command, and damned if Minnesota didn't have the cleanest to do it in.

As he turned the corner, he caught a glimpse of a woman strolling through the hall like she had a purpose. The white lab coat she wore billowed outward, making her look like most of the nerdy scientist types at the SGC. Her hair was piled elegantly on the top of her head, and the wine lipstick she wore stood out against skin that was the color of light and dark brown sugar mixed together. Her heeled shoes clicked against the smooth floor, serving as a welcome to those who knew her and a warning to those who did not.

Jack let out a long whistle at the woman. She gave him a curt smile.

"What's a dirty old man like you doing in a place like this?" Kayla joked as she came to a stop in front of him. "And don't even think about trying to pinch my ass." Jack's eyes met hers and for a moment, he was back in that club in Nevada he'd met her in almost two years ago.

"You look like a glamed-up nerd," he said, looking her up and down. "Or Doctor Frankenstein. I can't decide which."

"I think I like the first one better," she replied as she began walking again. Jack followed suit. "I'm anxious to get back to my lab. I'm working on a new sidearm and rifle design. How it works out depends on if one of the SG teams runs across a decent deposit of trinnium. Come to think of it, some naquada wouldn't hurt either."

"Okay, the trinnium I understand," Jack said, not really understanding but trying to hang with the conversation. "But what's the deal with the naquada?"

"I'm experimenting with naquada-enhanced bullets in those aluminum-trinnium alloy rifles I gave you guys last week," she said with a grin. "Until I get the results of the ballistics tests using MIL-standard issue bullets, I don't want to fool with naquada just yet. Until then, the 'ol sulfur ones will do."

"And let me add my thanks for those prototype rifles you gave us," Jack added with a slight bow of the head. He wanted to make sure he knew he appreciated her for the new toys she'd provided him and the rest of SG-1 with. "Being able to see in those different thingy phases really saved our butts."

"Those 'thingy' phases are infrared and the electro-magnetic spectrum," Kayla corrected.

"Yeah, that's what I meant."'

"Not to get off the subject," she said, giving him an accusatory look. "If my memory serves me correctly, you still have my Sly and the Family Stone's Greatest Hits CD. If you don't return it to me by tomorrow, I send my Enforcer out to break your kneecaps."

Jack looked at her with amusement. "Your Enforcer?" he asked.

"Well, it's either that or have you perform 'Play That Funky Music,' for my perverted pleasure on SGC Karaoke night."

Jack laughed and made a mental note to find out just where the hell he'd stashed the thing. "So where did you go all dolled up?" he asked, trying to get her off the subject before she asked if he knew where her CD was. "I'm sure you didn't get all pretty just for us lowly folks at the SGC."

Kayla tossed up her hands in resignation. "Last night I had what was probably the worst dates I have had in my life. The guy was such a loser."

"What was he? Married?"

"Wrong. Guess again."

"Gay?" He smiled as Kayla shook her head and laughed at him.

"I said worse, not different."

"Impotent?"

Now she cackled like a witch at the dig he'd just made at her ex-husband. "Worse."

"Worse than that?"

"Yeah. Cheap."

Jack laughed heartily.

"I'm in the mood for a medium-well steak at O'Malley's and he wants to go to Denny's for a skillet meal. Are all the guys on the SG teams that cheap?"

"I can't speak for all of them," Jack said. "Besides, you're a high-maintenance woman. The only time you'd go to Denny's was if nothing else was open."

"Or if it was breakfast," she added with a wink.

"So, what's the loser's name?"

Kayla avoided his gaze. "Lieutenant Johnson," she said with a hint of embarrassment.

"One of those jarheads from SG-3?" Jack asked, laughing inwardly at how she'd obviously lowered her standards. "Talk about scraping the bottom of the barrel ... "

"He's somewhat attractive," she defended, although she knew he definitely wasn't compatible with her. "He asked me out on a date and I accepted."

Jack shook his head, remembering how the guy had lost his mind and tried to attack Teal'c. Granted it was due to some disease that made them all into Neanderthals but ever since then, the two men had a pretty tenuous working relationship. He couldn't shake the feeling that if Johnson was hell-bent on dating Kayla (especially given how few women there were at the SGC), throwing Teal'c into the mix could cause problems.

//Ah, lust triangles,// he thought to himself.

Jack ran a hand through his short graying hair. "What is it with you and guys who look like they could star on WWF Smackdown?" he asked.

Kayla shrugged her shoulders. "I can't help what I'm attracted to. I like well-built men who look like linebackers. It's a childhood thing Jack. You know that."

"Then explain why you married a skinny prick like Captain Dick," he challenged, smiling inwardly at how he'd made that rhyme.

"I loved him for his mind, not his body," she said with a sigh. "I guess that was my mistake."

Jack wanted to tell her it wasn't a mistake to love the guy. The truth was, Captain Dick didn't appreciate the woman when he had her. Her only 'mistake' was in loving him too much not to leave a long time ago. He felt a sense a pride that he'd been a factor in helping her see the light to leave the jerk.

"You know," Jack began as he pushed the elevator button, "Teal'c is a pretty low maintenance guy. I just figured I'd warn you."

Kayla leaned against the adjacent wall. "There's a difference between low maintenance and cheap," she lectured.

"True."

"So where is he?" she asked.

"Off somewhere visiting his kid."

"He told me he had a son," she said. "He's obviously proud of him."

"It was pretty screwed up what happened," Jack said as he rocked back and forth on his heels. "First, the guy comes over to our side. Doesn't even tell us he had a family. Then when we go back to save his kid from being implanted with a Goa'uld larvae, his house had been burned and his wife and kid were living as outcasts. Teal'c didn't want the kid to be enslaved like he was."

Kayla was intrigued. "What do you mean by that?" she asked.

"A Jaffa would die if they didn't have a symbiote in them," Jack explained. "His son, Rya'c, could have been saved from undergoing that pritikin ritual thingy but since he had scarlet fever, he needed the symbiote to save him. So Teal'c gave him his."

"So, where'd Teal'c get another one from?"

"Carter and Daniel managed to ... acquire one."

"You mean steal," she said with an arched eyebrow.

"Same difference," Jack said, dismissing her mock accusation with a wave. "I doubt the Goa'uld would have noticed." He then decided to change the subject just a tad. "So, when are you going to put Teal'c out of his misery and ask him out?"

"That's none of your business," she quipped. "Isn't this elevator taking a long time to get here?"

Jack was undaunted. "You gotta admit that the way you flirt with him is merciless."

"Where are ya headed?" Kayla asked, obviously trying to avoid talking about Teal'c. Jack knew not to press her. At least not now.

"I figured I'd drop by and see Carter. You know, just to talk."

"Yeah, right." "You just want to talk to Carter like I just want to..."

"Sleep with Teal'c?"

"Now that was low," she said, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Is there some kind of SGC pool that's betting on if and when I sleep with Teal'c? Or worse, are you jockeying for a bedside seat?"

Jack saw right through her sarcasm. "Am I right?"

"We're just friends, okay?" she said, trying like hell not to let on about what happened when Teal'c got back from Kheb...

"Just friends my ass," Jack quipped. "You're just friends like the Pope is just Catholic."

Kayla snickered a bit. "It's nice to be able to talk to a rather attractive man who can use a noun and a verb in a sentence to make real conversation instead of a prelude to get into my pants."

Jack didn't have the heart to tell her that as smart and refined as Teal'c was, getting into her pants was exactly what he wanted - among other things. Hell, he'd asked Carter for advice on how to go about it.

"And even if he does want to get into my pants, he'll have earned it."

//Okay, so she's aware that's what he wants,// he thought.

"So I repeat. Am I right?"

"Go see your girlfriend," she quipped as the elevator doors opened. "I gotta go find Janet. Let her know how my poor excuse for a date went."

"She's not my girlfriend,"

"That's right. She's your 2IC," she said in mock surprise. Then her expression turned devilish. "If it wasn't for that thing called a Court Martial ..."

"Tell the Napoleonic power-monger I said, 'hello,'" he snapped told her as he stepped inside the elevator. He hoped to hell that he wasn't blushing.

Kayla cackled as she walked away, causing Jack to remember all that went right then had suddenly went wrong with them. But he'd needed her help and as a result they'd become stable friends rather than estranged lovers.

"Fire and gasoline," he muttered to himself.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Jack let the elevator doors close so he could resume his journey to Sam's lab. He'd done the journey many times but this time, he was trying to quiet the butterflies in his stomach. He wasn't worried about her saying no.

It was what the hell to do if she said yes.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

How could he have been so weak?

Teal'c admonished himself relentlessly as he left the infirmary and made his way towards the debriefing room. Hammond had sent a message through the stargate, requesting that he return to headquarters immediately. While he wanted to stay and spend more time with his son, being summoned by duty saved him from having to explain to Drey'auc why he'd managed to yet again have sex with her when he knew he did not love her.

The evening had started out innocently enough. He'd been playing with Rya'c out in the grassy groves, teaching him a few fighting stances. The boy was quite a quick learner - much like he was at that age. But when he noticed his son's attention wandered towards a group of girls his age that were watching him, he knew his son wouldn't be a boy for much longer.

He'd mentally prepared himself to speak to Rya'c about the things to come and the changes he would endure. And just when he'd decided to speak with his son, his mother sent him off to mediate. Before he could say anything, he thought it best to let his former wife know it wouldn't be long before their son would become a man - they would need to prepare him. Little did he know starting that discussion would lead to what he'd resolved not to do again.

Drey'auc rubbed his shoulders the way he liked, all the while telling him how much she appreciated him spending time with their son. When he tried to tell her that he wanted to spend more time with Rya'c but duty prevented him from doing so, she silenced him with a kiss. His first instinct was to pull away - to let her know they no longer had that type of relationship. But how could he tell her such a thing? The last time he'd come to visit she'd wound up under him in bed, softly moaning in response to every stroke he made inside of her.

The more he resisted Drey'auc's seduction, the harder she pressed. The harder she pressed, the more aroused he became. The more aroused he became, the more he thought about Kayla. He knew he shouldn't be doing this but all the repressed sexual tension he was feeling from being around Kayla for the past six months was getting to him. The continual flirtatious dance the two of them had been doing was becoming too much to handle. The most recent incident being right after he'd returned from Kheb ...

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Doctor Kayla Porter squeezed the yellow stress ball in her hand, trying to lose herself its soothing feel and ignore the document on her computer that screamed for her to complete it. The thirty-something SGC research and development engineer absolutely hated writing technical reports, especially since she had to 'dumb' a lot of stuff down so government bean counters and those with a limited attention span could figure out why what she did warranted how much she was worth. And it didn't help that she wasn't in the mood to work on anything, especially since SG-1 was on some planet called Kheb looking for god knows what before Apophis found it first.

And she hadn't seen Teal'c since he and SG-1 gated there.

Kayla mentally kicked herself for taking so long to ask him what she'd been thinking about for quite some time. Before the madness began, she was enjoying a visit from him that seemed to actually become regular occurrence. The timing seemed absolutely perfect. And just when she'd gotten up the nerve to ask him out, that's when fate decided to have a sense of humor. As soon as the words had attempted to leave her lips, that damned klaxon went off, Bra'tac came through the gate and the whole place went apeshit. Teal'c had apologized, did his usual courtesy bow then trotted off to the gate room.

And it didn't help that he seemed to be constantly on her mind.

"Who am I fooling," she said, tossing the stress ball the screen and hopping up onto her desk to sit. She kicked off her heeled shoes and watched her stocking-clad legs swing back and forth. "He wasn't really interested in me. Maybe I read him wrong or something," she deduced, smoothing her short skirt in frustration.

"What was it that you read wrong?" a deep, rich voice said. Kayla slowly looked up and saw Teal'c walking into her office.

"You," she said with an edge of annoyance on her voice.

She hadn't meant for it to come out that way but hell, she never did weather disappointment well. And she was not one for liking her well-crafted plans usurped, even though it was out of her control and the situation was much more important than she was.

Teal'c watched as her eyes tracked his movement towards her. "You are upset with me?" he asked, stopping to stand directly in front of her.

"I just have a lot on my mind," she said softly, casting her eyes downward and then back at him. Her feet swung dangerously near his crotch but he didn't move.

"I apologize for the abrupt ending of our conversation," he said, looking directly into her eyes so she could see he was sincere. "But time was of the essence."

Kayla's voice turned somber. "I heard about Chulak being attacked," she said, the concern showing in her face.

"Mercilessly, by Apophis. According to Master Bra'tac, the Jaffa he commands swept through village after village, slaughtering my people."

"What about your former wife and son?"

"They are safe on another world," he said, moving a stray hair out of her face.

"That's good."

"You have changed your hair since I was gone," he said, noticing the auburn highlights that now streaked through her dark brown hair and brought out the reddish hue of her dark skin.

Kayla gave him a thousand-watt smile in response.

"I figured I'd get myself a little something to celebrate my being a 'free woman'. And to think, in only six months I could actually marry again. Like there's a snowball's chance in a microwave of that happening," she snorted.

"You do not wish to marry again?"

"The jury's still out on that whole marriage thing."

"You mean you have yet to make a decision?" he asked, remembering Jack's usage of the jury metaphor.

"Yes," she said. "If and anyone chooses to put me out of my misery by marrying me, I'll be a lot smarter about it. Until then I'll have to settle for gratuitous sex."

"I cannot see you settling for anything," he said as he leaned in close, putting one hand on each side of her on the desk. "Do you not believe you are worth more than that?"

Kayla swallowed hard. "Sometimes," she said, noticing her voice had softened and she was having trouble breathing normally.

His lips were dangerously close to hers. The fresh from the shower smell along with the way the black t-shirt clung to his muscular figure caused her to feel a kind of wetness between her legs that seemed to only happen if he was around or if she was thinking of him. Except for this time, she could actually smell how excited she was. And it made her very nervous. But where could she go? Where could she run? She knew all she'd have to do is say the word and he'd back off, but she didn't want him to.

Her body did not want him to.

"I believe you are worth more than that," he said, his eyes locked on hers. "Much more."

The hands that were flat against the desktop now moved behind Kayla, interlocking their fingers behind her. He moved closer and her legs instinctively parted so he could get as close to her as possible. He watched as she panted softly, her cleavage rising and falling as she looked at him in anticipation.

He hadn't expected to kiss her, but his mind planted the suggestion and his body acted accordingly. His lips found hers and before long, the tentative kiss exploded into passionate abandon. It was as if neither one could get enough of the other as the pressure of their pent-up desire was finally given a chance to be released.

His interlocked hands pressed against the small of her back, pulling her closer so she could feel the desire she stirred in him. A sharp moan escaped her lips and her legs wrapped around his. Her hands glided up his thick neck, caressed his smooth head before resting on his broad shoulders. She pushed her tongue into his mouth and at first; he'd wanted to pull away from the unfamiliar feeling. But the action it suggested caused him to return the gesture twice-fold what he was given.

Hungry to explore other parts of her body, Teal'c broke the kiss. "Kayla," he breathed lustily, his full lips nestling into the graceful curve of her neck.

"Don't stop, please," she pleaded, taking one of his large hands in his and placing it on one of her breasts. She moaned sharply as he gave it a gentle squeeze.

She wanted to see God and knew Teal'c was the one to take her to him.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The memory caused him to involuntarily pull his former wife closer, covering her mouth with his own. As she moaned in response, he settled easily into the predictable routine of foreplay to which they'd both been accustomed to while married. Backing her into the bedroom, he coaxed her out of her clothes and then shed his own before engaging in the mating dance.

