Author: Geonn

Email: neil_j_miser@yahoo.com

Rating: R

Pairings: Sam and Janet, established relationship

Category: Drama, Action/adventure

Date: July 11, 2001

Disclaimer: Not mine. None of it. I even borrowed the letters that make up the words. If you want to be nitpicky, Burdett and Brubaker are mine.

Spoilers: Jolinar's Memories, The Devil You Know, 100 Days, In the Life of Duty, Scorched Earth Sequel to: Life & Death, second in the "Ampersand" series.

Notes: Innumerable thanks go out to John for catching my countless brain farts while writing this. 

Summary: While dealing with the break-up, Sam disappears while off-world.

Thank you to San for the book covers.

Janet slowly stepped onto her porch, her key poised to slip into the lock. She turned, her entire body tense, and smiled at the woman who had followed her up the walk. "I, uh... had a nice time."

The raven-haired beauty returned the smile and said, "The pleasure was mine. If it's not too forward, I was wondering if maybe we could see each other again sometime?"

Janet sighed, looking at the key in her hand. "Amanda, I... just got out of a huge relationship."

"I thought that ended two months ago."

Janet's eyes shot up to meet Amanda's. "How did you know that?"

Amanda blushed. "Well... Cassandra kind of shanghaied me while you were getting dressed. Told me all about Sam."

Janet glanced at the darkened window of the teen's bedroom. "Oh! Oh, I see. I'm sorry, Amanda. It's just..."

"I know," Amanda smiled. "Too soon. From what Cassandra said, you both loved Sam very much. It'll take time to heal all of those wounds." She leaned forward, brushing her lips across Janet's. Lightly caressing the doctor's arm, she stepped off the porch and said, "Keep my number handy, okay? For when you're ready."

Janet nodded, inserting her key in the lock before glancing back. Amanda was already halfway to her car. Janet pushed the door opened, leaving the hot summer night behind her and inhaling the chilled air of her entryway. She kicked off the horrid shoes she had decided to wear, making a mental note to burn the shoes the next chance she got. She limped into the living room, wanting to massage her sore arches, and dropped onto the couch.

She fished the remote control out from underneath her and punched the power button for the TV. As she rubbed the aches out of her feet, she turned her attention to the show.

"She was asking me to wear this ridiculous shirt on national TV, and I said yes?"

"Yes, yes. You said it!"

"I didn't know that! I couldn't hear her!"

"Well, she asked you."

"I can't wear this puffy shirt on TV! Look at it, it looks ridiculous."

She turned the TV back off, plunging the living room back into darkness. She rested her head on the arm of the couch. Two months. Eight weeks. The only times she had seen Sam was when she dropped by to visit Cassie or when SG-1 needed a check-up. And Sam usually waited for Dr. Warner for the latter. It was tearing Janet up inside to be apart from her. She could barely recall their original reasons for the break-up. It had been so unbelieveably stupid and overblown, she didn't even WANT to remember. But two months had gone by... would Sam even feel the same way?

Janet sighed and closed her eyes, her leg bent at the knee so she could massage it. She longed to be able to stretch out and let Sam rub the aches and pains from her body... Sam had magical hands that worked wonders for sore muscles.  Deciding reminiscing about Sam wouldn't do her any good, she climbed off the couch and headed upstairs to bed.

---

"Jerry, you're promoting a benefit to CLOTHE homeless people! You can't come out dressed like that. You're all... puffed up!"

"I have to wear it! The woman has orders for the shirt based on me wearing it on TV!"

Sam groaned, rolling over on the bed so that her back faced the TV. She remembered all the nights she had spent curled in bed with Janet watching this show, laughing until they cried. Now all it harbored were bad memories for her. She wanted to turn it off, make the memories stop flooding in, but she left it on in the hopes that a couple of miles away, Janet was watching the same thing.

After two hours, she gave up on sleep and threw the blankets aside. She climbed out of bed and went to her still-unpacked suitcase, digging in it until she found a clean pair of jeans and a red sweater. She slipped out of her camisole, dressing quickly. Her watch told her it was nearly one am. The only place that was still open was Powell's. She pulled her leather jacket from the closet and headed out.

---

Sam rolled the bottom edge of her glass in a circle on the bar, staring at the water ring it left behind. Clouds had started to edge in on her vision and she was beginning to feel numb again. She almost hated feeling numb. She had spent two months being numb and she just wanted to FEEL again. The jukebox was blaring a country song about falling in and out of love. She lifted the glass again, tipping it towards her mouth before realizing it was empty.

She scanned the room, noticing that the bartender had disappeared. In fact, everyone had disappeared, except for the drunk passed out in the corner booth. She leaned over the bar, finding a fresh bottle of scotch and screwing the top off. She raised the bottle to the man sleeping in the corner and said, "To people like us, buddy." She took a long swallow, then poured herself a glass.

Mike, the bartender, came out of the back. "Sam?"

"Hey, Mike," she said, wiping her mouth on her sleeve. "I'ma pay you fer all'a this..."

He pulled the bottle from her hand and placed it out of her reach. "You're drunk, Sam. Go home, all right?"

"Why'n't ya mind yer own bus... business, Sam? Mike?"  She squinted at him and said, "Yer Mike, right?"

He sighed. "I called someone to pick you up. Will you go with him?"

Sam scoffed. "Nah... I wanna stay here 'n' sleep in the boof." She crooked her thumb at the corner. "Like tha' guy."

The door swung open and she spun around on the stool. Daniel was standing in the threshold, motioning to Mike. Sam smiled. "Daniel! You're my... bestest friend." She slipped off the stool and stumbled over to her teammate, draping her arms across his shoulders. "What're ya doin' in a place like this, Danny?"

He pulled her off and said, "I'm picking you up, Sam."

Sam giggled. "Oh, no, smooth talker. I'm not easy. You gotta buy me dinner first." She turned to walk back to the bar, but tripped over her own feet. Daniel caught her, holding her up and helping her stand.

"C'mon, Sam. Let's go back to the base. I made sure they had a nice big pot of coffee ready for ya when you get there."

"I hate coffee," she grumbled, scrunching her nose. 

Daniel pushed her outside, then whispered, "We're going through the 'gate in three hours, Sam. Three. Hours."

Her eyes widened. "Uh-oh," she chuckled. "Gen'ral Ham... Hammond's goin' to be angry when he sees I'm drunk," she laughed.

Daniel managed to unlock the door without dropping her, then sat her in the seat. He knelt in the open doorway and brushed her hair out of her face. "Sam. Why are you killing yourself like this? It's not doing anyone a damn bit of good."

She turned, her eyes half-closed. He could see tears at the corner of her eyes as she said, "Janet doesn't want me."

There wasn't a bit of scotch in her voice when she said it. Daniel lightly touched her cheek before closing the door and walking around to the driver's side. It was going to be a long night.

---

Sam blinked in irritation at the suddenly bright lights of her bedroom. She pulled the pillow over her head and muttered, "Janet... cut it out..."

"Sam..."

The soft voice wasn't Janet... and it hit her in a flash, just as it had every morning for the past two months. She wasn't at her lover's house. She was deep within the heart of Cheyenne Mountain. She grumbled into her pillow, which she was surprised to find wet. Someone gripped her by the shoulders and pulled her upright. She was about to protest when her face was splashed with cold water. She sputtered, shaking her head. "What the hell are you doing? Daniel!"

He nodded. "You're going to have to shower and get dressed now. Can you do that yourself or--?"

"I can handle it, Daniel." She swung her legs over the side of the bed, waiting to find her balance before she stood. "What happened last night?"

"I practically dragged you down here in the elevator... which several airmen thought was amusing. Luckily you passed out as soon as you hit the pillow."

"Why is the pillow wet?"

"You, uh... apparently cry in your sleep."

She blushed, hoping he didn't notice. She wobbled past him and collided with the bathroom doorway. She turned, ready to ask Daniel for a cup of coffee, but found he was already holding a steaming mug. She cradled the java like it was the holy grail and whispered, "Thank you," before closing the door.  She turned the faucets, watching the water pour into the ridiculously small stall. As she waited for the water to heat up, she sipped her coffee and found her alcohol-addled mind wandering to past showers... and past loves...

***

Cold water. Blessed, amazingly, icy, unbelieveably COLD water poured over Samantha Carter as she stood, fully clothed, in Janet's shower. Her blonde hair was plastered to her forehead as she turned her face into the spray, letting the ice work it's way over her head and down her back. Never again would she complain about 90 degree summer days. Never again would she moan about doing yardwork while the sun beat down on her. Netu had given her an entirely new definition of hot. It was, after all, hell.

So enraptured was she in the cold, cold spray, she didn't hear the bathroom door open or the curtain being pulled back. The first indication she had that she wasn't alone was the shirt being pulled away from her back as small hands ran over the tired muscles.

She felt Janet nuzzling her neck as she said, "My poor baby... who did this to you? I'll kill 'im."

Sam smiled, leaning back into the smaller woman. "Too late... the Tok'ra did it for you."

"Damn," Janet sighed. "I wanted to show you I could still kick ass."

Sam laughed and turned, wrapping her arms around Janet. The doctor was naked, her tanned skin beginning to goosebump from the shower. Sam's eyes trailed down the graceful neck, to the perfect globes of her breasts. The nipples stood at attention, only partially because of the cold. Janet followed Sam's gaze and smirked. "Is the major distracted?"

"Hmm?" Sam asked.

Janet laughed and pressed her lips to Sam's neck, flicking her tongue across the skin just below her ear. Sam sighed and began to step backwards until she was pressed against the tile of the shower wall. Janet put a hand on either side of Sam's head and smiled wickedly. "Trapped. At my mercy. First, get rid of these clothes. They'll be ruined from all of this water."