At least he'd had the sense to use a condom this time. At first, Drey'auc wasn't all that comfortable with using the Tauri birth control device. But when Teal'c told her either she put up with him using one or they wouldn't have sex at all, she offered no further resistance. With the thin, latex barrier between them, the sex felt even more artificial. It was like never getting enough water to quench your thirst. Like licking an ice cream cone with a saran wrap covered tongue. Every thrust was like two steps forward, but one step back from reaching the peak of ecstasy. His unconscious mind decided to take pity on him and told him to open his eyes. When he did so to see if Drey'auc was pleasured by what he was doing, he suddenly saw Kayla's face on the body underneath him.

Before his conscious mind had a chance to figure out what was going on, his pent-up lust kicked in. He abruptly picked up the tempo of their mating, groaning loudly as he did so. Grasping 'Kayla's shoulders, he drove deeper into her, pleading with her in his own language not to leave him. He was so caught up in the fantasy his mind projected that he almost didn't notice Drey'auc's pleading for him to slow down. Since coming to completion was his ultimate goal now, rather than argue with her he complied.

For a short while.

Apologizing to Drey'auc, he went back to thrusting into her at a high tempo. As he came to completion, he tried to bring her name to his lips but to no avail. The name that was in his heart slipped out wordlessly, and his seed was caught by the transparent barrier between them. Physically, he'd attained the release he needed. But when he looked at Drey'auc he realized how hollow and unfulfilled he felt inside. It was Kayla he wanted under him, but instead he had settled for his unfaithful former wife.

It was like substituting water for chocolate when you had the urge for something sweet.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

One of Teal'c's hands was tangled in Kayla's hair as the other crept inside the confines of her blouse. A low moan escaped from his lips as his palm made contact with the lace of her bra and the skin of her naked breast. Keeping a gentle, constant pressure on it, he marveled at how perfectly its fullness filled the size of his grasp. Her legs tightened around him and her hands slid up his back - taking in the feel of each muscle as she went. There was no question where he wanted this to go but he first needed to be sure of one thing... 

"If we are to continue this love play," he said breathlessly, "it would behoove us to make sure the door is locked." 

"I believe my former student is indeed correct," a familiar voice said, jolting them away from their amorous activity.

Kayla gasped, feeling the blood rush to her cheeks. She didn't think she could feel any more embarrassed until she noticed several buttons of her blouse were undone. Teal'c wasn't as embarrassed. As a matter of fact, he found Kayla's response most intriguing.

"Master Bra'tac," he said, smiling as Kayla hurriedly refastened the buttons he'd undone. "I was not expecting you."

The Jaffa master crossed his arms, giving his former student a knowing grin. "I see I am interrupting something of extreme importance," he mocked.

Teal'c moved so Kayla could get down off of her desk. "I'm sorry you had to meet me like this," she apologized.

The words Bra'tac wanted to say stuck in his throat when he saw Kayla. It was as if he were looking at a ghost.

"Did I do something wrong?" Kayla asked Teal'c. She was obviously bewildered by Bra'tac's actions.

"Master Bra'tac, this is Doctor Kayla Porter,' Teal'c introduced. "She develops weapons for the SGC."

"A pleasure to meet you," she said.

Bra'tac bowed slightly. "Hammond of Texas has informed me you are in possession of some weapons that may be of assistance to me and others that seek to slay the false gods."

"I believe I have a few things that can help you."

Teal'c could tell Bra'tac was somewhat confused that a human woman would be charged with weapons development. But to his credit he did not reveal this as he spoke to her.

"I am particularly interested in the garment that aids against the mortality of a staff weapon blast."

"We only have a few prototypes," she explained. "They haven't been thoroughly tested yet."

"They will suffice," Bra'tac said. " I appreciate your efforts."

"I'll go and get them now," she said, rushing off hurriedly but not before she gave Teal'c a look that said she was still embarrassed at being caught - even if he was not. 

"Do you plan to take a Tauri wife?" Bra'tac had asked after Kayla had moved out of earshot.

Teal'c looked in the direction Kayla had left and said, "I have considered it, old friend." He looked on as Bra'tac mentally took stock of her.

"At least this human female looks acceptable. She could pass as Jaffa," he said with a snort. "It has been a long time since I have seen you so sick with love," he said. "Or is it lust?"

"She and I have not had relations," he added hurriedly. "At least not yet."

"It is obvious that you desire it. And would have obtained it had I not interrupted you."

"I do not yet know the sexual customs of this world," he added.

"Judging by what I saw upon seeing you, you seemed to have ascertained enough," He jokingly commented. Teal'c could only smirk in response. "I am sure one of your Tauri friends could...enlighten you," Bra'tac said.

"I have no doubt that they could," he said, making a mental note to ask Major Carter about such matters.

Bra'tac's expression turned solemn. "The two of them could be twins." Teal'c knew Bra'tac now spoke of May'at.

"Yes, I know."

"I certainly hope your feelings for this woman are because of who she is, not who she reminds you of."

"They are," he said. "Of this I am certain."

And that was the truth. One of the reasons he'd taken so long to actually make physical contact with Kayla is because he wanted to be sure of his feelings - which they were for her and only her. "I cannot fully explain but being with her somehow bonds me to this world of which I have pledged my loyalty."

"You are aware that Apophis must not learn of her existence. For if he does, there is no doubt he will attempt to finish what he started with May'at."

Teal'c shuddered inwardly at the memory. He vowed with all of his being that Kayla would not meet that same fate.

"This is all I have," Kayla said as she returned. "These suits are made of a special insulative material. Granted staff weapons emit energy that affects the nervous system, in theory these suits help disperse as much of that lethal energy as possible."

Bra'tac bowed in thanks. "Your assistance is most welcome. I will taking my leave of you now," he said to Kayla.

"I will accompany you," Teal'c told him. He gave Kayla a slight bow and a smile before leaving with Bra'tac.

Kayla sighed heavily. "What have I gotten myself into?" she said to herself.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Teal'c slowly ascended the stairs, deciding in his mind that as soon as he found out why he'd been called back to Earth, he would deal with the issue of him and Kayla. Either they were to formally enter into what the Tauri call 'dating', or just decide to be friends. But for now, as hard as it was he'd have to put her at the back of his mind. As soon as he saw Major Carter and General Hammond, the look on their faces suggested something was not right.

"Teal'c," Hammond began, "thank you for returning."

Bowing slightly towards the SGC's commanding officer, he said, "For what matter of urgency have I been summoned, General Hammond?"

"I think I witnessed Colonel O'Neill being transported out of the base by the Asgard," Sam said as she folded her hands on the briefing room table.

Teal'c sat down slowly, his brow slightly arched as he pondered why the Asgard would transport O'Neill without warning yet again. "For what purpose?" he asked.

"We're not sure yet," Hammond answered. Before he could say another word, a holographic image of Jack O'Neill with his back towards them was projected into the room.

"Hello? Hello? Testing ... this thing on?"

Teal'c's first impression when Jack's apparition appeared was one of slight apprehension. But when Jack ordered enough explosive to possibly blow New Jersey off the map, he knew things did not look good.

Not at all.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

I am not going out like this, Jack thought.

Colonel Jack O'Neill, who was about to leave the SGC to start his vacation until Thor beamed him up to his ship, looked around the corridor for any sign of technobugs. Considering the demonic critters were attracted to the transporter signal, he was on guard after the gate had been beamed up from the SGC. He tossed a quick look at Teal'c as he laid his rifle to the polished floor to manually dial the stargate they'd just 'borrowed'.

He couldn't shake the feeling that he was inside one of those videogames he and Charlie used to play. Damn if the name of it escaped him now but the general premise was the same: blast as many critters as possible to rack up points. It was one thing to play the game in fantasy, but here he was, smack in the reality of such a thing.

Jack looked back briefly at Teal'c when he heard him manually dial the first symbol. "Where are we going?" he asked as he tightened his grip on his firearm.

"P3X-234," Teal'c said as he started to manually encode the next chevron in the dialing sequence.

"Great. I hear it's nice this time of year."

Jack blue-eyed gaze panned the anteroom with his as the first chevron became encoded and the familiar engaging sound.

One down, six more to go. Damnit, I wish he could dial faster.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of metal scraping metal in the walls. It reminded him of that sound a dog he had long ago made when its claws scraped against the stainless-steel metal table at the vet's office. Before he could indulge further into that memory, he heard a hissing sound and then saw the wall open up and drop the Asgard stone whatever fall to the floor with a sound between thud and a din. To Jack, that sound made him feel someone had started the game.

Except this time, there was no reset button.

"We got bugs," he said, cocking his gun as the technobugs pushed their way through.

He didn't waste any time blasting away at them. For each one destroyed, his mind mentally calculated points. Ten for each single one, forty if he blasted two bugs at once, and a hundred if the blasted bugs took a few others with them into the afterlife.

"O'Neill!" Teal'c shouted. Jack turned around to see him indicating bugs were coming out of the ceiling.

Oh shit, he thought, realizing the game had just gotten tougher. After getting a few blasts in and racking up more points, the doors to the anteroom slid open and a macabre parade of bugs came marching their way through and welcomed Jack to the next level of the game.

"Get down!" Teal'c yelled.

Jack dropped to his knees as the gate spewed forth its lethal splash before acquiescing. After the coast was clear, he resumed the game with a new player - Teal'c. Jack figured it couldn't have come at a better time as yet more bugs came streaming in. They were on the floor, on the walls, on the ceiling just plain everywhere. And Teal'c was picking them off as accurately with a rifle as he would with his zat gun or staff weapon.

Jack stood up and yelled, "Let's go, Carter!"

Within nanoseconds, Carter had transported to the anteroom with Thor's stasis pod. Looking at her out of the corner of his eye, he tried to push to the back of his mind what she'd said about them never being in this situation before. Okay, so maybe they hadn't been in this exact situation but he'd be damned if he was going to lose his life to a bunch of space-age cockroaches.

And he sure as hell wasn't going to die without letting Sam know exactly how he felt about her.

"Can we blow this thing yet?" he asked, hoping against hope that he could.

"Not yet!" she said as she pushed Thor's pod through the event horizon. With that done, she quickly joined in the game. They were shooting in all directions radiating outward from the gate, the smell of gunpowder and the tinkling sound of shell casings clanging to the floor assaulting their senses.

"Carter!" Jack yelled urgently. They needed to get the hell out of there now!

"Not yet!"

He watched as Carter blasted a few more bugs that were making a beeline down the wall adjacent to the one the gate leaned on, while Teal'c blasted the ones clattering across the floor. He aimed at the ones streaming his way on the ceiling in the hallway, and noticed how swiftly their numbers had grown. The bugs were all over the place now - like a game of Space Invaders on crystal meth. Although he knew it was futile, he wished to hell there was a reset button for this game.

"CARTER!" Damnit, he didn't care if what Carter said needed to happen hadn't happened yet. All he knew was, if they didn't get out of there quick, the bugs would make sure it wasn't an issue anymore.

"Now!" she yelled over the gunshots.

Jack quickly went for the detonator, his hands fumbling as he did so. As far as he was concerned, this was the one thing that was going to put an end to these bugs once and for all. With a quick prayer to a God he only seemed to appeal to in select situations, he took one last look at the damned.

Game over, Jack thought as he flipped the switch.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Nothing was going to tear her away from her work.

As she sat in the open area of the R&D lab, Kayla took a sip of coffee before examining the ballistics test results in front of her. She'd heard the announcement about all non-essential personnel leaving the base but chose to ignore it. If the end was going to come, she was prepared to look it straight in the eye with a hot cup of coffee, a gun in her lap, a middle finger salute and Gloria Gaynor's ' I Will Survive' blaring in the background.

"Always busy," a deep voice said. Kayla didn't look up immediately and her heart didn't jump because she knew exactly whom it was. She watched as the dark-skinned SG-3 Marine made himself at home without being invited to do so. "Don't you know girls don't play with guns?" he joked as he settled into his chosen chair. He was still dressed in his fatigues and although she wondered why, she didn't feel like asking him. That just might make him stay longer than he needed to.

"Lieutenant Kurt Johnson," she announced as she picked up a gun part on her desk and inspected it briefly. "What can I do for a fine Marine such as yourself?"

"Go out with me again," he said, flashing her a wide smile.

Kayla gave him an unreadable expression as she resumed looking at her ballistics reports. "We'll see," she said flatly.

"Why do I feel like I'm being dumped?"

"I don't know," she said as she flipped a page, still not looking at him. "First you have to be in a relationship to get dumped. And the last time I checked we didn't have one."

Johnson moved his chair a little closer to hers. "At least not yet," he said suggestively.

What she wanted to tell him but didn't have the energy to was that a one-night-stand two weeks ago didn't qualify as a relationship. She found him to be overbearing, always trying to tell her what to do, and wasn't worth a damn in bed. He had the size but definitely didn't have the technique - a lousy lay all around. And she knew something was up when the only person she was thinking about through the entire thing was Teal'c. Lately, she'd been backing off a bit due that explosive episode in her office a few weeks ago after he'd returned from Kheb. It was hard to admit, but the intensity of the whole thing actually scared her. If it was bothering him, he didn't say anything. He just acted as if nothing had happened.

And she couldn't tell if she should be worried or not.

Kayla sighed heavily. "We don't have a relationship, Lieutenant," she said, emphasizing his title as she moved an unruly hair out of her eyes. "What part of 'don't' do you not understand?"

Johnson didn't take that too well.

"You know what your problem is?" he asked in a condescending tone. "You need to get laid regularly. You wouldn't be so damn uptight if you did."

Even though that was true, Kayla sure as hell wasn't about to admit it to him.

"Is sex your answer to everything?" she asked, pushing her glasses up a bit.

"It's pretty important if you ask me."

Then maybe you should get better at it, she thought.

"Are you mad because I didn't screw your brains out?" she asked. She was ready to fight and he knew it. In the end, he figured it was better to stay on her good side. After all, he wanted her and pissing her off wasn't going to help.

"Shouldn't you be working on the beta gate?" he chided. "Since you're of those high and mighty smart people after all."

Here he goes with that shit again, she thought. Telling me what to do. Jesus, he's as bad as my ex-husband. She thought of a good 'jarhead' put-down but decided to save it for use at another time.

"Why?" she snapped back at him. "My name ain't Mary Sue. And the last time I checked that sucker was welded shut and put in a place for time to forget."

Johnson drummed his thick fingers on her desk, looking her over as if trying to see the gears working in her head. "I assume you haven't heard yet," he told her.

Kayla took a sip of coffee as she furrowed her brow, finally getting the gist of what he was hinting at. "Heard what?" she asked.

"They don't know if SG-1 is alive or dead," Johnson said as he got up and slid the chair back to where it belonged.

Suddenly, her heart sank into her feet. "What do you mean, they don't know?"

Johnson shrugged. "Thing came streaming into the atmosphere like a bat of out hell with its ass on fire. Rumor has it they beamed up the alpha gate to escape. It's not likely SG-1 made it off though. "

"My, aren't we optimistic," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Besides, we don't know what happened yet. I'm sure Major Carter will find some way to get them back."

"Why do I get the feeling you're more worried about the Jaffa not coming back?"

Here we go again, she thought.

SG-3 versus SG-1, whoever was in charge of SG-3 now versus Colonel Jack O'Neill, Johnson versus Teal'c. The whole thing was getting old to her. Of course, as fate would have it when she required an escort to go off world it always seemed to be SG-3 no matter how much she bitched and complained to Hammond. SG-3 annoyed her because of all that male bravado, SG-3 annoyed Jack because they were Marines, and Johnson was annoyed with Teal'c just because he breathed.

"I don't know Johnson. I'm not you," she said, narrowing her almond-shaped eyes at him.

"Please sweetie," he said, obviously turned on by her display of hostility. "Call me Kurt."

"Kurt, what do you have against Teal'c?"

"He's not one of us," Johnson declared, looking directly into her eyes to drive home his point.

Kayla didn't like his tone. "What do you mean, he's not one of us."

"I mean he's not human ... "

"He's descended from us," Kayla said, disgusted at his lack of insight. "You can be Stevie Wonder and still see that. Jesus, Kurt. You sound like Makepeace." Damn was she ever happy he'd been arrested for stealing alien technology, and that she'd had a hand in busting him. Of course, no one except Jack and Hammond knew that of course.

"What can he really offer you, Kayla?" he demanded, his dark eyes now stormy. "He's an alien. He can't really leave the base unless someone from SG-1 is with him. And the NID can take custody of him at any time should they decide to." Johnson leaned towards her and said, "And in case you haven't forgotten, he's got the worm form of the enemy inside of him. An enemy hell-bent on wiping us out."

Kayla wasn't intimidated. "And in case you've forgotten, he left everything he ever knew to help us," she reminded Johnson but his expression didn't change. "And as for the enemy, what do you think I do here at the SGC? Twiddle my thumbs and hope for a chance of another night of worthless sex with you?"

"Don't turn this around on me," he warned, obviously stung by her words. "What do you think will happen? Do you think the two of you can marry? Have kids? Live in a four-bedroom tract home in an upper crust Colorado Springs suburb? I don't think so. Especially if the NID has anything to say about it." As he stopped to gather his final argument, his voice softened along with his expression. "He's not like us, baby," he said. "You're better off with one of you own kind."

Kayla couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"First of all, I am not your 'baby'," she sneered. "And second, I think it's best if you leave ... now."

Johnson gave her a strange look, and then went for the door. But much to her disappointment he stopped short of exiting. It was obvious he had one more thing to say to her - not that she wanted to hear it but chances were he wouldn't give her a choice.

"You'd be well-advised to steer clear of him," he warned. "I don't trust him and neither should you."

"Well, I do trust him, Johnson. I trust him with my life," she said with conviction. What did he think she was, stupid? Did he really believe she thought he had her best interest at heart when it was glaringly obvious how jealous he was? Considering she'd slept with him and hadn't with Teal'c made the situation even more ironic.

"It's only a matter of time before he does something to betray your trust," he warned. "I can feel it."

After Lieutenant Johnson left, Kayla sat there for a time span she couldn't remember. Could he be right? In the end would it really be futile to get involved with Teal'c? The NID were some nasty folks - hell she'd worked for the NID while at Area 51 and her last assignment was traipsing through a Goa'uld death glider. And to think they could take custody of Teal'c at any time made a shiver of fear course through her body. They can't do that to an ordinary citizen and get away with it but Teal'c was an alien - they could get away with it any time they wanted to. As for children, she hadn't even thought of that. Was it even possible for a human and a Jaffa to have a baby?

Kayla didn't put it past the NID to consider such a thing.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Teal'c stood to the side, slightly out of the sight of the female scribe who was hard at work. The humid heat of the summer Chulakan evening hardly seemed to bother her. The soft light of the torches bathed her body in a warm glow. Her hair was arranged on the top of her head, undoubtedly moved out of the way so she could transcribe without impediment. Teal'c noticed she was dressed in a very sheer linen sheath and had new jewelry on - yet another gift from Apophis. Watching her as she worked made the memories of how they'd last given themselves to each other over a year ago flood his mind. He wanted her so badly, but each attempt he made was rebuffed.

But he was hoping this time would be different.

"I am here to report the results of our campaign," he said softly as he approached.

"The hour is late," May'at told him without looking up from what she was writing. "This is something that could easily wait until morning."

"I wish to recall it while fresh in my..."

"Why are you here, Teal'c?" she demanded, tossing the stylus she held onto the table. It landed with an audible clink before rolling onto the marble floor and out of sight.

"I am here to..."

"Be serviced by me?" she asked in a suggestive tone. She knew full well that was what he'd come for.

"That is your function, is it not?"

May'at scoffed as she drew herself up from amongst her scrolls and tablets. "I am a scribe of Apophis," she declared, "not your mistress. And I have reminded you of such on more than one occasion."

Had she been his slave, he would have been well within his right to punish her for such insolence. But form him to touch her, or worse harm her would bring Apophis' wrath upon him. Instead, all he could to was voice his displeasure. "I remember a time when you did not look upon me with such contempt," he said angrily.

"I was naive then," she explained, unaffected by his angry stance. "I've seen much and endured much in that time. And you know as well as I to service you in the usual fashion would result in both of our deaths."

"How long do you intend to punishing me for my transgression against you?" he asked.

May'at narrowed her eyes at him and said, "That depends on you." Then her expression softened. "From the reports I have read, it has been a long and hard battle against the forces of Chronos. For all that time, the wives of the soldiers have been waiting with prayers and wailing for their safe return. Most of them have either gone to their wives or to the harem. And you, my sweet, should be with your precious Drey'auc."

"I should indeed," he said, the guilt showing in his voice. "But you know as well as I that she will not challenge my whereabouts."

"As I am sure you know, Drey'auc engaged in the same ritual that the other Serpent guard wives took part in," she said, folding her arms across her breast. "She washed your feet before you left, then drank of that water every day that you were gone and prayed for your safe return. She did all of this in honor of you. And when you do return, you come straight to me - the one who has paid no such homage and offered no such prayers for you. So explain to me, my sweet. Why are you here instead of with your wife?"

"Because I..."

May'at cocked her head sideways, knowing exactly why he'd come.

"Need the very thing she cannot give you?" she asked as she walked seductively towards him.

Teal'c tried not to let his facial expression acknowledge what she said was true but failed miserably. As she approached, he could see just how sheer her garment was. Everything, absolutely everything was in view. The sight of her poorly veiled nakedness evoked an erotic response so abrupt it made him wince in pain and lean back onto the desk for support. May'at smiled at his reaction.

"I hear rumors that she is barren," she taunted, running a slender finger across the muscles in his bare chest. "That she cannot give you a son. Of course your wife blames me for that. She worries that I may seduce you again and disgrace your family."

Teal'c pushed it aside. The constant struggle between his wife and his lover was well known. And he knew Drey'auc had yet to forgive either of them for having sex on the eve of their wedding. She should consider herself lucky he hadn't taken May'at as a slave and brought her into their home when he had the chance. Such a thing was common practice among the Jaffa. It was also his right but he'd chosen not to do so to show Drey'auc that he honored her as his wife.

"If I did produce an heir for you, what would you do then?' she asked.

Teal'c cast his eyes towards the floor. "You know the answer to that," he said softly.

"Ah yes, of course. We do not want to embarrass the First Prime of Apophis," she said with unbridled sarcasm. "Or Drey'auc for that matter."

She pressed her body up against him, her hands settling around the bottom portion of his Serpent guard summer uniform. May'at could feel how hard he was and knew that his being forced to sit by and watch her service Apophis probably drove him mad with desire. As far as she was concerned, Drey'auc should be thanking her for making her husband so passionate. As she traced a finger along the ridge of his right ear, she wondered just why his wife hadn't yet conceived.

"May'at," he breathed lustily, still not touching her.

"Does she enjoy love play as I do?" she asked. "Does she know how much pleasure you get from being marked by the pressing of nails against your back?"

"No," he painfully admitted.

"Does she voice her pleasure freely? And does it match the intensity of your own when you come to completion?"

"No,"

Placing her lips close to his ear, she whispered, "Does she give you ... oral pleasure?" She smiled wickedly at how vocal his response was.

"You know she does not," he growled.

"Do you desire me to give it to you?" she taunted again.

"Yes," he hissed. "And more. You know what it is that I need."

He watched as May'at undressed him slowly, obviously taking a perverse pleasure in doing so. For what seemed like forever, she slowly sank to her knees and removed the garment that separated his hardness from her lips. His head dropped backwards and he gripped the side of the desk for balance as the sweet sensation of her pleasuring him orally shook him to the core. It had been too long, much too long since he'd felt her touch, smelled her smell, and tasted that taste between her legs that was uniquely hers. Her hands gripped his muscular thighs as she worked him into frenzy. And when he thought she couldn't do anything that would drive him even more insane, he let out a loud moan as she slipped a finger into his anal opening.

May'at let him slip out of her mouth and rest between her breasts. "This is not what a proper Jaffa wife would do, let alone the wife of a First Prime," she taunted as she pushed her finger in deeper.

All he could do was groan in response as she skillfully massaged his prostate, causing a flood of intense desire course through him. He wished to the Gods that Drey'auc could pleasure him this way but it was not the order of things. A proper Jaffa wife submits to her husband during relations and does not take on the role of the male. But in the case of a slave like May'at, a woman whose side business was pleasure, she was free to take the role should she desire it.

Teal'c gasped sharply as her mouth enclosed him again. The warmth of her mouth, the skilful ministrations of her slender finger inside of him, and the speed of her stroking was driving him towards the abyss. He grabbed her head, urging her to go faster. All he needed was a few more seconds and...

"May'at?" an elderly voice called in the distance. Much to his displeasure she stopped what she was doing to him and got up.

"Cover yourself," she said sharply to Teal'c as she tossed him his garment.

"May'at, I have..." the elderly harem matron stopped short when she saw Teal'c hurriedly putting his uniform bottom back on. "I see you have company," she remarked with a smirk on her face.

"I was just about to take my leave," he said, obviously embarrassed at being caught in this state.

"It has been quite some time since you visited the harem," she said knowingly. " We miss you."

Teal'c gave the woman a slight smile. May'at gave him a sadistic look of satisfaction.

"May'at, Lord Apophis has requested you come to his bedchamber. You must come to the harem immediately so we can prepare you."

Teal'c knew what that meant. He didn't have the guts to tell her every time she gave herself to Apophis it chipped away at his soul.

And he couldn't stop telling himself that he wasn't in love with a slave when he knew he was.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"You've been awfully quiet since we got here," Jack said, snapping Teal'c out of his stroll down memory lane. Sitting in a clearing of grass, both men watched what looked like a group of rabbits scamper across the unspoiled wilderness in front of them. P3X-234 was definitely a back-to-nature kind of place.

"I have not felt the need to say much," the Jaffa replied.

Jack knew if he didn't say something the conversation would die right then and there. Teal'c wasn't much of a conversationalist, so he thought of something that would get his moving. Spending over a week with a preoccupied Jaffa and a somewhat neurotic 2IC was getting to him. Now he knew what Teal'c deal was but was still figuring out what was bugging Sam so much. Something told him Teal'c would be more forthright.

"How was your brief visit with your son?" he asked. Teal'c smiled a little in response.

"Much too brief as always."

"Yeah, and it didn't help that Hammond called you back."

"In a way, I must thank General Hammond. He provided a means for me to escape an awkward situation with my wife."

Jack looked a little confused. "Isn't she your former wife?' he asked, squinting a little at the midday sun. "I mean, she did have her marriage to you removed."

"It is easier at times to just refer to her as my wife, although in reality she is only the mother of my son."

"So what was the awkward situation?" Jack asked, clearly intrigued.

Teal'c sat silently for a few moments, not sure whether to step through the door he had just opened.

"I had relations with Drey'auc," he said softly.

Jack got an amused smile on his face. "So you slept with your ex," Jack said. "Nice to see you're mortal after all."

"I should not have done so," Teal'c said, somewhat upset at his actions. "Even if I was entitled." Jack definitely empathized with him.

"I did that once with Sarah. It's one of those things that just happens, you know?" Jack said. "Sex with the ex isn't so bad. Not something you want to occur all the time but you can't just turn feelings like that off."

"It has occurred more than once," Teal'c told him, the guilt showing in his voice. "And it appears she may want to renew our martial bond."

"Is that what you want?"

Teal'c looked up at a flock of birds flying overhead, noticing that one bird seemed out of formation. "At one time I thought it was. Up until six months ago I was contemplating asking Major Carter to take me to a Tauri marketplace to obtain a piece of betrothal jewelry."

Jack quickly did the math and realized just whom he was talking about. "So you meet Kayla and your plans change. Why?"

"It is complicated, O'Neill," he said, looking back at Jack.

"Okay..." Jack said, picking up on the vibe that Teal'c didn't want to get into the details of it. "So why did you want to go back to Drey'auc?"

"Drey'auc wishes to have another child with me."

"Okay..."

"The one time I was with her she failed to conceive. Now she wishes to try again."

Teal'c didn't want to get into the details of this right now. How the child they'd had before Rya'c died in infancy, while the one after him was stillborn. Infant mortality was common among Jaffa. That was part of the reason why he found it so intriguing that the Tauri have found it necessary to suppress their ability to reproduce because so few children die in infancy. He had no doubt that if Earth doctors were on Chulak, the infant mortality rate would practically zero.

"Let me guess," Jack said, tossing a leftover MRE morsel to a squirrel that begged at his feet. "And you don't want another one?"

"I do," Teal'c said, "just not with her. And I do not know how to tell her as such."

Jack decided to lighten things up a bit. "What's up with you and Kayla? I don't know how you handle it."

"Handle what?" he asked, giving Jack a confused look.

"All that unresolved sexual tension between you and Doc Porter. I've seen her flirt with you and she's merciless. Mere mortals like myself probably couldn't hold out that long." Jack knew he was lying to himself because the tension between him and Carter had gone on for way longer than that and he was still holding out.

"I can be patient O'Neill," he said, remembering how some of that sexual tension had exploded in her office. "On Chulak, access to sexual relations is always in abundance. It is interesting that on your world it is not."

And what had Teal'c interested is how Kayla seemed to be distancing herself from him ever since he'd come back from Kheb. It was truly amusing how being discovered by Bra'tac had somehow unnerved her. She was still somewhat open towards him, but he couldn't help feeling that she was somehow ashamed or intimidated by his passion for her and he wanted to know why. He would need to speak with her soon about this, especially since he'd heard Lieutenant Johnson was also pursuing her.

"So why are you taking so long to make a move?" Jack prompted. Had he been in the same situation, it would have taken a fraction of that much time for him to move on in.

"Because she does not yet desire to have relations with me."

Jack shook his head. "She's playing hard to get."

"Doctor Porter did mention that term to me. It is a means Tauri women use to store up passion in the pursuer."

"Actually, they do it to give you blue balls but you didn't hear that from me."

Teal'c gave him a strange look.

"In all seriousness, I think she's just being cautious. She hasn't been divorced for very long and considering how much of an asshole her former husband was, I don't blame her."

"She told me he could not service her."

Jack chuckled softly. "Oh, he could service thanks to a little blue pill - he just didn't want to service her."

"Explain."

"Captain John Rogers is a smart, skinny prick with an inferiority complex. That's probably why he and Maybourne get along so well. Kayla is a smart, witty, beautiful woman with a heart of gold and a forgiveness problem." Jack tossed some more MRE morsels to the two squirrels that decided to join its sibling in begging. "He kept thinking someone would steal his wife away from him. And man, if she wasn't home when he called, he'd go apeshit and accuse her of sleeping around."

"If I were married to a woman like her, her fidelity would concern me."

Now it was Jack's turn to give Teal'c a confused look. "Kayla isn't the type of woman to go out and have an affair," he said. "Trust me, I know 'cause I tried to sleep with her while she was married. She told me she couldn't do it. That her marriage deserved one last try."

"That is reasonable."

"I drove her home because her car wouldn't start. We get there and she goes upstairs to find something I can't remember. All I know is, she marches downstairs with this pissed-off look on her face, goes into a closet and unlocks this lockbox, pulls out a nine-millimeter and loads the clip in it. Then she tells me to remember everything I see because she may need me as a witness."

Teal'c was intrigued.

"Next thing I know, I hear about five shots ring out and a woman starts screaming. Another two shots and this woman comes running half-naked down the stairs. Then I hear her husband pleading with her to let him explain and then three more shots ring out. Then he comes running half-naked down the stairs. And me being helpful, I hold the door open and toss him his car keys. Well, obviously they weren't moving fast enough because Kayla emptied the rest of the clip in the doorframe. I've never seen two half-naked people run so fast in my life!"