Sam began to pull at the buttons of her blouse. Janet licked her lips as another inch of skin was exposed. Soon, she slipped the material from her shoulders and reached for the clasp of her bra. Janet could clearly see the nipples pressed against the satin bra and ran a thumb across one of them. Sam's eyes dropped, watching as Janet slowly palmed the breast. Their eyes locked. Sam cupped Janet's face in her hands, carefully examining every detail of the pretty young doctor's face. "I love you more than life itself, Janet Fraiser." She kissed her softly. "I'll love you until the day I die." She kissed her again, longer this time. "Would you do me the honor of making love to me in the shower?"

Janet smiled and kissed Sam hungrily, pressing the taller woman against the wall. When she finally came up for air, she said, "I missed you so much, Sam." She traced the major's jawline with one thumb. "Promise me you'll always come back?"

"Nothing could keep me from you. I'd kick the ass of every Goa'uld who tried to hold me back. I'll always come back for you, Janet. Always."

***

The steam from the shower woke Sam from her daydream. The coffee was almost gone and the mirror was already steamed over. She quickly stripped out of her clothes, surprised to see that she had gone out commando.

Standing in the shower for a moment, she tried her best to fight back the headache she knew was coming. Daniel had mentioned an assignment. The last thing she needed was a trip through the 'gate. When the hot water ran out, she toweled off quickly and pulled on a robe. She didn't know when they shipped out and that usually meant it was sooner rather than later.

---

Janet stared at the globs of yellow egg on her plate. Her mind was buzzing from the constant memories she had of Sam. Even on her 'date' last night, she had been a hair away from calling Amanda by the wrong name several times. She pushed the eggs around with her fork, then picked up a piece of toast and took a large bite. She didn't seem able to do much of anything since the... since the incident with Laszwell. An after-effect of the knock-out drug, maybe? She decided she should run another analysis on it just to be sure that...

'Oh, shut up, Fraiser! You know damn well that Laszwell's drug doesn't have anything to do with your lack of concentration.' She glanced at the empty seat at the dinner table. Slowly, she turned her head to where Cassie sat, quietly eating her pancakes. Janet sighed and, though she tried to fight it, her mind began to wander.

***

"Ew! Pancakes?! Gross!"

Janet slapped Sam on the backside and said, "Hush. If Cassie hears you whining, SHE will start whining and I can't handle two crybabys."

Sam sat in her chair, sullenly looking at the three flapjacks in front of her. Cassie appeared in the kitchen door and looked over Sam's shoulder.

"Pancakes?"

"Yup."

Cassie rolled her eyes and pulled a plate from the dishwasher. Janet placed three perfectly-formed pancakes on the girl's plate and smiled. "Syrup's in the fridge, honey. Butter, too."

As Cassie brought the syrup and butter back to the table, Sam's eyes gleamed with mischief. She pulled the bottle of syrup from Cassie and popped the top, licking the excess syrup that was stuck to the nozzle off her fingers. She dropped two dots near the top of Cassie's pancake, then drew a smile across the bottom. Taking a dollop of butter with the knife, she dropped it in the center as a nose.

Cassandra smiled down at it and picked up her fork. "Thanks, Sam!"

Janet took her seat, amazed to see Cassie cutting the vile breakfast food apart. "Samantha, I am impressed."

"Wow. Samantha. You must be impressed!"

Janet smiled at the blonde, then went back to her food.

***

"Cass?" She picked up the syrup bottle from the center of the table, offering a smile to the girl. She pulled the top of the bottle, then reached across the table to drop a syrup smile on Cassie's remaining pancakes.

Cassandra dropped her fork, looking at the sloppy smile. Her eyes slowly raised from the plate, meeting her mother's eyes. In a voice that dripped with anger, betrayal and disgust, Cassie simply said, "That... Was... SAM'S." She pushed away from the table and ran from the kitchen.

Janet half-stood, wanting to run after the girl, but when she heard the front door slam, she knew it was useless. She dropped back into her seat and sobbed.

---

Jack O'Neill stood at the base of the ramp and looked over the seven people before him. Three were his team. The other four made up SG-15, the newest team Hammond had put together. Jack knew the leader of the team from the mission to P24-C3X; the now-Major Mark Burdett. Captain Grover Collinsworth, Dr. Charlotte Parker and Lieutenant Paul Mazzur made up the rest.

Jack sighed and addressed the group. "Good morning, campers. My name is Jack O'Neill and I will be your guide for your first trip through the Stargate. Or second trip, as the case may be," he added, looking at Burdett. "We'll be arriving on the lush, tropical paradise lovingly referred to as P42-887.  We chose this world for your training because the area around the Stargate is unpopulated and we expect to see quite a light show when night falls."

Daniel spoke up. "Yes, it appears that P42-887's orbit takes it through a very dense asteroid field that creates an impressive meteor shower during all hours of the day. The main aspect of this mission is tomorrow... when a total solar eclipse will take place during one of the meteor showers. It should be quite a show."

Jack adjusted his baseball cap and said, "Now, ladies and gentlemen, onward." He spun on his heel and marched up the ramp, the two teams following behind him.

Luckily, no one seemed to notice that Sam was half-hanging off of Daniel's shoulder. Her hangover still hadn't completely released it's grip on her. She stopped just short of the event horizon, taking a deep breath before stepping through.

---

Sam landed on the other side, clutching at her stomach. Her entire face had changed to green in a matter of milliseconds. Jack turned in time to see her expression and frowned. "Carter? You all right?"

She belched slightly... and expunged the contents of her stomach on her commanding officer's boots.

Jack froze and slowly lowered his gaze to the boots, which now matched the green of his uniform. He raised his head, and an eyebrow, and said, "Major?"

She blinked, wiping her mouth. "God, sir. I'm so... sorry..."

Collinsworth had been watching the situation unfold and frowned. The trip through the wormhole had been harrowing, but... "Sir, will it be like this every time?"

Jack, trying to wipe his boots on some high grass, replied, "Nah, you get used to it over time. Apparently the good major just has a bug. Right Major?"

"Right. Sir. Sorry, again."

Jack didn't answer, but dropped the subject. "Okay, UAV records show there's a clearing a few miles thataway. We should set up camp there."

"Miles, sir?" Mazzur groaned. "I thought this was supposed to be an easy mission."

Jack sighed, squaring his shoulders. "Lieutenant, even on uneventful missions, sometimes civilization is located miles from the 'gate. You should get used to hiking." He turned to Carter and asked, "You up to it?"

"I'm up to it, sir. In fact, it might make me feel better."

O'Neill nodded and motioned for Burdett to lead the way. "Take us to camp, Major."

They treked through the forest, burdened with their packs and various supplies. O'Neill hadn't mentioned it, but the UAV also reported that the temperature was supposed to rise to 110 degrees in the shade. The greenhorns of SG-15 were in for quite a first mission.

Part Two

O'Neill dropped onto a rock, wiping his forehead with the sleeve of his jacket. He hadn't expected to be this sensitive to the heat. Daniel sat next to the colonel, trying to catch his breath. "Looks like your plan back-fired, huh, Jack?"

"Shut up, Daniel," Jack sneered. "We'll be at the campsite in about ten minutes. There's a stream nearby where we can cool off."

Daniel sighed, looking up at the sky. A series of meteorites streaked through the atmosphere. Jack followed the scientist's gaze, then lowered his voice to ask, "Look, I know you researched this world and all, but are you positive we won't have an... Edora situation here?"

"We calculated the risk and the chances of a hit are a million to one."

"What were the odds that a rock would hit the Stargate dead-on when it happened on Edora?"

"Ah... a million to one. But, hey, look at the bright side. The odds of you being the victim of a million to one occurance twice in your life have got to be...."

"A million to one?"

"Exactly."

"How come I never feel better when I talk to you?"

They stood and Jack replaced his sunglasses. "All right, let's get movin'."

Collinsworth groaned, "We just stopped, sir!"

"C'mon, Captain. Just pretend there's a big, bad Jaffa coming to get ya." He glanced at Teal'c and said, "As a matter of fact..."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow.

---

"Hi-ii!"

Janet winced at the cheery voice of Sandra Arnold, the mother of Cassie's best friend. "Hey, Sandy. I, uh... I was just wondering if Cassie showed up over there?"

"As a matter of fact," Sandra practically laughed into the phone, "She's in the back yard playing with Tasha. Want me to go get her?"

"No! Uh, no, that's okay, Sandy. I was just wondering. She kinda ran out of here without telling me where she was headed. I was a little concerned."

"Well, you know you are more than welcome to come over with Cassie. You hardly ever get out of that mountain!" She lowered her voice conspiratorially. "So... what is it you really do in that place?"

Janet rolled her eyes. It was like this every time she talked to Sandra. "We manufacture jeans for Marlon Brando. Tell Cassie I called, okay?"

"You got it, Janey!"

"It's Janet," she said to the dial tone. She hung up the phone, telling herself to remind Cassandra to find new friends. Preferably ones with normal parents. She sighed and brushed her hair out of her face. The remnants of Cassie's breakfast still sat on the table and she began to clear it. The half-formed happy-face pancakes made Janet wince as she pushed them into the garbage disposal. Cass was taking the break-up hard. The nights that she did sleep, she woke up crying. Janet wished there was a way to help the girl through it, but she couldn't seem to figure it out. Maybe time would, as the saying went, heal all wounds.

The doorbell rang and Janet put aside the dishes, glancing at her watched. 9 am. Who would be coming over at that hour? She opened the door and saw the woman she had eaten dinner with the night before.

"Amanda! What, uh... what're you doing here?"

Amanda blushed slightly. "I was actually on my way to work and wanted to see if you were in the mood for breakfast. My treat?"

Janet chewed her lip, then sighed. "Sure. Let me just grab my shoes." She left the door open as she disappeared up the stairs. Amanda nervously stepped in, uncomfortable being in the house without someone there to actually invite her in. She cast a glance at the stairs, then into the living room. 'At least Cassie doesn't seem to be here,' she thought. 'I can do without the Wonder-That-Is-Sam-Carter speech.'