"It appears she attempted Del Mar O Kim," Teal'c surmised. "However that right is only reserved for men."

Jack scoffed. "I wouldn't mention that to her if I were you," he said. "What I don't understand is, why cheat on your wife when you know she makes guns?!?"

"Perhaps he wished to have another partner?" Teal'c asked, still not taking in the gravity of what Jack was explaining. "Should she not have indulged him?"

Jack sighed like he always did when Teal'c didn't get something that was culturally obvious to him. "Teal'c, you've read the Bible right?" he asked. Teal'c gave him an acknowledging nod. "Even I didn't attend Sunday school regularly and know people used to get stoned for adultery in biblical times."

Teal'c found the sin of adultery intriguing and confusing as explained in the Bible. "On Chulak, it was my right to take a mistress if I desired. It is the right of a man to do so."

"Can a Jaffa female do the same thing?" Jack asked, knowing full well the answer was 'no'.

The look Teal'c gave him told him he was right.

The Jaffa closed his eyes briefly and said, "Both a wife and a mistress do not see conflict in sharing a man."

Jack looked at Teal'c in disbelief. He couldn't figure out if it was because it sounded so strange or because it appealed to him.

"Okay, explain this to me," he said, stretching out his hands. "How in the hell do you keep both a wife and a mistress from killing you and each other?"

Teal'c looked at Jack as if he'd asked a stupid question. "By assuring both are sexually satisfied each time relations are engaged in."

It took awhile before Jack figured out exactly what Teal'c was talking about. Once he did, he couldn't hide the shocked look on his face.

"Every ... time?" Jack stammered.

"Yes," Teal'c said simply, taking extreme pleasure in Jack's dumbfounded expression. "Jaffa men are taught to sexually satisfy a female. To do so ensures strong offspring and fidelity." Granted he hadn't been doing that lately with Drey'auc, probably because she wasn't his true wife anymore nor was she his mistress. She was only the mother of his son.

"Well, let's just say if you break her heart, I will kick your ass," Jack warned. "I may not get many licks in but I will try."

"Understood," he said, noticing how Jack was yet again looking for Major Carter. He'd noticed how things seemed quite unusual between them. There was much, as Jack had called it, unresolved sexual tension between them. "You wish to be with Major Carter?" he asked.

"Yeah," Jack admitted. It felt good to admit that to someone.

"Then do so. Tomorrow is not promised," he said.

"But she's my second in command."

"I do not understand why it is forbidden," Teal'c said.

Jack knew the answer to that but didn't feel like getting into it. Instead, he sighed at the trio of squirrels at his feet and indicated to them he was fresh out of food. The squirrels chattered at him and each other, then scampered away into the horizon.

"So what are you going to do about Kayla?" he asked, changing the subject before Teal'c said something profound. "Tomorrow is not promised you know."

"As soon as we return, I will ask her to enter into a dating relationship with me."

"This should definitely be interesting," he said, getting up to stretch his legs. "Remember what I said. Break her heart and I'll come after you. I mean it."

Teal'c gave him a slight bow of acknowledgement.

"Wanna go fishing?" he asked as he stood up and brushed off his pants. "I'm tired of these MRE's."

"Do we not need fishing equipment?"

"Not really. I'll show you something I learned in the Boy Scouts..."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Doctor Daniel Jackson leaned back in his chair, trying desperately to keep himself convinced that SG-1 hade made it off of the Asgard ship. As much as he wanted to indulge himself in playing the 'what if' game, he tried not to. Instead, he found himself hanging out in the control room, keeping Kayla company and partially sane and watching as a team of scientists tried to get the beta gate online. Daniel told himself that they had to get it up and running as soon as possible. He shuddered at the thought of SG-1 trying to dial home for the past six days and couldn't get through because the SGC couldn't get their shit together on this end.

"Daniel!" Kayla exclaimed, jolting him out of his thoughts.

"What?" He said, his blue eyes wide. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Stay with me here," she said with a weary grin. "This is the only thing helping to keep me awake besides coffee."

Daniel held up the next index card, looking at the answer facing him while Kayla tried to figure out the definition of the handwritten glyph on the other side. After a few moments of furrowing her brow and biting her bottom lip, she blurted out a word in Ancient Egyptian.

"Close," Daniel said. "Try again."

Kayla sighed loudly, and then shut her eyes for a few moments to gather her thoughts. She racked her brain, trying to make the connection to what the glyph meant. When she'd finally come to what she thought was the right answer, she rattled off another word in that language.

"Sorry, wrong."

"Damnit!" she yelled, startling Simmons.

"You were close. It meant 'you go'."

"What did I say?"

"We went."

Kayla sighed again. "Isn't there a Berlitz course for this?" she asked wearily.

Daniel laughed softly. "If there was, the SGC might not have hired me. "Here," he said, pulling another card from the stack he held. "Try this one."

Kayla stared at the flash card again. While her left brain tried to translate the symbol, her right brain told her this had to be the craziest thing she'd ever done to try and impress some guy.

Well, the second-craziest thing anyway.

Taking a deep breath, Kayla uttered another word in ancient Egyptian.

"Close," Daniel said.

"What'd I say?"

"Sky."

"What does the symbol mean?"

"Earth."

"Marde!" Kayla exclaimed before dissolving into a tirade of swearing in Creole.

Daniel chuckled; amused at how she couldn't get ancient Egyptian but she could curse perfectly in a dialect of French.

She put her head in her hands in defeat. "I'm never going to get this Daniel," she sighed.

"I know it's hard but you'll get it," he empathized, remembering just how hard it was for him to learn it. "You have to stop trying to think in the Roman alphabet."

He watched as her dark-eyed gaze met his blue one, trying to figure out what the hell he meant by that.

"I guess now would be a good time to bring up how I tried to learn Arabic but just never took to it?" she said, finally figuring out what he meant.

"I'll keep working with you if you promise not to give up. This isn't a language you can learn in a few weeks. Some folks take years to learn it."

"Well, at least it's helping to keep me awake," she said.

"You have been working almost twenty-four hours straight. Relentlessly I might add. You're going to have to rest sometime."

"I not supposed to be here," she whined for the umpteenth time. "I've still got weapons tests to perform and I'm supposed to be doing that. Not stuck in a control booth trying to talk 'computer'. And let's not mention that I haven't even had the time to take a shower yet."

"You smell fine to me," Daniel assured with a smile.

"Answer me a question," she said to Daniel. "I need your expert advice on other cultures."

"I'll do the best that I can," he said.

"Would Teal'c be offended if I asked him out?"

"I don't see any reason why he would be."

Kayla put her feet up on the console in front of her, careful to avoid flipping any switches or pushing any buttons. "I didn't know what Jaffa procedure was for doing such a thing."

"Honestly, I don't know either." The social order of the Jaffa wasn't something he knew very well.

"What's the deal with Teal'c and his former wife? I mean, do you know what happened?"

Daniel hadn't paid too much attention to the rumor mill around the SGC but within the past few days, he couldn't help but notice there was definitely something between her and Teal'c. Neither one had come out and acknowledged anything but from the looks they gave each other, he knew something either had happened or was going to pretty soon.

Daniel clasped his hands. "She had her union to him dissolved after he didn't return from Earth. About a year's time had passed since he last saw them."

Kayla tried to comprehend how someone could just up and dissolve being married to Teal'c. She knew in her mind that if she were in his former wife's position, they'd have to serve her with a court order to divorce him. She took that back - he could still be an asshole; only time would tell if that were true or not. There was definitely something more to this - of that she was completely sure. From the few conversations they'd had about his former wife, Teal'c definitely did not like talking about her all that much. The fact that she didn't even know the woman's name said a lot.

"There's more drama to this than you're telling me," she prompted. "I promise, I won't repeat what you've told me."

"You know about him turning against Apophis, right?"

"Yeah. He told me about that. That's how he got the nasty nickname Shol'va."

"Well, because of his actions, his home was burned and his wife and son became outcasts. Needless to say, their standard of living had dropped dramatically."

"Woah," she said.

"About a year after that happened, SG-1 went back to Chulak after hearing Teal'c's son had been kidnapped by Apophis. When we got there, it was pretty easy to see their standard of living had increased dramatically."

Kayla figured it out instantly, not that it was all that difficult. "She hooked up with some other guy?"

"Married him actually. Had her marriage to Teal'c dissolved and then married him. Turns out he was Teal'c's best friend."

"Did she even love this guy?" Kayla couldn't help but imagine the three of them as guests on Springer.

"Not from what we could tell," Daniel said, pausing to take a sip of coffee. "He offered a solution to her and she took it."

"Considering she was alone with a child to raise, I can see how she would have chose to do so."

"Needless to say, he wanted to kill Fro'tak, which was his right as a cuckolded husband. But Bra'tac talked him out of it."

Kayla let out a wry laugh.

"What?" Daniel asked.

"It's just that I remember when I caught my husband cheating. I was trying to decide whether or not to leave my co-dependent and emotionally abusive asshole of a husband. I'd spent about three hours in a bar, trying to convince myself I shouldn't leave him. Especially given his impotence problem."

Kayla folded her hands in her lap and twiddled her thumbs nervously.

"I get home determined to give my marriage one more try,' she said, putting her feet back on the floor. "I decide that hey, I'm going to get all sexy for my husband and let him know I'm determined to work this all out. But as soon as I get near the bedroom I hear the sounds of somebody having sex and it was not me. I peek through the crack of the door to see my ex-husband and some woman I've never met just going at it. It didn't even seem to me like he had any problems getting it up. Of course, by the bed is an open prescription bottle and those loveley blue Viagra pills."

"Kayla, I'm sorry."

"You're sweet," she said, mentally making a note to get him and Janet hooked up if it was the last thing she ever did. "It's funny, he'd rather be impotent and blame it on me. Then take Viagra and go screwing some woman who couldn't figure out her elbow from her ..."

"I get the idea," Daniel said.

"But rather than run in screaming at my unfaithful husband, I calmly went downstairs, found my nine millimeter 'smart gun' with the special laser-sight and loaded a clip in it. When I walked in, they were so into what they were doing that the only time they got a clue was when I started firing rounds into the headboard."

Kayla took a sip of her now cold coffee, trying not to let the pain of the past make her cry.

"The woman, she couldn't have been more than twenty, started pleading with me not to kill her. I couldn't care less about her. My husband, however, kept pleading for me to let him explain. After firing a few rounds near his feet, I put the laser sight right on his crotch and told him to get the fuck out of my house before I shoot off the last remaining shred of manhood he had."

Now it was Daniel's turn. "Woah," he said.

"Daniel, it was a performance worthy of the Jerry Springer show," she said. "Definitely not my finest moment. Ever since then I resolved not to bring so much drama into my life." Kayla wrung her hands nervously for a few minutes, as if trying to exorcise a part of her past. "Daniel, is Teal'c still married?" Kayla asked. "Because if he is, I need to stop this train right now."

"I'm not all that familiar with customs on Chulak," Daniel said. "But according to what Fro'tak said, she had her marriage to Teal'c 'removed', which sounds like she had it annulled."

"I guess I'll have to ask him for a definitive answer then. If these people can get this damn beta gate up!" she said in a sharply-raised voice.

"Looks like they need Sam's help," Daniel observed.

"If Sam was here, this thing would have been up and running like four days ago." Still sitting in her chair, she rolled over to Simmons and said, "Talk to me Goose. What's going on?"

"I don't get it," he said, his eyes switching back and forth between computer screens. 'The system is online, and we're sending test coordinates to the dialing program, but the gate's just sitting there. It's like it can't receive what the computer's sending."

Kayla walked over and activated the PA system. "Doctor Fancypants, what's the problem?" she barked.

"We don't know," the blond-haired gentleman said, wincing at the nickname she had for him. "We're still working on it."

"You've been working on it for seven days. I don't appreciate you having me pulled off of my weapons tests to watch you work. I can sit on my ass in my office."

"We appreciate having you here," he said. "I just thought you might provide some insight. Like a fresh pair of eyes."

"A fresh pair of eyes doesn't work when you tell me to sit up in this here control room and wait until you need me."

Daniel watched as Kayla shut off the PA system and did a quick diagnostic on the beta-cum-alpha gate. She watched the results the computer spit out and suddenly a disgusted look crossed her face. Flagging down Siler, she said something to him that Daniel couldn't hear then he trotted off somewhere.

"What's going on?" Daniel asked.

"The gate isn't powering up and I've got a sneaking suspicion why that is."

"Mind letting me in on it?"

"Daniel," she began, her eyes still on the computer screen, "I've got two mantras in life. The first one is, 'It ain't over till it's over."

"What's the other?"

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."

"Albert Einstein," he said in realization.

"Profound words from a guy who flunked calculus," she said, flashing him a grin. "Did I mention I flunked calculus the first time around?"

Daniel tried not to look more surprised than he was. "You did?"

"Yeah. And almost failed out of the PhD program but that's a story for a nice long evening at Starbucks."

Suddenly, a phone rang. Simmons answered it then passed it to Kayla.

"Is it on?" she asked. "Good." After passing the phone back to Simmons she motioned for one of the scientists to temporarily vacate the computer they were sitting at. Sliding into the seat, she started punching in a bunch of codes like a possessed hacker. Daniel, still sitting in his chair, wheeled over so he was now next to Kayla. He watched as she ran the diagnostics again and her brain translated the information.

"Are you sure you weren't a computer hacker in your former life?"

"If so, I ain't telling," she said, not looking up as she adjusted her glasses. She hit a few more keys.

Suddenly, the beta gate jumped to life and began dialing the first symbol.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Elvis has re-entered the building," she exclaimed with a grin.

Simmons looked dumbfounded. "I don't know how she did it but we're online and active," he said, watching as the first symbol was encoded onto the stargate. When the first chevron engaged, everyone held their breath to see what would happen next.

Kayla stretched out her hands and cracked her knuckles. "Not bad for a product of the public school system, eh?" she retorted. The little girl inside of her head was sticking a gold star in the middle of her forehead.

All three of them watched as the six remaining symbols were dialed and the beta gate spewed forth an unstable wormhole of welcome before settling into the stable event horizon. The klaxons continued to go off, sounding like a choir of angels heralding that a way for SG-1 to return home had been found.

"Did you do what I think you did?" Hammond asked as he rushed into the control room.

"With Sergeant Siler's help I think I did indeed, General," she said, pointing towards the shimmering event horizon. "But since I believe the third time is a charm, I suggest doing this two more times. I don't want to get people's hopes up in case this was a fluke."

"Agreed," he said. "But I think it's going to work just fine. Thanks to you, SG-1 will be home soon."

I guess my name is Mary Sue, she thought with a grin. The grin quickly dissolved into a look of disgust as she realized the sip of coffee she'd just taken was annoyingly cold.

"Want me to do a coffee run?" Daniel asked his fellow coffee addict.

Kayla smiled. "Daniel, you read my mind," she said. "Thanks!"

"So what did you do?" Hammond asked her.

"I had Siler flip the main breaker feeding the Gate. Seems like Doctor Fancypants and his associates forgot to check that," she said, giving the Sergeant a wink as he walked back into the control room.

Siler just blushed.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Six nights, seven days.

That's how long Sam Carter had been torturing herself about whether or not to make a move on Jack. The days were bad enough, but the nights were even harder. Every night, the same song would play over and over through her mind as she slept next to Jack.

Here in the dark, in these final hours...

I will lay down my heart, cause I feel the power

But you won't. No, you won't....

And I can't make you love me...if you don't...

And it wasn't the freaky Prince version, or the blue-eyed soul George Michael version she heard in her mind. No, this was the pure, unadulterated, woeful country Reba McEntire version that played in her brain. Nothing quite like the jilted lover crooning of country music to depress the hell out of you, she thought as she turned over. On this, the seventh evening, Sam watched Jack as he slept and wondered if he had any feelings for her.

I close my eyes, then I can't see

The love you don't feel, when you're holding me

Morning will come, and I'll do what's right

Just give me till then, to give up this fight

Sam decided she couldn't take anymore and got up to take a walk. The full moon overhead lit a path into a small patch of woods and Sam decided to take it. She needed to get away from the proximity of him. And she knew that if something didn't happen before they got back home, she was ready to give up on the whole idea of being with him. After all, she'd laid bare a portion of her heart and invested her soul in getting him home from Edora. And what she got in return was barely a 'thank you'.

And it broke her heart.

"Are you having problems sleeping Major Carter?" Teal'c asked.

"A little," she said sheepishly. "I'm just going to take a walk. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

'Cause I can't make you love me if you don't...

You can't make your heart feel, something it won't...

Here in the dark, in these final hours...

I will lay down my heart, cause I feel the power...

But you don't, no you won't.

'Cause I can't make you love me...if you don't....

Sam rationalized that Jack didn't have to 'love' her - just have some kind of feelings for her. That's all she would ask. Being around him since the whole Edora incident, trying to figure out what was going on with him, attempting to decipher his body language, it was all wearing heavily on her. Damn, things were so simple before they went there. And she felt guilty for wishing sometimes that they'd never gone there in the first place. Maybe if they hadn't gone, she wouldn't be second-guessing herself so much.

Janet had asked her if it was a problem that she missed him so much. When she said 'no' she wasn't really telling whole truth. On the surface, it wasn't a problem in that it wouldn't impede her working on that particle accelerator to get him back home. But deeper it was a problem for it opened up the floodgates that held her feelings in check because of regulations. As far as she was concerned, where the hell did the military get off regulating feelings anyway?

To avoid situations just like this one, she reminded herself.

Before she could sink further in feeling sorry for herself, the chirping of what sounded like a frog got her attention. If it weren't for the sound, she wouldn't have located it since it was the same color green as the grass. A clever camouflage indeed she thought as she bent to pick the frog up. When the thought occurred that it could be poisonous and that they still hadn't been able to establish a wormhole back to Earth, she stood back up and talked down to it.

"Hey there little frog," Sam greeted with a wave. "If I kiss you, will you turn into Jack?"

"I don't know, the frog might get offended," Jack said, startling her.

Sam jumped up in surprise. "I didn't know you were out here, sir."

"I couldn't sleep," he said, running a hand through his hair. "It's way too quiet out here."

"Yeah," she said, stuffing her hands in her pockets.

After a few moments of awkward silence, the both of them started to say something at the same time.

"You first," Jack acquiesced with a hand wave.

"No sir, you first. I insist."

"Okay," he said. "Carter, you've been acting weird since we got here. What's going on?"

"Nothing," she said, obviously lying.

"It's obviously something."

Sam needed to think of a roadblock. It didn't take long for her to come up with one. "Were you and Kayla, um ..."

"Involved?" Jack asked, completing her sentence. "Is that what's bothering you?"

"It's not bothering me sir," she lied. "I was just curious." What she wanted to know but hadn't had to guts to ask, was what did she have that endeared Jack to her that she didn't? Neither one of them had truly explained what their relationship to each other was. All they would say is, they'd known each other before and they were good friends now. If she hadn't known Teal'c was interested in dating her, she could have sworn there was something else going on.

"Well, if you must know," Jack said with his usual sarcasm, "I dated her for awhile about two years ago. Tried it again a few months ago but realized we'd best stay friends before we wound up hating each other's guts. She's a good friend to me, Carter."

Suddenly, a few drops of rain began to fall. It wasn't a downpour but more like the clouds were having a spitting contest. The drops fell gently and started wetting Sam's t-shirt. Normally she'd be worried about getting cold but the warm climate of the planet made the rain feel cool and welcome on her skin. She also began to notice that the damper her shirt became, the more prominent her breasts appeared. She smiled at the thought, knowing Jack wouldn't be able to ignore what was happening. She definitely couldn't ignore how the dampness made Jack's white shirt cling to his well-muscled chest.

"Don't you think it's a little malicious how she flirts with Teal'c?" she asked, turning her face up towards the rain.

Jack sighed gently. "Yeah, I do. But that's how she is. Besides, Teal'c has made a decision to deal with that once and for all." He watched as Sam enjoyed the intermittent drops of rain, and watched as her t-shirt started to cling suggestively to her body. Clearing his throat, he said, "But this isn't about Kayla, it's about you."

Sam gave him an intense look, knowing Jack was right. She decided it was now or never to go for broke.

"Did you ever want to come home from Edora?" she asked with an edge of hope in her voice.

Jack threw up his hands in resignation. "Oh for crying out loud, Carter! What kind of question is that?"

"It's a simple question, sir," she said, her voice trembling a bit. "Did you want to come home or not?"

"Of course I did."

"You didn't act like it."

"Carter," Jack sighed.

"Sir, I tried my best!" Sam declared, using her anger to keep her from shedding tears. "It took me awhile but I finally came up with a plan. I figured you shouldn't have to wait for a Tollan ship to arrive in a about a year."

"Carter,"

"And I didn't have to sit up all of those late nights working on a way to get you here faster. Do you have any idea how much time and resources I had to use to build a particle accelerator? You can't just skip down to the local Wal-Mart and buy one."

"Carter,"

"The truth of the matter is, I really do care about you. And I can't shut off the feelings I have for you or pretend they don't exist. And if you don't feel that way about me then I'd appreciate it if you could tell me now."

"Samantha," Jack said, trying to catch her attention. "Are you quite finished?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I think I am," she said, just now becoming aware at how fast her heart was beating. She put her hands on her hips and rocked back and forth nervously on her heels. "So what do you have to say to that, sir?"

"Besides saying, 'Carter, I really do appreciate you getting me back to Earth. That I'm eternally in your debt. And that even while we were crashing towards Earth in Thor's ship that all I could think about was telling you how much you truly mean to me.'?"

Jack emphasized his point by kissing her deeply. It took awhile for Sam's brain to realize the man she wanted for so long was doing this to her. Once it did she began kissing him back, wrapping her arms around him as she did so. She was at home in his embrace, validated by the depth of his passion for her.

"Jack," Sam said breathlessly. "What are you doing?"

"Putting you out of your misery," he breathed. "And mine. And what happened to 'sir'?"

"Considering what we just did I didn't think it was necessary."

"You're right, it isn't."

Sam moaned softly as Jack reacquainted his lips with hers. His hands slipped under the t-shirt she wore, seeking the soft twin mounds of flesh that ached for his touch. As he kneaded them softly, they slowly sank into the grass--Jack whispering his longing for her as they went. She could feel his urgent hardness, and he made it a point to make sure she felt just how much she wanted him. Both of them had a want to be fulfilled. They were in the right place, at the right time, and they'd be damned if they blew a chance like this.

"I don't have any condoms," she panted.

Jack rummaged through his pants for a few moments. "I have that covered," he said, holding up one for her inspection. "And you will never guess who gave it to me."

"Who? " she asked.

"Oh, a certain Jaffa we both know and love."

Sam laughed nervously. "Are you serious?"

"You taught him well Carter," he said, staring into her blue eyes. "But no more talk 'cause it's taking me away from the task at hand." After the task of removing her fatigue bottoms and the unzipping of his pants were completed, Sam watched as Jack quickly sheathed himself in latex.

"Jack, please," she pleaded, urging him to join with her as one flesh. Sam cried out in sweet agony, grasping at the short grass with her hands as he slipped inside of her. The sensation of him filling her up made her arch her back in response to take him even deeper. As she adjusted to his size, so many thoughts and feelings coursed through her being.

Sam knew this whole act between them was completely against regulations but right now she didn't care. The only thing she cared about was that Jack O'Neill, the man she knew she had deep feelings for was with her, inside her, stroking her to that place the both of them wanted and needed to be. Each thrust that Jack made came with a groan, and Sam smiled as he gripped her body for dear life. She felt herself tighten around him - not wanting to let him go.

Grasping at his back and pressing her thighs against his, her body shook hard with each thrust her forbidden lover made inside of her. She was flying now. Being carried up towards something so perfect, so right she could hardly stand it. And after Jack hit that peak with her, they fell back to the ground - floating like leaves in the swirling breeze of fall.

"I have a feeling tomorrow's the day we get through to earth," she said, finally finding the breath to speak.

Jack stroked her hair and said, "Yeah, me too."

And at that time, the clouds in the night sky decided to burst forth. Sam and Jack didn't run from the rain. Half clothed yet half naked, they laid there holding each other as the rain blended them into the foliage.

Neither of them could remember a more perfect moment.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Doc!" Jack yelled in a curmudgeonly voice. "Can I please get the hell out of here?"

Doctor Janet Frasier's petite frame quickly made its way over to the complaining Colonel's bedside. "Call me like that again and I'll have that thermometer put in the other way," she threatened.

"Damn Napoleonic power..."

"What was that?" Janet jokingly demanded, although they all knew she was far from it.

Jack sulked a little while Sam snickered at him. It was practically the same routine every time when they came to the infirmary for post-mission physicals. Jack would complain, Sam fidgeted and Teal'c clasped his hands and waited patiently.

Some things never change.

Janet adjusted the stethoscope around her neck. "I'm glad all of you took a shower before coming down here. My delicate nose can only take so much."

"General Hammond insisted we debrief with a shower first," Sam said with a chuckle.

Out of the corner of her eye, Janet saw Kayla standing just in the doorway. "Remind me to thank the General for that," she said, motioning to her that it was okay to come in. "You all check out so you're free to go." Janet left as a nurse flagged her over to attend to something.

"Did you bring back any alien cooties?" Kayla joked as she strolled into the infirmary, making a beeline for Teal'c's bedside.

"Come to think of it, we almost did," Jack told her as he tossed Carter a look. "But they're all in cootie hell right ... now..." Jack noticed Kayla's attention wasn't focused on him. And a part of him felt just a little jealous.

"I came up here as soon as I heard," she said, touching the Jaffa's face gently. It was beyond obvious Teal'c was glad to see her.

"Well, we're all glad to be," Jack stopped talking when he realized Kayla still wasn't paying any attention to him. They all stared in amazement as she engaged in a rather passionate kiss with the SGC's resident alien. It was as if no one else was in the room--they were so into it and each other. The whole display was getting Jack very hot under the collar and made Sam even more fidgety. It had more to do with guilt than jealousy.

"I've been waiting over a week to do that," she said after breaking the kiss, his face still in her hands. "Thanks for saving my planet."

"Hey!" Jack exclaimed. "Carter and I helped!" He looked disappointed when Kayla only blew kisses in his and Carter's direction.

"What's this?" she asked, her index finger only millimeters from the growth on Teal'c's chin.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," Jack warned.

Kayla looked confused. "Why is that?" she asked.

"It is acceptable if you do," he said, moving her finger so it touched the fine growth.

Teal'c closed his eyes briefly as he felt the pleasurable sensation generated by her touch. What she didn't know was that while human hair turned gray with old age, that of Jaffa actually turns blond. He remembered that on the occasion when Kayla asked him to confirm his real age, she'd looked stunned. Then told him that should she marry him, she'd have Anna Nicole Smith beat. He'd never gotten a chance to ask her exactly what that meant.

"I'm not sure what I think of it," she said, smiling and making a mental note to ask him about it in private. "But right now I'm just glad you're back."

"Okay, why does she get to touch it?" Jack whined.

Kayla just laughed at him. "Envy-ade makes your breath smell like pee," she quipped.

Jack shook his head. "What did you just say?" he asked.

"I'd appreciate getting clued in too," Sam added. It was a given that Teal'c didn't understand.

"I'll give you a little lesson here, Teal'c," she said, leaning against his bed. "Some metaphors are exclusive to certain segments of the population. Some to certain ethnic, cultural, and geographical groups." Kayla made sure she had everyone's attention before continuing. "Let me break it down to you people," she began.

"That means she is about to explain further," Teal'c said knowingly.

"I knew that," Jack quipped.

"First off, Gatorade is similar in composition to urine. The vernacular for urine being called pee," she lectured.

"Okay, I'm with ya so far," Jack said.

"Change Gatorade to envy-ade and...."

All three of them still looked confused.

"Basically Jack, don't be so jealous," she said knowingly. Teal'c just smirked at Jack and Sam.

Jack got up off of the bed. "I knew that," he said sheepishly.

"If she keeps teaching him this stuff, he's going to wind up confusing us one day," Sam said to Jack.

"Well," Jack began, "I plan to get back to my fishing trip as soon as possible. You know, up there the fish are this big," he said, spreading his arms so wide it wasn't even funny.

Kayla wasn't impressed.

"Jack," she said, "Do you know you're going to hell for telling lies?"

"Yeah, I know. I got the brochure in the mail yesterday," he grinned as he walked out with Carter .

"It seems O'Neill and Major Carter were confused by your use of metaphor," he said, glad that at least they were somewhat alone. "It was interesting to see them confused instead of just I."

Kayla gave him a knowing smile. "Teal'c, you're not the only one who can get confused by metaphors," she said. "I just wanted to illustrate that depending on the content, anyone can get confused by them."

"And I thank you for that," he said as he got up from the bed and followed Kayla out of the Infirmary.

"You're most welcome," she said as they joined the flow of traffic through the hallway. "Trust me, there is more where that came from. Now all we have to do is perfect that joke of yours about the Serpent, Horus and the Setesh guards and they won't know what hit them."

Now that was one of the things he truly loved about her. The way she could pick up on his uncertainties about Tauri metaphors and customs and show him how to relate his culture to theirs. She never seemed to forget his culture was just as rich and diverse as her own. She didn't make him feel like he was on the outside looking in when he was with her. Although he had to admit, the one area where he felt he was at a loss was sex. No matter how much he inquired or learned, he couldn't seem to figure out how to broach the subject with her. The subject needed to be approached quickly for when she kissed him, he had to fight hard to override his instinct to take her right then and there.

"Are you free this evening?" he asked, folding his hands behind his back and standing to the side out of the flow of foot traffic. Kayla followed and stood next to him.

"No, I'm not free," she said, placing her hands on her hips. Kayla watched as Teal'c's expression turned somber until he realized she was joking. "I'm available but definitely not free. It'll cost you something."

"And what is the cost?"

"Probably your sanity."

"I highly doubt that," he said, looking her over. Teal'c watched as her eyes searched his for some sort of insight. He hoped that his eyes would tell her how much he missed her, how much he wanted her, and how the days he spent on P2X-234 seemed like an eternity since all he wanted was to get back to earth - and back to her. He wanted to hold her again, feel her body again like he did in her office that time. The passion that erupted then was still there - he could feel it.

And he wanted to feel it again.

"I'll tell you what," she said, nervously biting her bottom lip. "I've got some experiments to check up on and some phone calls to make. But after then I'm available. We can live dangerously and eat in town. How does that sound?"

"Most agreeable," he said warmly. He was about to walk away to the debriefing but her soft hand on his upper arm stopped him.

"Do you trust me?" she asked, looking into his eyes.

"Completely," he said. And that was the truth.

"All right," she said, smiling although it was clear she was a little nervous. "Come by my office after your debriefing with an overnight bag packed. We won't be returning to base until early tomorrow."

"What will transpire between this evening and tomorrow morning?" he asked, giving her an intrigued look.

Kayla's gaze went from the walls and to the floor before meeting Teal'c's eyes. "A hero's welcome," she said softly.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

He didn't expect to be going home - ever.