Janet came back down the stairs, a vision in blue jeans and old sneakers. She smiled brightly. "So? Shall we go?"

Amanda smiled. "We shall."

---

Charlotte Parker nearly collapsed as she dropped her pack in the center of the pre-determined camp site. She sat on the heavy bag and wiped her forehead.

"Geez, Colonel. What did you put in that pack? Rocks?"

"No, Collinsworth got the rocks. You have engine parts."

Collinsworth dropped his pack and said, "You better be kidding, Colonel."

Jack smiled and joked, "It's not nice to threaten a commanding officer, captain. Set up the observation equipment. Let's give the boys back on Earth some pretty pictures for their next newsletter."

Sam scanned the area surrounding the clearing, looking for the creek Jack promised. She could barely hear it through the trees and headed out, stripping off her vest and jacket as she went. O'Neill called, "Major!"

She held up a hand and said, "Women are calling the creek first, sir!"

She heard various complaints, but kept going. As she knelt next to the rushing water, she heard Dr. Parker stepping through the brush behind her. "Hey, Major."

"Hey... have a seat. The water's great."

Charlotte knelt, putting her hands in the creek and letting the water run over them. "Wow... how is this water so cold?"

Sam motioned at the cavern the creek flowed from. "It comes from underground, I assume." She peeled off her sweat-drenched t-shirt and splashed some water on her chest and shoulders. As she rubbed the back of her neck, she noticed Charlotte was looking at her from the corner of her eye. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"It's no problem, major. Really," the girl smiled, her eyes darting down to glimpse Sam's wet bra. She turned back to the water and splashed some on her face.

Sam pulled her jacket on over her bra, giving the t-shirt a chance to air out, and said, "C'mon. Let's give the guys a chance to cool down."

Sam led the way back to the group. Jack was standing under a tree, pulling on the front of his shirt. He turned to watch Sam approach, then said, "It's about time!" The men made a mad dash for the creek.

Sam sighed. "Let's hope there's water left when they're done with it."

Charlotte snickered as they started to set up the base. The entire mission was, in essence, camping out and taking photos of the sky. They had about ten different kinds of cameras; polaroid, disposable, digital, video, etc. Sam picked one up and snapped a picture of Charlotte as the girl was struggling with a tent. She turned when she heard the shutter click. Sam grinned. "Souvenir. Your first trip through the Stargate. Your first alien world."

Charlotte smiled. "Thanks, Sa... Thank you, Major."

"Sam will work," she said. As Charlotte went back to setting up camp, Sam watched her and thought, 'Maybe it's time to quit mourning Janet...'

---

Jack O'Neill sat in the sun, his glasses, hat and t-shirt laying next to him on the rock. He had slathered himself in suntan lotion and was taking the opportunity to work on his tan. Everyone else was preparing the camp; setting up tents, gathering firewood for the long night ahead, and three were sleeping so they were rested enough to take first watch. Collinsworth complained that having watch on an unpopulated planet was a waste of time and resources, but O'Neill reminded him that it was a regular part of every other mission. The captain had grudgingly agreed to take first watch.

As Sam set up the tent where she and Dr. Parker would be spending the night, she heard O'Neill's radio crackle to life.

"Colonel O'Neill? SG-1, can you hear me?" There was a pause, and then the voice said, "Shee-it, this place is hot."

Jack sat up, pulling his radio off his nearby jacket. "O'Neill. Who is this?"

"This is Feretti, sir. General Hammond sent us to bring you guys back."

"Reason?"

"It seems that several Tok'ra are getting all hot and bothered about some rocks they found in a cave. They requested SG-1 to come join them in the dig."

Jack glanced at Daniel. "The Tok'ra are inviting us along? What's the catch?"

"No catch, colonel. Jacob Carter is in charge of the expedition. He requested the joint effort and Hammond backed him up."

Jack sighed. "We're on our way." He turned the radio off and said, "Okay, everyone. Training's over. Let's head back to the 'gate."

Collinsworth stood. "What? We're just dumping the mission because you've gotta go someplace else? Why not let us stay here while you go with the Tok'ra?"

"Hammond wouldn't want me to abandon first-timers on any alien world. We'll find another place to train you. Pack it up, captain."

Sam stood. "All due respect, sir, I think someone should stay to take some pictures of the event. It is a once-in-a-lifetime sort of thing."

Jack looked at the sky, still streaked with red and black trails of falling meteorites. "You sure you want to stay, Major?"

"Well, sir, it is peaceful, I'm nowhere near being a first-timer. And I probably don't have to worry about Goa'uld." She glanced at Teal'c. "Right?"

"That is correct, Major Carter. I do not believe the Goa'uld have been to this world in many centuries."

Sam shrugged. "Fine. I'll take the photos and head back tomorrow night."

Jack nodded once. "All right. I'll let Hammond know what you're up to."

"Um, I could stay, too." Burdett said, standing quickly. "I mean, I have nothing else to do and I've been through the gate before, too."

Sam rolled her eyes. The crush had been cute two months ago. The guy was starting to get on her nerves. "All due respect, Major Burdett, I think I can handle it myself."

Jack was pulling his jacket back on, adjusting the vest. "Actually, Carter, I think I would feel better if you had someone watching your back. Whether the Goa'uld are here or not. Besides... you'd drive yourself crazy sitting here all alone." He smiled at her as he slid his baseball cap on. "Have fun, kids."

The camp was broken down in half the time it took to put it up. Two tents that stood side-by-side were left for Burdett and Carter, as were several days worth of rations, just to be safe.

---

Amanda's car pulled up in front of Janet's house and the two women sat in silence for a moment. Finally, Janet said, "Thanks for breakfast. I really needed to get away for a while."

"I could drop you at work, you know. I don't have to be in until 11:00."

"No, that's okay. I'm on vacation time right now. Besides, the mountain is kind of... high-security. Thanks for the offer. I'll see you soon, 'kay?"

Amanda nodded slowly. As Janet was climbing out of the car, she said, "Janet?"

The doctor turned.

"I don't want to sound rude or anything, but... don't call me later."

"What? Why?"

Amanda wiped a phantom tear from her eye and looked down at the steering wheel. "I would love to keep going out with you, Janet. But I can see it in your eyes whenever you look at me. You can't be serious about me because I'm not her. You still love Sam."

Janet didn't know what to say. She stood in the driveway as Amanda reached across the seat to pull the door close, then backed out. Janet watched her go, tears in her eyes. As the taillights came on at the stop sign, Janet whispered, "But what if she doesn't love me?"

---

Sam slipped into her tent, tossing her cap into the corner. "Great," she muttered. The second O'Neill said they were going back, she had started looking forward to the time alone on a quiet, albeit hot, planet. Now she had to spend the time with a starry-eyed, not-so-secret admirer.

She took a seat next to the sleeping bag, pulling her book out of her bag. Since the eclipse didn't start for another twenty hours, the team had been informed to bring things to keep them occupied. Sam had chosen the newest James Patterson novel, which she had been reading for the past two weeks.

"Major Carter?" She rolled her eyes and put the bookmark back in before she had read a single word.

"Yes, Major Burdett?" She pulled the flap up and stepped outside.

Burdett was standing a few yards away, looking into the woods. "I thought I saw something move in the woods. Right over there."

"This is an uninhabited world, Major. We made sure of that. Colonel O'Neill didn't want to send a bunch of rookies to any place that might turn dangerous."

Burdett shook his head. "This place does have a Stargate, right? Maybe something came through after us."

"Then whatever it is would have run into Feretti at the gate. The movement you saw was probably just heat waves coming off of the ground. God knows it's hot enough."

"But, Major..."

"Look, Burdett. You're a major in the Air Force. No one made you stay. And if you are going to jump at every shadow on this world, I suggest you pack up your tent and go back to the Stargate now. Do you understand?"

He hadn't blinked once during her outburst. He finally looked down at his hands, then said, "Sure thing. Right. Probably nothing."

She sighed and stepped back into her tent, dropping the flap behind her. As she sat and opened her book again, starting to read. She had finished the chapter when she finally convinced herself she had been too harsh. She closed the book, tossing it onto the sleeping bag. She left the tent, finding Burdett next to his tent, watching the meteors streak across the late afternoon sky.

"Mark."

He looked up, surprised at the soft tone of her voice. She sat next to him, crossing her legs indian-style.

"Hey, Major."

"Call me Sam. I was out of line earlier. I shouldn't have been so short with you."

"Aw, come on, Sam. This heat was getting to everyone. O'Neill threatened to court-martial Collinsworth for
dropping a camera."

"That had nothing to do with the heat," Sam smiled.

Burdett laughed, and checked his bootlace. "Look, uh... I'll take first watch tonight."

"You don't have to, Mark. That was just something the colonel came up with to keep you guys in order."

"Still... I think I saw something in the brush. I'd feel better."

She glanced at the trees. "Mark... you said the heat was getting to everyone. Could it possibly have been your eyes were playing tricks on you?"

Mark scanned the treeline. "You could be right." He looked back at her. "Sorry about horning in on your alone time."

"I'm glad you're here, Mark. If I didn't have someone to talk to, I'd end up talking to myself. And that leads to padded rooms and straightjackets." She patted him on the arm and straightened up, heading back to her tent.

---

Janet entered the deathly quiet house and dropped her purse on the table just to make a noise. "Cass? You home?" Silly question, she told herself. If Cassandra were home, Limp Bizkit would be blaring through the entire upstairs. Janet was worried about the girl; she hadn't heard from her since the pancake faux pas. Janet went up the stairs and entered the bedroom, softly closing the door behind her. She glanced at the bed that was still unmade. Softly, she whispered, "You know you can cry on my pillows."