Jack remembered being in that cave with Laira, Ganan and Naytha, thinking all they had to do was wait until the coast was clear and everything would be okay. So he thought he hadn't heard right when Paynan said he'd tried to flee with his people to the stargate only to find that it was gone. He didn't even want to think there was no way of getting home. With all the widespread debris, he must have turned around a hundred times, expecting the stargate to magically reappear out of thin air. It was then that Laira realized her people couldn't return home - and neither could he.

From the time he held out hope he would return home until the day he realized he belonged with Laira and the Edorans, he had helped them rebuild their world and his soul in the process. Through it all, Laira had been an island of sanity in his sea of confusion. Jack didn't think he'd ever fall in love again but he had - slowly and deeply. So when Ganan came home and excitedly told him and Laira that their people were coming back through the stone ring, all he could do was sigh and remember all that had happened within the past hundred days.

He remembered helping them rebuild in the aftermath of the 'fire rain'. He remembered the intoxicating drink that was smoother than the stuff Daniel's kids cooked up on Abydos but gave you one hell of a hangover. He remembered coming to think of Ganan as his own son - lavishing the love he had for Charlie on him. He remembered the night Laira told him her wish for him to give her a child - a wish he enjoyed trying to grant. And he remembered finally realizing it was the simpler things in life that made him happy.

And life was definitely simple on Edora.

As he stood there among his SG-1 teammates, all he could do was look longingly at Laira. He knew the sacrifice she had made to let him go home and knew this had to be tearing her apart as much inside as it was for him. Him returning home, her people returning home - this was definitely a bittersweet day for them. His heart was heavy and it showed.

"You attention is focused elsewhere, O'Neill," Teal'c observed.

"Can you blame me?" Jack retorted, receiving an arched eyebrow in response from the Jaffa. "In case I haven't said it before, thanks again for being such a stubborn son of a bitch," he told Teal'c, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "I owe you."

"You also owe MajorCarter."

Out of courtesy, Jack asked Sam just how she'd managed to send Teal'c through. As he thought, Sam descended into a tirade of technobabble that sounded fascinating and logical to her but just made him want to tune her out. All he could think about was that he was about to leave a home he'd learned to love.

Sam continued explaining, hoping to eventually capture Jack's attention. "So when the third MALP sent back just a few seconds of telemetry, we knew the gate was horizontal ... " Her voice trailed off as Jack walked towards where Laira stood. Turning to Daniel with a confused expression on her face, she asked, "Is he all right?"

"He's fine," Daniel said, squinting his eyes a bit. "I just don't think he was expecting to go home again." All three of them watched as Jack went back over to Laira, not even so much as tossing a look back their way.

You must be very happy to be returning home," Laira said as Jack stood in front of her.

"No," he said, his voice heavy. "I'm not."

"You don't have to," she said, unaware Sam had heard her and turned away dejected.

Jack took her hands in his. "Come with me," he implored her, knowing full well what the answer would be.

"I belong here," she told him, although her eyes told him the thought did appeal to her.

"I'll be back ... soon. We still have that treaty to talk about."

"Of course." Laira smiled although she was crying on the inside. "Our two worlds are going to be friends," she said, as they hugged each other. "Closer friends."

The hug became more intense - as if hanging onto each other for dear life. The both wanted to squeeze as much out of this moment as possible for they did not know when they would reunite. Jack wanted to kiss her desperately, but protocol dictated that he shouldn't. So instead, he let his hands say what his lips wanted to.

"Fair day and be well," she rasped, trying her best to hold back tears. Jack gave her body a final squeeze before going back to a world of which he was not eager to return.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Sir?" Sam said. "Are you okay?"

"What?" Jack asked.

"You were pretty deep in thought there," she said, giving him a nervous look. "Thought I might have to send in a search party to bring you out."

Jack shook his head. "What were you saying to me?" he asked incredulously.

"We've got to talk about this sooner or later, sir,"

"After what happened on P2X-234 I think you can call me Jack."

Sam didn't think so. "Not while we're on base, sir. It feels too weird."

The whole damn thing was weird, he thought. After leaving the Infirmary, Sam kept acting like she wanted to talk, but couldn't figure out how to form the words. And she'd been making strange small talk all the way to her quarters. He had to give her credit - at least she was trying.
All he could do is replay what happened on the planet and ask himself one question.

What the hell was he thinking?

As he stepped inside Sam's quarters, he tried to analyze what happened on that planet five ways from Sunday. One minute he was just checking to see if she was okay, the next he was trying to assure Carter he appreciated her efforts to get him back home from Edora and then the next minute he was taking her clothes off, and a few minutes after that he was inside of her, yelling her name like he'd known her all his life.

"Why did you make love to me?" she asked, her blue-eyed gaze locked on his.

I wish I knew the answer to that myself, Jack thought.

"You looked like you needed it," he said, running both hands through his graying brown hair. As soon as the words left his lips he knew that he'd fucked up. Sam's bottom lip began to tremble and she turned away. "Sam ..."

"I didn't need your pity!" she spat as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Carter!" he said, then dropped his voice. "Sorry. It wasn't out of pity, okay?"

"I don't consider us an 'item' since we slept together if that's what you think."

"Please don't minimize this," he said, turning her around to face him. "I do care about you. Very much. And I made love to you because I wanted to let you know how much I felt for you. I wanted to tell you in words but it just seemed easier to show you."

"I know," she said softly, her blue eyes intense with emotion. "I guess almost dying on Thor's ship had a lot to do with it."

"It had something to do with it but not everything."

Sam dropped her gaze to the floor. "Did missing Laira have anything to do with it?" she asked.

Jack exhaled sharply. "Now why did you have to bring her up?" he asked, his voice serious yet not scolding.

"Because she is an issue."

"An issue with you," Jack said. "First it was Laira, then you bring Kayla up. You know, I have more women in my past than just them. But we're talking about you and me, Carter. Just us," he said, pointing from himself to his 2IC and back. "I made love to you because I wanted to. I wasn't thinking of anybody else but you."

And that was the honest truth. Being inside of her was like being in paradise. To take her to those passionate heights made him feel more powerful than he could ever imagine. He had feelings for Sam but on earth he couldn't act on those feelings. Jack rationalized that maybe that was the crux of the reason why he'd made love to her. Off-world there were no cameras, no superior officers to report to, no court-martial waiting to bite you in the ass. What he'd been thinking is that after surviving a brush with death, he wanted to celebrate life.

And he hadn't felt more alive than when he was inside of her.

"But the truth of the matter is, we are back on earth," he said, watching as Sam plopped herself down on the bed. "And if it got out what we did, you know as well as I do that we'd be court-martialed. And as equal as the military says it is we know the book would get thrown much harder and farther at you than at me."

Sam sat on her hands on the bed, her mind processing everything Jack had said. "So what happens now?" she asked, looking at him for the answer.

Jack leaned his head against the wall and sighed. "I'm still trying to figure that out," he said.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Teal'c looked out the window of the richly appointed hotel suite to see the streetlights and car headlights twinkling in the night. Originally he had planned to request of General Hammond if he could resume his visit with his son, then take his evening meal, do his usual security rounds and then retire for Kel No Reem. He didn't expect to be signing himself out for the evening, riding out in a posh luxury sports sedan with a beautiful woman serving as his driver, with no clue as to what would happen except that he wanted it to happen with her. Turning his attention to the woman seated across from him whose skin matched the shade of his own, he fondly recalled the looks he received from some of the base personnel when he left with her.

He looked at the spread of food in front of him, marveling at how different it looked from that served on base. When he asked Kayla why that was so, she told him he didn't want to know - that ignorance was definitely bliss in this case. Of course he'd been in town to dine on a few occasions with his SG-1 teammates, but never on a 'date'. Not that Kayla had mentioned this was a date but the situation seemed to fit. Conversation had been pleasant as usual, and they were nearing the end of their repast.

"It's a good thing we told General Hammond where to find us," Kayla said as she looked out of the window. "Once Jack finds out you're gone and that I shut my cell phone off, he's gonna go apeshit."

Teal'c smiled devilishly, remembering that he was the one who recommended she also turn her pager off in case Jack tried to contact her that way. The last thing he wanted was for this evening to be interrupted because O'Neill was 'worried' about him. The only person who truly needed to know his whereabouts was General Hammond. And when he told the balding CO of the SGC where he was going and who he was going with, he gave Teal'c a knowing smile and said, "Don't get into too much trouble, son."

"My first choice would have been to cook for you myself but obviously that didn't happen tonight," Kayla lamented as she took a sip of wine. "My second choice would be to take you to Aunt Sylvia's Back Porch but that's on the other side of town and probably packed with people. Besides, we'd never get a reservation this late. They've got the best soul food in town and people come from all over Colorado Springs to eat there."

Teal'c looked a little confused. "What is 'soul food'?" he asked, making a tent with his fingers as he settled back into his chair.

"Food that tastes really, really good but in reality is pretty bad for you. In my culture, well to be more specific my 'ethnic' culture, food is prepared with such detail and flavor as to show the love a person has for the person or persons who are to consume the meal." Kayla laughed a little, as if recalling a fond memory. "It hails from the days when my ancestors had very little if any money but could work wonders with food."

"There is a similar custom among Jaffa," Teal'c said. When he told her what the name for it was in his language but she didn't quite catch it. He smiled at her failed attempt to repeat what he said. He had to give her credit for trying.

"Our people are not so different," she said, drinking the last bit of wine in her glass. Teal'c noticed it was quite expensive, and she did not consume mass quantities of it. Compared with Colonel O'Neill, Kayla didn't drink very much at all. "There is a question I have about your people though."

"I will answer it as best I can," Teal'c said with a slight nod of the head.

Kayla gently placed the wine glass back on the table. "Are they brought to Chulak from other worlds?"

"Yes. Chulak is the Jaffa home world. Those taken from other worlds by the Goa'uld who are to be made into Jaffa are taken there."

Teal'c watched as Kayla made a connection in her mind. After tapping her nails on the stem of her empty wineglass she said, "Sounds like what the Caribbean islands were for the slave trade."

"Slave trade?" he asked, not quite figuring out what she meant.

"Yes," Kayla said, a little taken aback. "My ancestors were slaves in this country. You didn't know that?"

"No, I did not."

In most of the literature he'd read about Western culture, strangely he had not come across anything about slavery in this country called the United States. He spoke on occasion to the other dark-skinned Tauri warriors but did not inquire as to why so few of them were at the SGC. Truth be told, it had never crossed his mind to ask.

"For over three hundred years in fact. Only within the past hundred and thirty years have we been free. " Kayla declared as she shifted position in her chair. "Anyways, back to what I said earlier. Slaves were brought to the islands in the Caribbean from Africa as a source of cheap labor. They were encouraged to breed, work in the fields cutting sugar cane, and sold off to middle men who then brought them to the United States."

"So you are descended from slaves?" he asked, starting to notice Kayla wasn't all that fond of talking about the subject.

"Slaves and the native peoples of this country. And a few 'settlers' but they probably wouldn't admit to it."

Teal'c quickly recalled how Tanini's people were the descendants of Native Americans. "This symbol on my forehead symbolizes slavery to the false gods. I am descended from slaves as well," he said, empathizing with her. "But unlike with your people mine are not free." Teal'c knew there was more to this story and somehow felt he needed to find out. "I wish to know more about the enslavement of your people."

"I'll give you a reading list," Kayla said, her expression somewhat terse. "The history of slavery in America would definitely take more than one evening to explain. And not to squelch your desire for knowledge but I'd rather talk about other things this evening."

He picked up on the social cue not to press the issue further though he desperately wanted to know more. Teal'c knew the Tauri were not without their dark history and it was obvious Kayla's ancestors had something to do with that. He had told O'Neill he wished to know everything about this world. It was obvious there were some things about this world he wasn't knowledgeable enough about or may not want to share.

"Teal'c," she said, wiping her mouth gently with a linen napkin. "Are you still married?"

It was a topic shift without a clutch.

"If I am?" he asked, definitely not expecting her to ask him that. He let a smile conceal his discomfort with the subject.

Kayla answered by getting up. "Then I guess it's time for me to take you back to base," she said, obviously hurt.

"I am not married," he told her, placing his large hand over her own to stop her from leaving. "And I am sorry my attempt at humor was ill-received."

"It's my fault for having such a thin skin sometimes," she said, sitting back down. "I can dish out jokes like that but at times I can't take it as well.

"I was considering restoring my marriage to Drey'auc," he said, looking again out of the window.

"What changed your mind?"

"You," he said, turning his gaze back to her. "I once told you of your resemblance to a woman who was to become my wife."

"Yes, you did," she said, giving him an intriguing look. "As I recall, you didn't seem up to telling me what happened to her."

"She was a slave," he recounted. "A slave I could not admit I had love for until it was too late. It would have gone against social order for me to marry her."

"I take it a slave is lower on the social ladder than a Jaffa?"

"Much lower," he said softly. "In the end I bowed to duty instead of what my heart wanted. And for that I paid dearly. Apophis took her as Amunet's next host, but she was abducted by one of his enemies before the Goa'uld could be implanted. I have not heard anything since."

Teal'c took a drink of water before continuing.

"After her capture, Apophis had an elite group of Serpent guards and I go to various worlds through the stargate looking for a potential host for Amunet. I even came to your world and abducted one of your people. Eventually DanielJackson's wife, Sha're, became Amunet's new host. And I regret I had to end her life in order to save his."

"Does anything of the host survive?" Kayla asked.

"Very little," he said. His expression then turned more serious. "I must tell you, by being associated with me you may be in grave danger should you go off-world, especially should you encounter Apophis or any of his enemies."

Kayla chuckled a little, putting her stocking-clad feet up on the arm of the chair adjacent to her. "I make guns, remember?" she said, pointing a finger to herself while using the other hand to smooth her pant leg. "No one in their right mind would mess with me. Trust me, I can handle myself. Besides, I've been off-world twice."

"You were severely injured he first time," he reminded her, trying not to recall the memory of her lying in the infirmary after that mission.

"Yeah," she said, trying not to recall the same memory. "And the next time I was under the influence of some alien moonshine as were you. Remember that?" she prompted with an arched eyebrow.

Teal'c gave her a knowing look. What happened on P7Z-969 was both unsettling and exhilarating at the same time. They had both agreed to speak no further of the events that happened on that planet.

"You do not speak much of your family," Teal'c observed.

"I prefer not to speak much of them," she said flatly, folding her arms and slightly wrinkling the burgundy silk blouse she wore. He could sense a tone of disdain in her voice and was intrigued.

"Are you not on amicable terms with your family?"

"No," she said. "Well, I do speak with my mother on occasion. She still plays the role of the long-suffering military wife. Both she and my father thought my divorce was a mistake. Thought Captain Dick could do no wrong. And as for my father, well, I haven't spoken to him in months. And as for my brothers - they only contact me when they need something."

Teal'c wanted to ask her just who her father was, but could see she was not very comfortable speaking of it. Kayla hardly ever mentioned her family without associating the word 'dysfunctional' with it. It was obviously a painful subject for her to talk about so he thought of something else.

"Why are you not afraid of me?" he asked.

"I've been waiting all of my life to meet someone from another planet. And I wasn't prepared for them to look as good as you do," she said, admiring how he looked in a crisp white shirt and dark pants. "I will admit there is one aspect of you that does frighten me."

"The Goa'uld larvae that I carry?" he said, stating the usual thing that made humans nervous around him.

"Well, that does to a degree but it's not the main thing that frightens me about you."

"Then what?" he asked.

Kayla flicked a piece of lint to the floor. "How you make me feel," she said. "What happened in my office a few weeks ago kind of frightened me. I can't remember when I'd had feelings that intense. Come to think of it, I wasn't even that passionate towards my ex husband ..."

"Why does that frighten you?"

"I guess I don't feel I deserve to feel like that. Like something's wrong."

"I am not embarrassed about the passion I feel for you," Teal'c said, clasping her hand in his own. "And the kiss you gave me in the infirmary proves you are not embarrassed of what you feel for me."