***

Sam laughed and wiped her face. She had covered the pillows with a towel so that she didn't drench the bed as she cried. She sat up and dried her face before she laid back down. "I'll pay for the drying."

"Don't worry about it, Sam." Janet crossed the room, sitting on the edge of the bed and brushing the hair out of her best friend's face. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She nodded slowly, her head still pounding. Her skin was pale and drawn, her blonde hair hung limp over her forehead and she was sporting large black circles under her eyes. She hadn't had a good night's sleep since Jolinar took her over. Janet sighed. "You know you could've stayed in the infirmary, too. I could give you better care--"

"Please, Janet. I couldn't stand all the guys making excuses to just come and gawk at me. Daniel said he had a sprained nose, for cryin' out loud." Both women noticed the colonel's common phrase, but neither mentioned it. "I just... needed to be alone for a couple of days. That's all."

"You want me to go?"

Sam grasped Janet's hand and held it tightly. "You're different. You're..." She turned her gaze to the wall.

"Different."

Janet frowned. "Sam? Is something wrong?"

Sam sat up, holding her stomach as she did. "When I was bonded with Jolinar, he didn't really give me time to speak. I was basically shut in a corner of my own mind with nothing to occupy my thoughts except... well, my thoughts. And when I was dying, my entire life passed in front of my eyes. It made me realize something."

Janet tightened her grip on Sam's hand. "What?" she said, so softly that neither woman was entirely sure she had actually spoken the word.

"I can't."

"Sam. You can tell me."

Sam rearranged the t-shirt she was wearing. "Ever since you became Cassie's guardian, we've grown closer than before. Closer than I've been with anyone, really. When I thought I was dying, I didn't think about Dad or Mark or my nieces... I didn't even think about finally seeing Mom again." She turned her eyes to the window that looked out over Janet's roof. "I thought about how... I would never get a chance to tell you... that I love you."

The room was deathly silent. Janet's grip slightly loosened on Sam's hand. After a few seconds in the awkward silence, Sam threw the blankets off and said, "I should go." She put her legs over the side of the bed opposite Janet, so they were back-to-back. Janet turned, grabbing Sam's shoulders and spinning her so they could face each other on the one-person bed. Janet's eyes were wet with tears. Her hands moved from the major's shoulders up to her face, caressing Sam's beautiful features. Sam brushed the back of one hand over Janet's cheek. Without saying another word, they closed the distance between their faces and kissed gently.

It was a mere touching of lips, but it caused a reactor-sized explosion in both of their bodies. Sam's free hand gripped the sheets as she continued to kiss the woman she had loved for almost a year now. Janet's hands tightened, clutching Sam's shirt as they kissed in an effort to make sure the contact wasn't broken.  Finally, they pulled apart and stared at each other, trying to catch their breath. A small smile played at the corners of Sam's lips as she swung her legs back onto the bed. She laid back, resting on the pillows, and began to gently tug at the hem of the t-shirt. Janet watched as inch-by-inch of pale skin was exposed.

Suddenly, she put her hand over Sam's, stopping the progress of the shirt. "Sam... not now."

"What other time would be this perfect?"

Janet kissed Sam's forehead. "You've been through a massive trauma, Sam. An alien being DIED in your head. You need time to heal and the doctor's orders don't include sex."

Sam looked extremely disappointed, then indicated the spot beside her on the bed. "Does it include cuddling?"

Janet climbed off the bed and slipped off her high-heels, pulling the blankets back and settling in next to Sam. As the two women adjusted to situate their bodies just right, Janet said, "In case it wasn't clear, I love you, too."

Sam kissed Janet again, then said, "You need a bigger bed."

Janet laughed and rested her head on Sam's chest. "Get some sleep, Major."

"Doctor knows best," Sam said sleepily.

***

Janet had curled up on the large queen-sized bed she had bought with Sam the very next week, clutching the blankets as she cried uncontrollably. Downstairs, she heard the door swing open and slam shut, quickly followed by pounding footsteps on the stairs. A few seconds later, she heard the loud boom of Cassie closing her door a few seconds later.

She ran her hand over the empty mattress next to her. For the longest time, there had been the slightest indention of Sam's body there. It was already fading away. Janet sighed and laid her head on the pillow. "I miss you, Sam."

---

The dusk period of the day on P42-887 was only about five minutes by Sam's watch. Before she really had time to process the fact that the sun was going down, it was already dark. She exited her tent and found that Burdett was already preparing a fire. A chilled breeze swept through the camp, a harbinger of what the rest of the night held. Burdett saw her and checked his watch. "According to Dr. Jackson's report, night here lasts twelve solid hours. You sure you don't want to rest up for your watch?"

"Nah," Sam said, sitting next to the fire. "I think I'll grab a bite to eat first."

Burdett grabbed some MREs and said, "What'll it be? I have chicken, chicken, chicken and bratwurst. I recommend the chicken."

She took one of the packets and smirked at him. "You've been hanging around Daniel too long."

"Nah, just sneaking too many of these from the supply closet."

"You sneak MREs and eat them? On purpose?"

Burdett smiled, lighting the fire. "Yeah. You know how it is; fresh out of the academy, you're short on cash. MREs kept me in fighting form."

"You could've tried the commisary."

"Are you kidding? That stuff's worse than this."

Sam chuckled and ripped open the plain brown wrapper of her meal.

---

Jack O'Neill kicked at the dirt, noticing his boots were still slightly marked where Sam had... splashed them. He peered down the long corridor that led away from the Stargate, expecting someone from the Tok'ra to be here to meet them. "Hello? I believe you called for us?"

Jacob Carter came around the corner, brushing his dusty hands on his tunic. "Sorry about that, Jack. Anise just found some startling artifacts I think Dr. Jackson would like to see."

Daniel's eyebrows arched and he adjusted his glasses, moving down the corridor. Jacob didn't seem to mind the archaeologist had dispensed with pleasantries. He craned his neck, looking for his daughter. "So? I requested you because I assumed Sam would be coming with you. There a problem?"

"Nah, nothing major. Just that she wanted to stay behind and observe some sort of... sky thing."

"Oh, yeah? You left my little girl all alone on a planet? Where?"

O'Neill squinted, trying to remember the coordinates. Finally, he said, "Ah, Teal'c?"

The Jaffa intoned, "P42-887."

Jacob's face blanched. "What?! What the hell are you guys doing rooting around on Marchetta?"

Jack frowned. "What? Marchetta? The planet's uninhabited. It's safe."

Jacob barked, "Marchetta? SAFE?" He shifted his gaze to Teal'c. "You've never heard of Marchetta? As First Prime of Apophis?"

Teal'c entire body was suddenly tense. "I have. I was unaware that P42-887 was one and the same. Apophis would not reveal the coordinates for he believed it would only fuel desire to travel there." He turned to O'Neill. "We must return to P42-887. If Jacob Carter is correct, we have little time."

"Hold it!" Jack said. "We're not goin' anywhere until you two explain to me what the hell is going on. What is wrong with this... Marsha place?"

Jacob sighed. "I don't suppose you've ever heard of the Chahakae?"

"No. Who're they?"

"A ruthless, cannabalistic race that uses most of Marchetta as hunting ground. They've wiped out most of the other civilizations that lived there, which is why you thought it was barren. Honestly, Jack. I thought Hammond had a little more sense than that."

"The Chakotay..."

"Chahakae," Teal'c corrected.

"Whatever. They're going to come after Sam and..."

"Devour her. Unless they know who she is. Then they might spare her for a couple of hours." Jacob had pushed O'Neill out of the way and was dialing earth.

"Why?"

"They'll torture her for knowledge. Jolinar's memories, Tok'ra and Asgard information, the iris codes for your Stargate... They may even try to sell her to the Goa'uld."

"She'll never give that up." The Stargate roared to life.

"The Chahakae can keep her on the brink of death for several weeks. When they determine she's unbreakable, they'll... move on to other things. If we want to get reinforcements, we'll have to go and we have to go NOW, Jack."

"Daniel, come on. Sam's in trouble."

Jacob sighed. "If she's still alive."

Part Three

Sam said good-night to Burdett and slipped into her tent, sliding the zipper shut to keep her from unwanted visitors. Not that she thought Burdett was a peeping Tom or anything, but... she just wanted to be certain. She sighed, pulling her jacket off and tossing it onto her pack. She hadn't bothered to change clothes since her little dip in the creek earlier and her bra was in a sad state of grime. She peeled it off and dumped it on the ever-growing pile of clothes. Luckily, they had brought a change of clothes for their stay.

After her boots and socks were removed, she wiggled her toes. They had been stuck in the heavy boots for too long and needed a little air. She would have killed to have Janet there to rub them... but that thinking was just going to get her upset. With a sigh, she slipped into her sleeping bag and tried to drift effortlessly into sleep. If it worked, it would be the first good rest she had gotten in two months.

---

Cassie had spent most of the day in her room, probably sulking. Janet wandered through the house before finally settling in front of the TV for some mindless entertainment. After deciding she didn't care about Matthew Broderick's new Broadway play or Rosie O'Donnell's attempt at a talk show, she pulled a tape off the shelf and slipped it into the machine. She pressed play and sat back in the recliner, pulling her feet up underneath her. The screen slowly slipped into focus and Janet gasped, "I thought we taped over this..."

Sam's voice came through the speakers. "Okay... okay, not yet. It's not on yet... Is it on?"

***

"How do you record on this," Sam asked, perplexed.

Janet sighed. "Give the girl a naquadah reactor and she can blow up an alien ship, but hand her a video camera and she's helpless as a kitten." She took the camera from Sam and pointed out the red button. "Push there to start, push it again to stop."

Sam raised the eyepiece and said, "Okay... okay, not yet. It's not on yet... Is it on?"

Janet nodded and pointed at the light. "You're recording, dear heart."

"Okay. And... action." She swung the camera around so it was focused on the pool. Daniel was already in the deep end, floating harmlessly. O'Neill had a can of beer and was standing on the deck watching as Teal'c prepared his first high dive.

"You sure you're ready, Teal'c?"

"It is only water, O'Neill. I have experienced it on many occassions."

Sam had to laugh at the Jaffa's outfit. He wore large blue goggles and a bathing cap in case anyone showed up in the backyard and spotted the tattoo he wore (the cap was actually Jack's idea, just to see if Teal'c would wear it). Instead of shorts like the other guys, he was wearing a red-and-black striped one-piece suit that wrapped around his torso and extended into two over-stretched straps over his shoulders. This was necessary, Jack claimed, to protect Junior from being flooded. The entire thing resulted in a hilarious look for the former First Prime.

Sam swung the camera back around, panning down Janet Fraiser's small, tanned form, which was resplendent in a blue two-piece. The doctor was turned, watching for Teal'c graceful dive.

Sam chewed her lower lip as she zoomed in on Janet's ass, delightfully filling out the thin blue material of her bikini bottoms. The camera slowly lowered, tracking the slightly sweaty skin of her legs. By the time she got to Janet's back, the doctor had turned. "Sam," she hissed. "What are you doing?"

Sam zoomed in on the barely-covered breasts as Janet approached, filming as they moved with her motion. Janet put her hand over the lens and turned it towards the grass. She whispered, "You know we have to tape over that, right?"

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Whatever could we tape... just you and me... later tonight?"

Janet sighed, then offered a smile. "You're too much, Samantha."

"But you love me for it." She kissed the doctor on the nose just as a giant splash filled the backyard.

Daniel sputtered, having been capsized in the undercurrent of Teal'c decidedly UNgraceful dive. "Agh," he spit water as he grasped for the deck to save himself. "What the hell..."

***

"...is goin' on?! JACK!!"

Janet stopped the tape, looking at the blue screen that was left behind. Slowly, she stood and ejected the tape from the machine and turned it over in her hands. She carefully replaced it in the sleeve and put it back on the shelf. That done, she turned off the TV and went back to the stairs, going to her room.

---

Sam groaned and tossed onto her back. Counting sheep wasn't working. Thinking about fishing with Jack wasn't working. Finally, she decided on the old stand-by that had worked during her entire relationship with Janet. She ran her hands over her breasts, over her stomach, then found the belt of her fatigues. Slowly undoing the buckle, she slid the rough material halfway down her thighs and bent her knees. She closed her eyes and quietly said, "Janet, honey. I can't sleep..."

Janet pulled her panties off under her skirt and sat on the bed, her eyes closed. She slowly spread her legs and ran a hand over her breast. Her nipples were already erect, wanting. She moaned, "Sam... I want to help you fall asleep..."

Sam slipped a hand between her heated skin and her regulation panties. The blonde tuft of hair between her legs was already moist as she slipped her fingers through a few strands. "No one can make me feel like you do, baby..."

"I know," Janet whispered. There was no way she could hear her lover billions of miles away on a distant planet, but she knew the words by heart. Her hand traced the muscles of her thigh as it drifted higher, pushing the skirt slowly out of the way. "I know how to make you feel so much better, Samantha. Will you let me?"

"Yes," Sam moaned, sliding a finger over her wet slit. "Yes, Janet. Make me feel all better." Her thumb rolled across her clit as she inserted a finger into herself. She bit her lip at the intrusion, imaging it was Janet that was manipulating her...

Janet cupped her own mound, letting her fingers massage her lips. "Touch me, Sam," she moaned, rolling her head back on her shoulders. "Can I touch you?"

"I want to touch you, Janet," Sam hissed as she added a second finger, beginning to gently thrust her fingers into herself. "I want you to touch me..."

Janet moaned, "Sa-aa-aam..." She dropped back onto the bed, both hands now buried between her legs. Janet called out as she came, whimpering as the climax died down. She curled into a ball, holding her knees to her chest. Sometime during the past few minutes, she had started crying.

Sam gasped, "Jan... Janet..." Tears streamed freely down her face as she worked herself to orgasm, eventually slowly her ministrations and pulling her pants back up. She used the blanket to dry the sweat and tears from her cheeks and curled onto her side. Suddenly, the side of the tent billowed inward, as if something had just fallen against it. She sat up. Had Burdett been listening? She pulled a shirt from her pack and slipped it on, not bothering with a bra.

She yanked the zipper open on her tent and stepped out, prepared to confront Burdett for eavesdropping. What she saw made her stop in her tracks, her blood running cold.

Mark Burdett's feet weren't touching the ground, his legs hanging a few feet in the air. He turned his eyes towards her, trying to squeak out a warning. In the flickering light of the fire, she could see that the major's face had changed to a sickening shade of purple.

The hand clamped around his throat was large, three-fingered and scaly. At first glance, she thought it was an Unas, but she dismissed that idea when she realized this creature had fur covering his jowls and throat. The scientist in Sam was intrigued by the thought of an eight-foot tall creature that had properties of cold- and warm-blooded animals. The human in Sam was terrified of the thought of such a creature killing them both.

The alien monstrosity hadn't noticed her yet. It squeezed Burdett's throat tighter, causing his eyes to briefly close. He wasn't getting much oxygen to the brain, if any. The creature hissed, "Rakazsha..." Sam ducked back into her tent, grabbing her revolver and zat. If one didn't work, the other certainly would. She stepped back out in time to see the creature hurl Mark to the ground and kick him in the side with a pointed boot. The creature hissed again, "Rakazsha!"

Sam fired the zat, hitting 'Rakazsha' in the chest. It backpedalled slightly, staring at her in confusion.

'Great,' she said to herself. 'First Laszwell, now this bastard. Is there a race these damn things will work on?' She dropped the zat and switched to her revolver. "Freeze, asshole."

'Good one, Sam. Maybe the creature that's three-feet taller than you will be intimidated by your puny gun.' Rakazsha stepped over Burdett's crumpled form and slowly approached her. She stepped back, her gun hand shaking. "I mean it. I'll shoot."

Rakazsha sniffed the air. Finally, it hissed at her, "Tu... cerha..."

Sam frowned. "Tok'ra?"

Rakazsha roared, "TOK'RA!" It leapt at her, taking hold of her gun hand and wrenching the weapon away from her. She stepped back, knowing that running would probably not get her anywhere in this situation. Rakazsha looked at the gun, then tossed it into the forest. It sniffed the air again, reaching into a pouch hanging from it's belt as it began to shift from one foot to the other. "Tok'ra..."

Sam spun on her heel and made a mad dash for the treeline. If she could just make it to the creek, she could cross to the other side and hopefully mask her trail. Then she had an entire planet to hide out on until help arrived.

She had barely gone thirty feet before she felt the weight of the Rakazsha land in the center of her back. They both tumbled, rolling through the dirt. Sam tried to crawl out of it's reach, but it grabbed ahold of her boot and dragged her back. Her hands searched the ground for some kind of weapon but found none. O'Neill had picked this spot to camp on because it lacked rocks and twigs that would make sleeping on the ground uncomfortable. 'Ironic... I die because a few rocks would've been too uncomfortable.'

She felt the creature as it sat on the small of her back, holding her down. The next thing she felt was the sharp pinprick just below her ear. She gasped as what felt like a foot-long needle was inserted into her neck and then retracted. A warm heat spread through her entire body as she felt her fingers begin to tingle. Everything was going numb. In the space of a few seconds, Sam had lost control of her entire body.

Slowly, the sedative took over her brain as well. The last thing she saw before blacking out was the crumpled body of Mark Burdett laying next to the fire. 'I'm sorry, Mark. So sorry...' Her vision blurred, then went black completely.

---

It was still dark out when Jack O'Neill stepped into the clearing. The fire was almost out and they could feel the cold beginning to give way to the heat of the planet's sun. Jacob adjusted his cap and shook his head. "We're too late. The Chahakae have been here."

"How can you tell so soon?"

Jacob pointed to the body next to the fire, already moving to the tents. He yanked a flap up on one and peered in. Seeing nothing, he moved to the next and checked it. "There's no one else here. The Chahakae must have discovered who she was and taken her."

"Where would this, uh... Chachi... take her," Jack asked.

Jacob sighed, looking around the camp. "The gate is due east of here. The Chahakae would have taken Sam along on it's hunt." He pointed towards the creek. "It would be hunting westward."

Jack nodded. "So that's where we look." He started west, then noticed Jacob's face. "Something wrong, Jake?"

Jacob looked up. "What? No. Nothing important." As Jack moved away, Jacob muttered, "I hope to God I'm wrong..."

Daniel approached. "Burdett's alive, but his brain was cut off from oxygen for quite some time. We should get him back to the infirmary ASAP."

Jack nodded at two members of SG-3 that had arrived with them. "Powell, Dalke, I want you to take Burdett back to the SGC. Let Hammond know the situation." He turned back to Jacob. "All righty. Let's go."

---

Sam's first thought upon waking was surprise that she was still alive. The second was to wonder why. She was lying face-down, her mouth full of dirt. She raised her head slightly, examining her surroundings. She was laying on a large pile of dirt, just beyond the edge of a large forest; probably the same forest that held the Stargate. Her arms were stretched out in front of her, crossed at the wrist and bound with some kind of rope. A leash led from the rope and trailed along the ground. She followed the trail until she found the Rakazsha sitting a few yards away, chewing on a large chunk of meat.

He suddenly turned to look at her, as if sensing she was conscious. It peered at her for a moment, then returned to it's meal.

"What the hell are you," she whispered.

"I am of the Chahakae. The name which you refer to me is my family name."

Sam blinked in surprise. "You... speak English."

"No."

"You're speaking it now."

Rakazsha looked at the meat it held. Finally, it said, "If that is what you call this language, I was able to learn it in order to decifer your memories."