"I thought you were dead," she said, her voice cracking a bit. "When Johnson came to my lab and told me about the Asgard ship crashing and that no one knew if SG-1 had gotten off in time, I just got this sick feeling. And all during the past week I kept beating myself up about not letting you know how I truly felt about you. And I swore that should I get another chance, I wasn't going to wait."

Teal'c brushed aside the mention of the SG-3 Marine's name. After all, he was here with her. "I am glad you have decided not to wait," he said, flashing her a sexy smile.

"That for the first time in my life I feel truly alive when I'm around you," she said, running her fingers lightly across his hand. "And this going to sound really sappy but ... you appreciate me for who I am. Not what you want me to be. And when I'm with you, I don't feel like something with me is broken that you or I have to fix."

"Trying to change who you are would be futile," he said. "Though ought the time I have known you, you seem to be interested in who I am as opposed to what I am. Even when direct in your questioning you still endear yourself to me."

"Thanks, I think," she said, feeling as if her cheeks were on fire.

Teal'c decided to finally tell her what had been foremost on his mind. "I wish to enter a dating relationship with you," he said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Really?" she asked, giving him a look that asked if he knew what he was getting into. "You're willing to put up with me for an even longer period of time?"

"I do not call spending time with you, 'putting up' with you."

"Then what do you call it?"

"Time well spent getting to know you."

He watched as she blushed some more and nervously bit her bottom lip. She started to say something then stopped. Then tried again and stopped again. Finally the words found a voice. "Can I ask you a question?" she said.

"Only if it is personal."

Kayla cleared her throat a few times. "Can Jaffa contract sexually transmitted diseases? I mean, I don't have anything I could pass on to you. Do you?"

Teal'c thought for a moment. "Because of the symbiote that heals my kind, such a thing is not possible. I could not transmit such a thing to you nor you to I."

"But you could get me pregnant," she said.

Teal'c thought for a few moments. "That is possible," he said softly.

"I'm going to go shower," she said with a smile, patting his hand and then getting up from the table. "We'll continue this conversation when I get out."

"I will be here upon your return," he said, slowing letting her hand go so she could leave. Watching her as she left, something told him that the conversation wouldn't consist of many words.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Teal'c didn't know why he was trying to perform Kel No Reem earlier than he usually did.

He figured part of the reason was he didn't want to seem presumptuous about having sex tonight. They'd only talked about it - she hadn't said anything yet about actually doing it. Performing the ritual, no matter how premature it seemed, took the edge off of his arousal. Teal'c sat on the floor at the foot of the bed, shirtless with his legs crossed and his eyes closed. He tried to will away the sound of the shower, the soft, feminine smell of the soap, the sound of her occasional singing, and the image of her completely naked under the spray of water.

Being out of control was one of the scariest things to a Jaffa. According to what Master Bra'tac had taught him, a Jaffa is always in total control mentally, spiritually and especially physically. He knew trying to stay in control would be most difficult tonight. Teal'c questioned himself about why he found it so frightening. Perhaps because not being in control was not something to which he was accustomed. Even in that moment right before the culmination of extreme pleasure, lack of control was disconcerting although one did not dwell on it long.

He sensed movement behind him but did not turn around. Instead, he tried to concentrate harder on reaching that state of Kel No Reem. But the harder he tried, the more elusive it became. Mentally swearing in his native tongue, he tried again. And again, he failed. Images of Kayla drying off that naked, curvy figure of hers assaulted his mind.

And he was helpless from stopping his body from responding.

He inhaled and exhaled sharply, adamant again on reaching that state before Kayla should approach him. With any luck and extreme mental discipline, he would reach that state before she slid under the covers. Teal'c was trying so hard to focus, that he could have sworn his mind was playing tricks on him when he heard Kayla say something in his own language.

"Did you say something?" he asked in English, his eyes still closed.

"I have not properly thanked you for saving my world," she replied in his language.

Teal'c opened his eyes, stood up slowly and turned towards Kayla's voice. The only person he was used to speaking his language was DanielJackson - he had to have taught her this. It wasn't her trying to mimic a word he said, but an actual sentence spoken in a suggestive tone with conviction. Her American accent gave an exotic dash of spice to the words, exciting him all the more.

The fact that she was standing in the doorway of the bathroom in a calf-length red silk nightgown only added fuel to their passion that burned like the fires of Netu. Her hair was still pinned up, and her skin glistened with the last remnants of her shower. She was leaning against the doorframe, emphasizing the full curvature of her figure.

Teal'c caught his breath. "What is it you mean by 'properly'?" he said in English as she approached closer.

There was no shyness in her eyes, only unadulterated desire. She stood in front of him, her gaze looking up into his own. Kayla answered his question in a universal language by bringing his head down to her level and pressing her full lips to his own. It was an invitation for him to either accept or decline. Pulling her close to him, he readily accepted. The kiss didn't explode like what happened in her office, but was more like a slow burn. They took their time exploring each other's mouths, noticing what fit them best and what didn't. Teal'c moaned audibly as his hands took a leisurely tour of her body.

"I remember you stating the need for us to continue our conversation," he managed to say. His hands were still moving under the soft silk of her gown, languishing in the feel of her skin.

"I am continuing it," she said lustily, pressing her body closer to him. "Is that a zatnikitel in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

"I do not underst..." his inquiry drifted off into a low moan as Kayla firmly clasped the hardened desire between his legs in one of her hands.

"This is what I mean," she whispered huskily.

"Yes, I am very happy to see you," he growled.

He resumed the kiss, gently slipping his tongue inside to tangle with hers. Moaning softly as her hands took in the muscles of his back and upper arms, he knew they were fast approaching the point where they should either stop or keep going until they were fulfilled. He couldn't stand to be interrupted this time. This time he needed to be inside of her, making her feel the strength and pleasure each stroke would produce. He needed to hear her call for him as he brought her to that place only the Gods reside.

"Is this what you desire?" he rumbled softly, pressing his erection against her thigh. "Is it what you truly want?"

"Yes," she said, forcing him backwards until the edge of the bed hit him in the back of his knees, forcing him to fall backwards onto the supportive softness.

She collapsed on top of him, letting out a playful laugh as he urgently slid up all the way onto the bed. His large arms encircled her, pulling her to him again for another kiss. He knew he would never tire of the sweet taste of her mouth, recently accented by the taste of mint toothpaste.

"The taste of you is always sweet," he said, breaking the kiss. "There was no need to add to it."

Kayla traced a line from Teal'c's forehead down to the bridge of his nose. "Considering how much garlic I had for dinner," she said with a grin, "there was definitely a need."

He watched as Kayla took in the look of him, and made quick work of removing the sole garment he wore that stood between her and the very thing he wanted to put inside of her. Her tongue explored every inch of exposed skin, setting it on fire as she went. The feel of it was sheer torture yet exquisite pleasure. Clearly she knew what she was doing and took perverse pleasure in every erotic sound he made in response.

"Your symbiote isn't going to try and take me as a host, is it?" she asked, tracing the slits of his pouch with her index finger. The symbiote stirred but did not try to come out and investigate.

"It is much to young to blend with a host," Teal'c assured. He let out a soft sigh as she replaced her finger with her tongue.

"How did you get this?" she asked, moving up to trace the gold tattoo on his forehead.

"When I joined the elite ranks of the Serpent guard, it was cut deep into the skin with an orack knife. Pure, molten gold was poured into it."

Kayla winced. "Ouch," she exclaimed, touching it gently. "That must have really been painful." She then traced the outline of it with her tongue, her breasts teasing him behind the wall of silk as she went over it.

"Not as painful as your merciless enticement," he rasped, his hand sliding under the pillow beneath his head. When Kayla saw what he pulled out, she gave him a mock look of surprise. Teal'c figured just in case they did have sex, he didn't want the flow interrupted by searching for this infernal contraption. He hoped he could talk her out of using it but didn't want her to think he wasn't being inconsiderate of her feelings on the matter.

"Here, let me help you with that," she said, taking the foil-wrapped packet from him. Kayla expertly ripped the package open, removed the condom, and unrolled it onto him with deliberate slowness.

"Is it truly necessary that I wear this?" he implored. "I do not like it." The last thing Teal'c wanted was this 'thing' between he and she. He wanted to feel every ridge of her, feel how wet she would become during the course of their loveplay, feel the hot warmth of his essence as he shot it into her. He wanted to drown himself in the smell of sex and he couldn't do that wearing this Tauri contraceptive device.

"Do it for me," she encouraged, kissing his neck softly.

Teal'c was still undaunted. "I could please you better without it," he plea-bargained.

"Nice try," Kayla joked, giving him a swift kiss. Her expression then turned a little more serious. "But we need to have a few more conversations before getting rid of the raincoat. Besides, it'll give you incentive to stick around in the morning."

"I will be ..." Before Teal'c could protest further his words trailed off as Kayla took him inside of her. She did it slowly, allowing her body to adjust to his size inch by inch. "You truly intend to kill me,"' he said, his deep voice cracking along with his resolve.

"When you go you'll have a smile on your face."

A deep groan escaped from his throat as he remembered just how tight human females could be. Her vaginal muscles rippled around him, threatening to bring him to completion before he was truly ready. It took extreme mental discipline for him not to give in to that feeling. Instead he closed his eyes and grasped one of the soft pillows next to him in bed.

When Teal'c heard her gasp sharply, his eyes flew open in concern. He was buried to the hilt inside of her, and it was obviously causing some discomfort. He was stretching her probably more than a human male would, and voiced his concern that he was hurting her. She quickly assured him that wasn't the case and that she would be fine. He remained still, giving her more time to adjust to the sensation of him stretching her. After assuring Teal'c she was okay, she continued on her mission.

Kayla swiveled her hips, smiling devilishly as the motion caused the Jaffa to almost sit completely upright. She playfully pushed his upper body back down upon the bed and resumed the slow, gentle motion of riding him like the powerful steed he was. Teal'c groaned with each stride, calling out for her in his own language. Beads of sweat formed on his body, dampening the crisp and elegantly trimmed cotton sheets.

Teal'c gripped her hips as if attempting to push himself deeper inside of her. Kayla rode him harder and faster, all the while telling him how he didn't seem so tough at the moment. He had no strength for a quick rejoinder. Had she been a Jaffa female or a human female he had previously mated with, he would have pressed his heels into the bed and thrust upward with abandon. Because this was his first mating with Kayla, he did not wish to injure her. Instead, he left her in control, leaving him sweating, growling and pressing his thick fingers into her full hips. His nakedness was exposed, while hers was still hidden under a film of red silk. Teal'c moved one hand to expose one of her chocolate-tipped breasts, sucking in his breath at the sight of it.

He was careening out of control. His body knew he was in the danger zone. His mind screamed for him to stop - to make sure she was fulfilled before he came. But the usual rules did not apply. Kayla was in control and after meticulous pleasuring was quickly taking him to that place he wanted to go. His hands grasped her backside firmly through the silk, keeping her in contact with him as she rode him. And although he knew they were false gods, it did not stop him from calling on them as Kayla sent him streaking across the sky like a shooting star. The pleasure mixed with a dash of pain was intense, causing his body to shudder. Teal'c bared his teeth and with an animalistic growl sprayed his seed into his Tauri lover.

"Did I please you?" she asked as she nuzzled his neck with kisses.

"Extremely," he panted.

His hands wrapped themselves around her body, pulling down so she lay on top of him. His hands tangled in her hair as he tried to will his breathing to return to normal. When she tried to move off of him he stopped her, requesting that he remain inside of her for a bit longer. He felt his seed running out of the condom and much to his dismay; Kayla disengaged herself to go get a towel to clean them both up with. While she was gone, he asked himself why Tauri sex, while indeed pleasurable, seemed so ...

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

His symbiote told him to wake up.

Teal'c stirred slowly in bed, letting his mind adjust to the fact that he wasn't coming out of Kel No Reem. When he remembered what happened, he became totally disgusted with himself for falling asleep in the first place. He was Jaffa - he should have been strong enough to resist. As he turned over, Teal'c noticed the room was dark save for a small light next to the bed that Kayla was reading by. She was still clothed in her nightgown, engrossed in what she was reading.

Teal'c moved closer to her, placing a large hand on her upper arm. "Please accept my humblest apologizes," he told her. "My falling asleep is unforgivable."

Kayla just smiled. Pushing the glasses further up on her nose, she said, "It's okay, really. You just looked so cute asleep that I didn't have the heart to wake you."

"How long have I been asleep?"

"Oh, for about an hour." Her expression then turned to one of concern. "Why are you so upset?" she asked.

"A Jaffa is supposed to assure the female is satisfied first in sexual relations."

"Really?" she said, an intrigued look replacing the concerned one. "My ex-husband thought women come second or not at all. Anyways, relax. It's not like we won't get a chance to do it again before we check out."

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, shutting her book and putting it aside. "Why do you ask?"

He turned over, imprisoning her under his muscular upper torso. He removed the gold-rimmed glasses from her face and gently them down on the nightstand. For a time, he just looked at her - taking in the wide-set almond eyes, her high cheekbones, her full lips, her dark skin tone that was the same shade as his own except warm instead of cool. Instinctively, he pressed himself against her, taking unabashed glory in the look of surprise that crossed her face.

"Ready again so soon?" she taunted. "Guess I didn't do my job very well."

Teal'c gave her a look that said he knew something she didn't. "You are not satisfied," he said to her.

Kayla looked a little confused. "Of course I am," she declared.

He wasn't convinced. Without warning, he slid a finger inside of her and Kayla let out a sharp moan. He smiled devilishly as he felt her contract tightly around him. She instinctively pushed herself down on it, crying out as she did so.

His gaze turned piercing. "You are not," he declared, slowly allowing another finger to find its way inside of her. She cried out again, this time gripping his muscular shoulders for support.

"Okay, so I lied," she panted.

His gaze turned piercing. "You do not trust that I can please you?"

"It's not that, it's just oh..." her sentence trailed off as he slid his fingers in and out, stretching her further as he did so. Her hips ground against them again and she turned her head to the side and buried it in the luxuriously soft pillow.

"Trust me," he pleaded, gently pushing her legs further apart. "I can please you."

"And what if ..."

Teal'c placed a silencing finger to her lips. "I will," he said.

She still didn't look convinced. In fact, he could have sworn she looked a little frightened.

"It was indeed unsettling to relinquish control to you," he explained as he caressed her face. "But I gave myself to you willingly. If you do not feel comfortable giving yourself to me then I ..."

"I am," she said, now looking a little nervous. "It's just that..."

"Trust me," he said, kissing her softly.

As he deepened the kiss, she relaxed and gave in. He made short work of removing her gown, leaving her totally naked before him. With deliberate slowness, he kissed his way through the valley of her breasts, across the plains of her abdomen, into the forest of curly hairs that paved the way for his descent into her cavern of pleasure. His tongue probed and sucked places that made her body twist away from him in sweet agony. Draping her legs over his powerful shoulders, he closed the gap between them by pulling her body close and keeping a firm grip on it.

"Why do you try to escape me?" he whispered sharply in mock consternation.

"I ... I..." was all she could say as he recaptured her small peak of pleasure between his full lips.

Kayla let a shriek slip out, and forcefully pressed on his shoulders as to try and push him away. He held her fast, still in control of the situation and knowing that her pushing him away had more to do with the intensity of pleasure he was providing, not that he was hurting her. Her juices flowed regularly now, her body contracting like clockwork around his two fingers.

Alternating between quick flicks of the tongue across her clitoris, and slow sucking of it with his lips, Teal'c took his time building up the pleasure within her. It was what he wanted to from the beginning but his pent up lust, coupled with Kayla's intent to pleasure him first took over. But now he was making up for it. She was alternating between moans and cries, and he noticed her taste and smell beginning to change.

"Please," she begged, her body glistening with sweat. "I need you inside me."

He turned his inserted fingers slightly from side to side as if checking for something. The motion evoked another loud cry of pleasure from his Tauri lover. When she pleaded with him again to enter her, he kissed his way back across the terrain of her body to speak with her. He lingered at her breasts, taking the time to suck each one like a hungry newborn.

"You wish to have me inside you," he whispered into her ear. "To become one with you?"

"Yes," she moaned. "Please, I can't take this anymore."

"Is it necessary for me to wear the birth control device in order to do so?" he asked. "You are not fertile at this time."

"How do you know that?" Kayla asked, a look between surprise and confusion on her face.

"You body told me so," he said. "I cannot impregnate you at this time." He teased the entrance into her body with his rigid member, smiling at the way her nether lips kissed him. Kayla moaned loudly, pulling at the sheets in agony and frustration. "I need to feel your body next to me, not that crude barrier."

Kayla struggled to find her voice. "Teal'c, I can't. Please understand. I want to but I ..."

"I understand," he whispered tenderly, kissing her as he reached under the pillow for another condom. This time, he put it on himself, purposely taking his time and making sure Kayla saw him do so. She licked her lips in anticipation, her hips rising off the bed as an invitation.

He guided himself inside her slowly, his mind telling him he was reuniting with the past of his ancestors, and the destiny of his future. Kayla moaned in several octaves as he filled her, gripping his shoulders as her body adjusted to his size.

"Oh, God," she wailed, pressing her head further into the pillow behind her.

"Do you wish for me to take you to him?" he teased.

"Yes," she hissed, her hips bucking against him.

He was back in control and it felt good. The extreme precision he used with each stroke served to bring her closer to that place she wasn't sure he could bring her. Teal'c took pride in each stroke, conducting the pitch of her outcries like a conductor would a symphony. His fingers interlocked with hers, and he groaned sharply when her teeth gently bit into the heel of his hand.

When they had found a mutual rhythm, Teal'c had to fight the urge to thrust harder. Kayla was definitely built like a Jaffa female, but she was human - he could hurt her. But the way that she was pushing against him, almost fighting him, made him want to think otherwise. In the end, he just couldn't risk it. With a guttural groan, he put his basic instinct in check and put more of his weight on Kayla to keep her from moving them out of sync.

It was this synchronous rhythm that would bring her to completion. That and the fact that not only was he filling her, but he was also fitting her - another advantage Jaffa men had over human men. He fit her such precision that he was in perfect alignment with her clitoris. Each stroke stimulated it perfectly. However, if a human female is not used to such intense pleasure, she is prone to 'fighting' back because the intensity can at times seem too much to handle.

Kayla fought harder, her body trying to twist out of the control of the Jaffa. She cried out, pleaded with him and her god to help her. She clawed at his back and pressed her full, toned thighs against his muscular ones. Her womanhood was squeezing him harder and in more regular intervals now.

"Oh God! Ohh!" she cried, her nails digging even deeper into his back. Teal'c did not feel it. The only thing he could feel was the tight softness of her around him, and the warm heat that signaled the beginnings of orgasm for her. Teal'c braced himself for the struggle Kayla would put up as he took her to see her god.

His name exploded vociferously from her vocal cords as she came crashing through the glass ceiling of pleasure. He held onto her tightly, still fighting the urge to let loose and thrust inside of her like a man possessed. As hard as he tried, the tight, rhythmic squeezing of orgasm drove him over the edge. As she hit the highest peak of her pleasure, his began. He started to thrust harder, more erratic, his hands squeezing the edge of the pillow she laid upon. The thunder of his passionate outcry followed the lightening of hers and then he collapsed against her, struggling to draw breath.

This time, when he slid a finger inside of her, Kayla let out a loud gasp and her body jerked as if hit by lightening.

"Now you are satisfied," he said with a grin as he rolled off of her.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 Why do I feel like I'm in that movie, 'Aliens'? Jack thought.

While in a 'huddle' with Teal'c, Stevens and Baker, he adjusted the camera on his helmet and thought about the Russian sub floating outside in the bay. Jack cursed the fact that if that one bug hadn't survived the crash, they wouldn't be out here now. The sub was serving as a floating 'all you can eat buffet' to the newly assembled buggers and Jack wasn't looking forward to interrupting their meal.

He should have known the day wasn't about to go the way he wanted when repeated the same scene with Carter this morning that he did before getting beamed to Thor's ship. He invites her to go with him to his cabin again, she declines again, then comes charging into the hallway after him again. Dj vu is a pain in the ass sometimes.

Thanks to an impromptu get together in a supply closet with Sam, things were back on track. He spoke again what his heart truly felt but this time translated it into 'woman speak'. He just wanted to put it in terms she'd understand without him coming off like a prick (which was never his intention). After explaining all that, everything was fine - especially when they consummated the deal.

Time to save the world again, he thought, still smiling in his mind at the remembrance of Sam pinned against the wall, hanging on to him as they achieved nirvana.

"Simple recon, gentlemen," Jack said, putting the final adjustment touches on his helmet. "Do not fire unless absolutely necessary."

"The replicators will not attack unless threatened," Teal'c added.

Tucking the helmet under his arm, Jack said, "Let's move!" He left the building with Teal'c, Baker and Stevens in tow.

For the most part, the trek out to the dock was pretty quiet. Jack inhaled sharply, pleasantly noticing just how different the salty smell tickled his olfactory sense. He noticed Teal'c seemed to like it too. And then he decided to ask Teal'c the question that had been bugging him all day.

"You know," Jack began, as they stood at the dock and waited for their ride to the sub, "no one seemed to know where you were last night. Well, Hammond did but he wouldn't tell me."

Teal'c looked in his direction and arched an eyebrow at him. "I obviously was not on base."

"Ya think?" Jack said with his usual sarcasm. "Interesting how I couldn't seem to get a certain doctor on the phone either. In all the time I've known her she has never shut that thing off. It's like she's surgically attached to it."

"Perhaps she was otherwise occupied." The Jaffa gave Jack a look that said he knew what he was getting and but was going to make him work to get it out of him.

"Don't be coy, Teal'c. You have that look that says, 'I got lucky last night.'"

"I do believe I had sex last night, O'Neill," Teal'c said, flashing him a grin. "And luck was neither involved nor necessary."

"Okay ..." Jack said, knowing that was all he'd get. As usual, the Jaffa's bluntess never ceased to throw him off-guard. "Do me a favor? Next time you decide to escape off base to hook up with your girlfriend, at least let me know you're gone. I worry about you ya know."

Teal'c just gave a slight bow of his head, essentially giving Jack a definite 'maybe'.

"May I ask you a personal question, O'Neill?"

"Sure, you've earned it."

"Are sexual relations among the Tauri always so ... sanitized?"

Jack was trying like hell to figure out what Teal'c was talking about. It was pretty obvious that it bugged him. "I'm not quite sure what you mean Teal'c?" Jack asked, keeping a wary eye on a flock of sea gulls that passed overhead.

"She made you wear a condom, right?" Baker asked as he pulled on his black skullcap.

"Precisely," Teal'c told him.

Baker exhaled in exasperation. "I hate those damn things," he declared. "It's like chewing gum with the wrapper still on."

"Tell me about it," Jack sympathized, adjusting his helmet. "But we put up with it."

"Yeah, it's either use one or get none," Baker said with unmasked disdain.

Stevens signaled that the boat was coming to get them. "Well, I'm lucky in that respect," Stevens said, obviously having fun at the expense of the other three men. "I don't have to use one."

"Yeah, cause you're married," Baker dismissed. "So how often do you have sex? Once a month?"

Jack and Baker couldn't resist snickering.

Stevens was not amused. "Very funny, Baker. Remind me to kick your ass when we get back."

Teal'c failed to see some of the humor, although he was too relaxed to protest much. "Do human women see no honor in bearing a warrior's offspring?" he asked them.

None of the three men could come up with a concise answer for that question. They just told Teal'c they put up with it due to social pressure and left it at that.

"Hang in there buddy," Jack said, clapping Teal'c on the back. "Eventually you'll wear her down and she'll be begging you not to put one on."

"We shall see, O'Neill," Teal'c said with a smirk. He got into the boat behind Stevens and Baker.

"Jack," Daniel's voice crackled through his earpiece as he jumped in behind Teal'c. "Can you hear me?"

"Would it be necessary for me to mention my insane aversion to bugs at this time?" he futilely complained as the boat sped out to the compromised submarine.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Micron, neuron, kiron.

Megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes.

Oh god, oh Jack, oh God Jack!

Major Samantha Carter tried to keep her mind on the task at hand: coming up with a dumb solution to subdue the technobugs. However, concentrating hard enough to come up with a solution was being thwarted by a certain portion of her brain making her prone to flashbacks. It was as if her mind was multitasking like computer: A few seconds contemplating 'dumb' strategies to defeat them, then a few nanoseconds reliving the events that happened in that supply closet on base.

He told her that he'd grown to love Laira. Then he told her flat-out that he was in love with her. And then he told her the difference between growing to love someone and being in love with someone from the beginning. He'd spent far to long denying those feelings and when he was on Edora he had to accept his fate. And then told her although it was painful for him to realize he'd be going back to Earth, he knew his place was here at the SGC - and with her.

Taking her face in his hands, he backed her up to the far corner of the closet where he knew the cameras couldn't see. After looking deeply into her sky-blue eyes, he kissed her as if she might slip away from him. Obstructive clothing was dropped and undone, words of comfort and desire where whispered, the latex was snapped on and the joining of two souls began. Intermittent panting, moaning and groaning quickly culminated in a simultaneous sound of gratification beyond words.

I love you Samantha Carter, Jack had whispered into her ear. Whatever happens after we leave this room, don't ever forget that. Promise me you won't.

I won't, he'd told him, and meant evehry word.

"What is your current thinking process?" Thor asked.

Sam suddenly felt extremely embarrassed and felt the color rise to her cheeks. "Sorry," Sam apologized as she stood up. "I must have drifted off."

"Were you thinking about the humans on your planet?"

"Yes."

"Colonel O'Neill is a very capable human," Thor assured her.

Suddenly, the refrain of a song rang through Sam's mind ...

I'm crazy for you,

Touch me once, and you'll know it's true,

I've never wanted any one like this,

It's all brand new,

You'll feel it my kiss,

I'm crazy for you.

Yes, she was definitely crazy for Jack O'Neill. Crazy enough to admit she was in love with him, crazy enough to make love to him on an alien world and in the confines of a supply closet, and crazy enough to try and strategize how they could eventually be together. But for the time being, she had to come up with a plan to save the Asgard home world, then get back in time to help Jack and Teal'c. For the sake of the Asgard, the Earth, her family, her friends at the SGC, and lover she wanted to be with, she could not fail.

No pressure my ass, she thought.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Damnit, I did not want to play this game again! Jack thought as he and Teal'c headed towards the battery deck where the technobugs were protecting their queen.

They'd already set charges to draw most of the bugs away from 'Mom'. Now all they had to do is whack her, get off the ship and blow it to smithereens. Stepping over Stevens' body, they made their way through the corridor to the door behind which the bug queen was hiding out.

Teal'c opened the door briefly so Jack could activate and toss in a grenade. When the Jaffa opened the door so he could see if all the bugs had been annihilated, the one remaining bug from Thor's ship did the equivalent of flipping Jack off.

It reassembled itself and got ready to attack.

"Son of a bitch!" Jack yelled as he blasted away at the technobug responsible for dragging his ass back onto this sub in the first place. He fired off round after round, his mind racking up the points. He fired so many shots that even when the bug had been destroyed, the extra rounds ricochet off the floor and walls.

"I believe you got it, O'Neill," Teal'c remarked.

"Yeah," Jack said, breathing hard. "I think I got it."

Jack quickly headed for the ladder with Teal'c close behind. A faint sound of rustling metal greeted him when he arrived. When he looked up, he saw some of the bugs had used their parts to weave a barrier to prevent their escape.

"What the hell?" Jack exclaimed. He blasted a hole through the barrier but the bugs just knitted it closed.

"O'Neill," Teal'c said. Jack turned around to see what the Jaffa was indicating. Technobugs started coming through a hatch, marching their way towards them.

"Oh ... crap," Jack said in a resigning tone.

"Colonel O'Neill, is there any way you can make it to the escape hatch?" Major Davis's voice asked through Jack's earpiece.

Jack and Teal'c were two steps ahead of him.

"Teal'c! Let's try this!" Jack pulled the hatch open but not long after he did the technobugs dropped in to say 'hello'. He and Teal'c blasted a few of them before realizing there was no way to make it through the escape hatch. "Forget that," he said as they pulled back.

Even after sealing the door, the bugs still found a way through and advanced upon them. They came through the door like parts dropping off of a conveyor belt. Jack knew they were at that point in the game where there was no alternative plan, no way out and if this weren't real they would have hit the reset button and started over again.

But it was real - very real.

"Better go ahead and blow this thing," he said, resigning himself to his fate. He knew he'd get no argument from Teal'c. If anyone knew something like this was par for the course, he did. Jack couldn't help but feel the Jaffa was getting cheated out of something. He figured Teal'c should die in a blaze of glory, not being taken down by some technobugs - that was just lame.

Jack figured at least he'd die knowing he'd been honest with Sam - that alone would put a smile on his face as he met his maker.

"That's not exactly a positive attitude, Jack." Daniel protested.

Why did he expect Daniel not to give up a fight about this? Sighing sharply, he unstrapped his helmet, pulled it off and looked directly into the camera mounted on it.

"Listen to me!" he barked over the sound of Teal'c blasting away more bugs. "We are not getting out of here! Mission accomplished. Blow it!"

"Jack?"

"Daniel, please! Don't be an ass. Do it before I get eaten alive by these goddamn bugs! Davis, give the order!" he said, as he tossed the helmet down to the floor. He joined in with Teal'c, blasting away as many bugs as they could.

Game over, man, he thought as the torpedo explosion rocked the sub. But I got one hell of a high score though.

The explosion knocked Jack and Teal'c down to the floor. Jack reached out to grab one of the bugs. He figured the sub was about to take on water anyway, might as well bang the shit out of at least one of 'em. But before he could get a good grip on one, he felt the familiar sensation but didn't dare to theorize on what it was.

As he rematerialized, he noticed the sub had been replaced with something else. He uncurled himself out of a fetal position to see the polished black floor of an Asgard ship.

"Now That's timing!" Jack exclaimed as he pointed at the gray alien sitting regally in his chair. Sam was standing next to him. He figured if Thor weren't around he would have given Sam a big, wet kiss complete with tongue action. But instead, he went over to check on Teal'c.

"We came as soon as we could, sir," Sam said.

"Teal'c, are you all right?"

"I am, O'Neill."

"I take it things weren't going well?"

"Oh, we had things handled pretty good." Jack tried not to smile when Teal'c gave him that 'you must be joking' look as he patted him on the back.

"So the bugs are all taken care of down there," Sam stated.

"Pretty much," he said. "You?"

"We kicked their asses," she said with a grin.

Jack gave her an amused look. "They had asses?" he asked jokingly.

Sam chuckled. "The Asgard had this big new ship. The O'Neill."

Jack stood up proudly and said, "Oh yeah?"

"But we had to blow it up."

"Oh," he said, disappointed he wouldn't even get the chance to see it.

But hey, they were alive and breathing and the technobugs were dead and rusting. Sam had finally gotten it straight in her head that he loved her, Teal'c finally resolved that whole sexual tension thing with the Ice Princess and now Jack O'Neill was ready to head on back to resume his vacation. And something told him Sam wasn't going to say 'no' a third time. Yeah, sure you betcha, things were gonna be okay.

But for crying out loud, did she have to blow up his ship?

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ 

THE END

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