"You read my memories?"

"Yes."

"How much do you know?"

"Everything. Major Samantha Carter. Daughter of Jacob and Marsha Carter. Sister to Marcus Carter. You lost your virginity at age sixteen in something called a Chrysler."

Sam blushed. "At least you didn't learn anything important..."

"Iris authorization code 10183573650_4354369."

Sam's heart skipped a beat. "Oh, God."

Rakazsha smiled. "In addition to this, I gained nearly everything needed in order to destroy both your people and the Tok'ra. You will fetch a hefty price at market." It glanced over at her. "And once your mind has been tapped for all useful information, you will continue to bring me riches when I begin to sell your body."

Sam turned away in disgust. "I will kill myself before you force me to do that."

Rakazsha smirked at her. "You will be dead long before I begin to sell your body. Many Chahakae do not like the taste of living flesh."

"You mean you'll sell my body... for food?"

"Precisely."

She glanced at the bloody chunk of meat in the creatures hands, remembering what she had seen in the camp. "Oh, God... that's not..." She swallowed the bile that was building up in her throat. "Mark?"

Rakazsha bellowed with laughter, almost dropping it's meal in the process. "No. No, I left him. Other carnivores with less refined tastes will finish him." It took another large bite and motioned over it's shoulder. "This is Pinx."

She glanced back. The body of a yak-like animal lay behind Rakazsha, it's side torn open. She also saw, in the distance, another forest. Apparently the sand dune where they were now was simply a tiny spot in a huge continuing wood. That almost relieved her, since that would mean she wouldn't be dragged through a desert until they got to wherever it was they were going.

Then she realized the fact that they were surrounded by trees meant that she had no idea which direction the Stargate was. Hell, she didn't even know which way the campground was.

She was screwed royally.

Rakazsha suddenly shot to his feet, grabbing the leash that connected him to Sam and yanking it. Sam was jerked forward slightly and she struggled to stand as he yanked the leash again. "Come. We must walk far."

"Don't I get to eat?"

"No."

"Well, wait," she said, bracing herself for his next yank so she wouldn't fall on her face. "You said you were going to sell me for food. What good is that if I'm starved? No one wants to buy food that's all skin and bones." She couldn't believe the rationalization she was using, but she could tell from the creatures expression that it had worked.

He walked back to the Pinx and pulled a leg off. Tossing the bloody hunk to Sam, he said, "Eat and walk. We have far to go."

Sam grimaced at the piece of leg. "You wouldn't happen to have a quarter pounder, would you?"

"Eat the leg."

She kicked it. "No thanks. Lead on."

Rakazsha glared at her, then stepped forward. "You said yourself. I must fatten you up." He poked her in the gut with a sharp fingernail. "You are puny enough to begin with."

"I'm not eating a raw leg of some animal you slaughtered on a whim." A thought passed through her brain. Something wasn't right, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Eat or I will force it down your throat."

Sam spit in the creature's face. Unfortunately, due to the difference in their size, it landed more on his neck. He wiped it away, gnashing his teeth together. In a fluid motion that surprised Sam, Rakazsha swung a meaty fist around and punched her in the cheek. She fell to the ground in a heap, feeling the warmth of blood on her skin. The creature's knuckles were apparently very boney and sharp. He had cut her cheek open with the punch, as well as very nearly dislocating her jaw. He grabbed her by the collar, raising her off her feet. "You are a stubborn human. Your owners will not be pleased with your mouth."

"I wouldn't be worried about my owners," she said. "I'll kill myself before the sale is final."

Rakazsha dropped her. As she hit the ground, his boot came forward and collided with the soft muscle below her chin. She flew backwards, landing on her back next to the carcass of the Pinx. Rakazsha was on top of her in an instant, dotting her face and stomach with punches. Finally, after what seemed like a week, the beating subsided. The creature slowly climbed off of her and used the leash to pull her to her feet. "You will not be so quick to make snide remarks in the future."

Sam's left eye was swollen almost completely shut and a trail of blood trickled out of her nose. She could feel where her bottom lip was split open in two places. Bruises marked a trail from her forehead to her chin. She could only imagine what her body looked like under her clothes. Aside from the beating, she had apparently been dragged part of the journey. The front of her shirt and pants were covered with dirt and grass stains, as well as several tears from rocks she had been pulled over.

Rakazsha turned and headed for the treeline in the distance. She cast a glance over her shoulder, trying to see if she could tell which direction they had been coming from. It was impossible. The clearing where they had stopped was completely surrounded by trees. They could have come from any direction.

'Oh, yeah,' she thought, echoing an earlier thought. 'I'm definitely screwed.'

---

Janet opened a file, then snapped it shut again without reading any of the information in it. She had dressed in her uniform without realizing she was doing it. The drive to the base was a blur to her. It was as if she had been drawn there by a mysterious... force. She passed the bed where Mark Burdett was recovering from some kind of attack, but she didn't stop to check exactly how it had happened. Colonel Reynolds was recovering from an appendectomy and was sleeping soundly in the bed furthest from the door.

Janet was about to go in her office and shut the door when Daniel Jackson stepped into the room. He headed to Burdett's bed at first, then saw Janet and stopped.

"Dr. Fraiser. I thought... aren't you on vacation?"

"Two more days," she said. "I, uh... just wanted to make sure everything was okay here."

Daniel's eyes widened behind his glasses. "Oh, God. No one told you. Of course not, why would they concern you unless they knew... but they don't know, so they didn't. It was a..."

"Daniel!" She snapped. "What haven't I been told?"

He pushed her into her office, closing the door behind them. He steepled his hands, pressing them against his forehead before he spoke. "This is bad news."

"What?" Janet's body was trembling. "Something happened to Sam, didn't it?"

"She... Sam was abducted last night. Jack and Teal'c are looking for her, and the Tok'ra are helping."

Janet dropped into her chair, her entire body suddenly numb. She gripped the arm rests of her chair and tried to control her breathing. "Do... they know... who did it? What, uh... Was it the Goa'uld?"

"No, no... Jacob thinks it was a race called the Chahakae. According to the Tok'ra, they'd be more interested in selling Sam than killing her. It will keep her alive until it can find a market and it won't be able to find a market without the Stargate. And we have that covered pretty well."

Janet reached blindly for something on her desk. She didn't know what she was grabbing for, but she didn't care. She caught ahold of Daniel's hand and squeezed it. That slight contact was enough to break her. She collapsed in tears, grabbing for the rest of Daniel. He hugged her tightly as she began to cry uncontrollably.

---

The day was remarkably cooler than the day before. Sam was grateful for this, since she didn't think she would have been able to run in that heat. Due to the length of Rakazsha's legs, he moved in strides much longer than her own. She had to jog to keep up with him. He stopped, sniffing the air. Growling low in his throat, he tied the leash to a sturdy-looking tree trunk and examined the area around them.

They were back in dense woods, surrounded on all sides by thick trees. But apparently he had sensed something amiss. Sam dropped, silently thanking whatever had made her captor stop. Her legs needed the rest. Rakazsha was crouching, his feet planted far apart. He clenched his three-fingered hands several times. Sam wanted to ask what he was looking for, but feared his response would be in the form of another beating. The wounds he had inflicted earlier were throbbing again now that they had stopped. At least when she had been running to keep up with him, she had been able to ignore the pain.

Suddenly, the brush erupted with a small, black form that half-jumped, half-flew at Rakazsha and attached itself to his chest. The Chahakae howled, pulling at the alien that was holding onto the fur of his chest. The tiny creature suddenly sprouted long, gossamer wings that spanned at least ten feet.

Rakazsha produced a long, serated blade and began to slice at the wings that threatened to surround him. The black animal shrieked as it tore into the flesh of Rakazsha's neck.

Sam pulled at her leash, desperately trying to take advantage of this battle. The cords that bound her wrists cut into the tender flesh as she pulled in vain. She turned on the rock she was sitting on, bracing her feet against the tree trunk she had been tied to. She clenched her teeth, preparing herself for the pain that she knew would follow. She counted slowly and, on three, pressed all of her weight against the tree. Her bottom rose off the rock and her back bent as the leash refused to give. Tears rolled down her face as the cord cut deeper into her. She was putting so much pressure against the tree that her boots were the only thing touching solid ground. The rest of her body was taut with the strain of trying to break the leash.

She glanced at Rakazsha. The creature that had attacked him seemed to be growing with each injury Rakazsha inflicted. It stretched from his throat down to his knees now, and the wings flapped wildly as Rakazsha tore at them with the knife.

Sam desperately wanted that knife, but knew if she was going to escape she wasn't going to get help from either of the two fighters. It didn't matter who the winner was; both of them were bad company. She rested her legs, feeling the strain in her knees. Blood speckled her wrists, streaming down her forearms. Pressing her boots once more to the tree, she pushed with her legs and pulled with her shoulders. After a second or two of intense pain as the cords cut into already raw skin and muscle, she heard a wonderful *SNAP* and she fell back against the rock. She knew her shoulder had been bruised when she had been propelled backwards, but she didn't care. She rolled off of the rock, turning her back to the battle that was raging as she began to run blindly through the woods. Then, it hit her. She stopped, leaning against a tree. Rakazsha knew everything. Gate addresses, iris codes, human secrets. If he managed to defeat the winged creature, he would be a major problem. She reluctantly turned and headed back to the battle scene.

---

Jack O'Neill stopped just before he plummeted over the edge of the ravine. "Whoa... where'd this come from?"

Jacob stepped out of the trees behind him, looking down into the expanse. "I was afraid of this. Come on." He turned and headed back in the direction they had come.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Jack said, pulling on Jacob's coat. "Where d'ya think you're going. You said this Chahakae guy was gonna be hunting west. Now you're saying east? Which is it?"

Jacob sighed. "We have to get back to the Stargate, Jack. Now."

Jack stood his ground. "Why are we leaving?"

"We have to go back to Earth. I'll explain there."

---

Sam could smell the stench of blood as she approached the scene of her escape. She stepped around the tree she had been tied to... and gagged. Rakazsha lay in the center of the trail, his head covered with thick, black blood. She could see the hole in his chest where the creature had attached itself. Careful not to disturb any of the other aliens that had magically appeared on this world, she knelt next to the carcass. Going through his possessions, she found the serrated knife he had used to attack his killer, a recorder he had stolen from her camp, and a canteen half-filled with water. She took these items and glanced around, hoping nothing had snuck up on her while she was distracted.

She slipped around the tree and sat, taking a long swig of the Chahakae's water. Her mouth and throat were incredibly dry, and she wondered how long she had been Rakazsha's prisoner. She looked down at her torn and bloody clothes, wishing suddenly she had taken her captors offer of food when she had the chance. The Pinx was probably rotting by now, or else eaten by scavengers. As she took another drink, she looked at the sky through the canopy of trees. Not a single cloud marred the perfect blue sky.

She sighed, wishing she had the time to appreciate this beautiful day.

It hit her like a ton of bricks.

Clear blue sky. Unmarred by clouds... or meteorites. She rose to her feet, keeping her eyes on the clear, blue sky. Not a single red and black trail streaked the sky. The meteor shower on P42-887 was constant; every day and night of the year, according to Daniel's observations. The lack of meteorites could only be explained by one thing. Rakazsha had taken her through the Stargate. P42-887 was a distant memory. She didn't know where the Stargate was and, even if she did she wouldn't be able to give the iris code without her GDO. She had been hoping to make her way back to camp and salvage the one in her gear.

But now, all the rules were off.

She was stranded with no way to get home.

Part Four

The briefing room at the SGC was usually deathly silent in the early morning hours, but today it was the center of a flurry of activity. General George Hammond entered, followed by Jack O'Neill, Jacob Carter and Teal'c. Feretti and Brubaker had a large map laid out on the table in front of them, marking various points along a curved line.

 Hammond took a seat and Brubaker snapped into a belated salute. "Sir. We've checked the transmission from the UAV. There's still no sign of any animal or human life on the planet. Apparently, Major Carter was taken back
through the Stargate."

Jacob sighed, sitting in the chair beside Hammond's. "That's what I was afraid of. The Chahakae are ruthless. She's on their homeworld now, probably already in possession of a buyer. We have to move, Jack."

Teal'c spoke up. "I believe I may be of assistance. The Goa'uld and Chahakae know of each other and trade often. Perhaps I could infiltrate their world and assist in Major Carter's escape."

Hammond asked, "They wouldn't know you turned against the Goa'uld?"

Jacob shook his head. "They'd know, but they wouldn't care if he offered them something of value. Which brings up an interesting question. What are you planning to offer them in return for Sam?"

Teal'c took a deep breath. "Myself. Once I am certain Major Carter is safe, I will escape as well."

Jacob smiled. "Nice idea, Teal'c, but I think you under estimate their prison system."

O'Neill raised an eyebrow. "Bad?"

"Let's just say that the only place worse was Netu."

Jack whistled. "That's bad. Can't let you do it, Teal'c."

The door to the conference room opened, admitting Daniel and Janet. Hammond turned, surprised at the doctor's appearance. "Dr. Fraiser? I thought you were..."

"I am, sir. But I overheard part of Teal'c's plan and I think it will work. There's just one thing. Jacob, would it be easier for Teal'c to break in and rescue someone if he knew exactly where they were imprisoned?"

"It would be remarkably easier. Maybe if Sam just happened to be carrying a GPS, he would be in and out in a matter of minutes. But we can't assume that she has one."

"Exactly," Janet said. "Give me a GPS. Teal'c can trade me for Sam, then break in and get me out."

Hammond shook his head. "Absolutely not. I won't allow my Chief Medical Officer to be put in that kind of danger. Denied, Dr. Fraiser."

Janet stood her ground. "Allow me to plead my case, sir. The fact that I am this base's CMO should make me the only candidate for this mission. If Sam's been hurt half as bad as Burdett, then we may not have time to get her back to the Stargate. She'll need immediate medical attention. Plus, whoever Teal'c traded would have to have experience with the Goa'uld. I would say my experience with Hathor would qualify as sufficient training."

Teal'c added, "The Chahakae would also be more intrigued with a female prisoner. They would not accept a male for a female."

The room fell silent. Hammond finally said, "Teal'c and Dr. Fraiser are two of the biggest resources this base has. I'm not willing to risk their lives unless it were absolutely necessary. Does anyone have any other ideas? Anything at all?"

He glared at the faces around him. One by one, their expressions confirmed his fears. He hung his head and sighed. "Okay. I don't like it, but I guess we have no choice. Colonel Brubaker, get Dr. Fraiser a GPS locater. Now, Jacob. What should they expect to find on the Chahakae homeworld?"

Selmak answered for his host. "The Stargate is located in a forest, like the one on Marchetta. It will be a long trek to the town where we assume Major Carter has been sold. Do not offer to trade Dr. Fraiser until you are certain the leader has her as prisoner."

Janet frowned. "What if Sam... Major Carter's abductor didn't take her to the first town he came to?"

"He has to. It's a village called Kanotobe. It's a mecca of sorts where traders come from all over the world to buy new slaves and harem girls. It saves him the trouble of traveling from village to village trying to find a buyer. In addition, he will want to get rid of her as soon as possible."

Hammond frowned. "Why?"

Selmak shook his head. "The Chahakee do not believe possession entitles you to ownership. The moment it was revealed Major Carter was on that world, assassins would be dispatched to gain possession of her without paying the rightful price. But once she gets to market, she will be sold to the person willing to spend the most credits."

Jack sighed. "So she wasn't just abducted, she was taken to a planet full of people who want to collect on the prize?"

"Exactly."

Hammond sighed. "Teal'c... be careful."

---

Sam leaned against the tree, holding her knees tight against her chest. Another world. The damned Rakazsha had taken her to a different planet. Without the GDO - which she had left in her bag - she would never be able to return home. Maybe she would be able to dial the Tok'ra... or the Tollan... she ran a hand across her face, collecting grime and grit on her fingers. The first thing she did when she got home would be to take a long, hot shower.

'Scratch that,' she thought. 'The first thing I'm doing is apologizing to Janet.' Tears burned her eyes as she realized she may never see her lover again. With that thought, she pushed herself away from the tree and stretched her legs. She wasn't dead yet. There was a Stargate on this world and she would die before she gave up. If not for herself, for Janet. She refused to die until she made amends with Janet... told her that she loved her.

She gripped the knife she had taken from her dead captor and headed into the deep woods in the direction she had come from.

---

Janet wound the telephone cord around her finger as she waited for an answer. Each ring sounded so long and loud in her ear... "Pick up, please. Pick up."

"Hello?"

Janet's heart skipped a beat. "Cass. Hon, it's me."

"Hi." The girl still sounded upset.

"Look, um... I'm sorry about what happened yesterday morning at breakfast. I shouldn't have done it. But I thought you needed something to cheer you up."

"Okay."

Janet closed her eyes, wishing she had the time to talk to her daughter. "Something came up at the SGC. I might not be home for a while. I've already called Ms. Cruz and she said she would check in on you from time to time. There's some cash in..."

"...the cookie jar to order pizza or Chinese, but don't use it all for candy and sodas. I got it, Mom." The girl paused. "Is Sam okay?"

"She's fine, Cass. She just... sort of needs a ride home. Okay?"

"You're lying... But it's okay. When you get Sam back, can she come over and talk to me?"

Janet bit her lower lip. "Cass... when I get her back... I'm going to see if she wants to move back in. Is that okay?"

She could practically see the girl's face light up. "Really?!"

"Really," Janet smiled. "But she may not want to." "Of course she'll want to," Cassie said. "She loves us!"

Janet checked her watch. She was supposed to be in the gate room. "Sweety? I have to go. Sam is waiting
on me, okay?"

"Okay. See you when you come home."

"I love you, Cassandra."

"Don't get mushy, Mom." There was a pause, and then,

"I love you, too."

---

Sam fell face-forward, her jaw colliding with a rotted tree stump. She rolled onto her back, reaching down to free her boot from the tangle of weeds that had caused her to trip. Once she was free, she glanced up... and found herself face-to-face with a black dog. In her mind, she knew it couldn't possibly be a dog, but it was the closest thing she could think of to call it.

It growled at her, baring fangs that were as long as her fingers. She slid back, hitting the stump that she had fallen onto. The dog began to move to it's left, keeping its yellow eyes on her at all times. She gripped the handle of the knife, hoping she would be fast enough to kill the beast before it killed her. The monster's muscles rippled beneath it's glossy black fur. She wrapped her fingers securely around the knife, then raised her arm. The dog, startled by her movement, lurched forward. The blade of the knife caught the dog in it's upper chest and was buried all the way to its hilt. The dog whimpered, held in mid-air a few inches away from Sam's face. She could feel it's warm blood oozing out of the wound and over her fingers; it's hot breath washing over her face.  It blinked.

The knife hadn't killed it. The knife had been jammed in the creature's sternum, in all probability puncturing the heart. But it was still alive, still breathing. She made a fist with her free hand and punched the dog across the snout, causing it's head to snap to the side. She scooted back, pulling herself onto the tree stump. The dog, still connected to her by the knife, followed.

She searched the ground underneath her, finally finding a rock. She gripped it, raising it above her head. The dog's eyes blinked and for a half-second, she saw Cassandra's dog that Jack had bought for her. She froze.

Sam's distraction was enough for the beast to regain it's advantage. It twisted it's body, causing the knife to slip out. Free again, the dog snapped it's jaws shut around Sam's wrist. The force of the bite caused her fingers to spasm and she dropped the knife. She screamed in agony as it's teeth tore into the flesh, already raw from the ropes that Rakazsha's rope had caused. She kicked at the dog, but it refused to let her go. Blood flowed freely down her arm. The dog pulled her arm, knocking her onto her side. The growl had communicated one thing to her. He wasn't going to let her get away in one piece.

She was his dinner.

---

The uniform Teal'c had worn as First Prime of Apophis still fit him snugly. He stretched his arms, grimacing at the chain mail that covered most of his torso. In his right hand, he held his regular staff weapon. In the left, he held an AK47. It was what O'Neill called 'extra protection.'

Janet entered the gate room, nervously pulling at her outfit. The story they had come up with was that Teal'c had journeyed to Earth and taken over their Stargate and was using it to sell human slaves across the galaxy. Hopefully, news of SG-1's exploits hadn't reached as far as the Chahakae. In order to fully convince the Chahakae that Janet was a prisoner, they had worked some dirt into her hair and smeared some mud across her face.

The worst part of the entire thing was the dress - and she used that word loosely - she had to wear. The loincloth was held in place by a crude strap of material she decided must have been a belt. The top was a torn leather bra that was supported by just a strap over her left shoulder. Obviously the intended wearer of this outfit was a bit less proportioned, because Janet strained against the fabric. She could feel the eyes of every airman turn and lock on her the second she entered the room. She tugged the dress a little lower, hoping to save a little dignity.  She sighed and asked, "Does it have to be this... revealing?"

Teal'c cocked an eyebrow. "The Chahakae would rather their women be delivered nude. Would you prefer..."

"NO. Teal'c," she snapped. "This will be fine."

Jack stood at the foot of the ramp, watching as the Stargate's inner ring rolled to dial the Chahakae homeworld. He turned and saw Janet's outfit and whistled. "Hel-looo..."

Janet glared at him. "Sir, this isn't the time."

He nodded, turning as the Stargate came to life. He stepped aside and said, "I don't suppose you could come up with a reason for me to come along?"

"More extra protection, O'Neill?"

"Yeah. I hate the idea of you bein' out there without back-up."

Teal'c nodded slightly. "Your concern is noted and appreciated, O'Neill." He stomped up the ramp, pushing the button on his uniform to make the snake-shaped helmet appear. Taking hold of Janet's upper arm, they stepped through the event horizon.

---

The bad news was that the dog hadn't released it's grip on her wrist.

The good news was that meant he hadn't started gnawing anywhere else yet.

She was about to yank herself free of the creature's jaw and damn the consequences, when fate smiled on her. The creature's jaws relaxed. Jumping at the opportunity, she jerked her arm free and rolled off of the log. The beast barked, preparing to launch itself at her. She picked up the knife where it had fallen and swung upward. This time the blade cut through the soft skin of the alien dog's throat. It released a final yelp before falling limp to the forest floor. Sam backed away, not bothering to retrieve the knife. She paused, looking down at herself. She was in a sorry state, she had to say. Bruised, battered and bloody from being dragged who knows how far. Her entire body was caked with dirt and dust from the drag, as well. She could feel her eye was already swollen from the beating Rakazsha had given her, as well as various other scrapes and cuts he had inflicted on her. Her right arm was the worst of the batch. The rope burns where she had escaped still burned and she wondered for a moment how deep the gash was. Then there were the large, jagged teeth marks where the beast had started chewing on her. Her entire forearm was covered with blood from these wounds, and her hand was caked with the black blood of the dog.

Slowly, she pulled herself up and picked up Rakazsha's canteen. It had spilled during her fall, leaving her nothing to drink. She slung the strap over her shoulder, praying she would happen upon a fresh water stream where she could refill it. Taking a deep breath, she continued into the woods.

---

The city of Kanotobe was bustling with activity when Teal'c and Janet entered the tall, ornate gates. A man approached Teal'c, holding up a small ruby. "Priceless gem! Millions more where this came from! I'll sell you the map to the cavern where I mined this! Millions more!"

Teal'c cocked an eyebrow. "This gem is priceless?"

"Ooh, my yes. Priceless!"

"I have seen these in market on Akadesh for a mere credit. How is your gem different?"

The miner's smile vanished. He pocketed the gem and moved on to the next potential buyer. Janet gripped Teal'c's arm. "How do we know which person bought Sam?"

"No one in this market could afford her. We must go to the Provider."

"And he is?"

"The leader of Kanotobe. He is the richest man on this world. If he did not buy Major Carter directly, he would have possession of her before dusk."

Janet followed Teal'c as he fought his way through the crowd. People attempting to sell clothing, fabrics, 'exotic' gems and even other people pushed and shoved at potential buyers. Janet shrank in on herself, holding tightly to Teal'c so she wouldn't lose him in the ruckus.

An arm wrapped around her waist and she was pulled violently back, another hand covering her mouth. She screamed as the powerful man began to drag her away, then bit his finger. The man yelped and moved his hand for a fraction of a second. She screamed, "TEAL'C!"

The Jaffa spun, his staff already aimed in the direction of her scream. With two steps, he was within arm's reach. He grabbed her arm and raised the staff, bringing it down hard against the would-be thief's head. The man crumpled into the sand.

The marketplace had grown relatively quiet around them. As Teal'c surveyed the people standing in shock at what had just happened, he saw several other traders picking pockets. He kept a firm grip of Janet's shoulders. "Walk ahead of me." She nodded and he followed close behind, his hands never leaving her body.

---

Sam thanked everything she had ever believed in or thought of believing in as she knelt next to the sparkling stream and dropped her hands into the rushing waters. Her eyes closed as she felt the caked and dried blood slowly being washed away by the current. Raising her arms, she examined the cuts from the dog-beast's teeth. They weren't as bad as they appeared, but they were still bleeding slightly. She tore a piece of fabric from the bottom of her t-shirt and wrapped it around the wound, wincing as she put pressure on the bites and the cuts from Rakazsha's rope.

She bent over, sinking her head into the water. She let the water run over her face and hair, wishing for nothing more than a bath tub and some soap. When she finally surfaced, it was for air and no other reason. She gulped air into her lungs, eager to return to the cold wetness of the stream, but something stopped her. She looked across the river, scanning the trees and overgrown weeds for signs of movement. Seeing nothing, she turned to look over her shoulder.

One of the black, bat-like things that had killed Rakazsha was crouched between two trees, eyeing her. She gasped, backing up slowly. The creature mewled low in it's throat and flexed it's muscles. Sam whimpered, "I want to go home. I want to leave this damned planet." She brushed her face, mistaking the creek water for tears. "Leave me alone, you piece of shit."

She hissed at the monster, trying to sound braver than she felt. She failed.

The bat hopped a little closer.

She had nothing to defend herself with. The knife was still imbedded in the dog's throat and her other weapons had been left behind at the camp on P42-887. She felt along the ground next to her, finding a smooth stone and gripping it tightly. If the thing got close enough for her to use it, she wouldn't be ALIVE to use it. She had watched this animal kill the Chahakae, even as the stronger alien had been knifing it in the spine. What chance did she have with a rock?

"Please, don't come any closer," she pleaded. The alien didn't listen and hopped forward again.

---

The human in monk-like robes announced Teal'c and Janet as they stepped into the Provider's spacious hall. At the far end, a throne was flanked by countless harem girls, all dressed in what appeared to be torn napkins. Janet scanned the faces, making a note that Sam wasn't among them. Teal'c stopped just before the throne, awaiting an audience. The doors at the back of the hall opened slowly and the monk announced, "Ook yeat kuewe Wenika!"

A tall man, nearly two heads taller than Teal'c, stepped into the room and took a seat in the throne. He indicated one of the harem girls and she stood, hurrying to his side. "Hello," she said, her voice airy and musical. "I am to be called Kessia. I shall be translating for you. You speak the language of my people, yes?"

Teal'c nodded slightly. "I do."

Kessia bowed slightly. "Wenika wishes to know what business you seek?"

"I wish to trade for a prisoner he holds in his harem. A human female with hair the color of sunlight." He pulled a photo from a fold in his uniform and handed it to Kessia. "This is she."

Kessia scanned the picture, then handed it to Wenika. He spoke in his language, then the girl translated. "He says he knows nothing of this prisoner. He does not hold her in his harem."

Teal'c frowned. "That is quite impossible. Would he not receive her the moment she arrived on this world?"

Kessia nodded slightly. "Once she was brought within the city walls, she would be his rightful possession."

Janet's hand tightened around Teal'c's arm. "But she was never brought into the city walls. You are certain your mate is here?"

"She is not my mate," Teal'c said. "And I am certain."

They were interrupted by a page rushing in, spouting the alien language as he ran. He stopped next to Teal'c, addressing Wenika.

Wenika stood and gave his guards a string of orders, then strode from the room.

Teal'c watched in confusion, then felt two heavy hands grip his wrists and shackle them. "What is the meaning of this," he demanded, watching as Janet was also bound.

Kessia's hands were clasped in front of her. "The Provider wishes you to be held while he deals with a matter of security. You will not be injured."

Teal'c fought against the guards as they were dragged from the hall. "We are your prisoners?"

Kessia said, "Yes," and sat next to the throne once more.

---

As the bat slowly swayed back and forth, Sam became aware of a grunting coming from the trees. Her eyes rose in the direction of the sound and she saw a small gray dog slowly emerging from the shadows. It's eyes locked with hers. 'Oh, for crying out loud,' she thought. If she still had the knife, she would use it to slit her own throat at this point. Trying to back away again, her hand slipped in mud and she fell on her side, her body half-sunk in the stream. As the water pooled around her chest and head, she closed her eyes, praying that her death would be quick.

She heard the rustle of leaves as one of the creatures pounced, and then the snap of powerful jaws. Something let out a painful yowl and began to shriek in pain. In seconds, the death throes died out and the woods were silent. 'There had to have been a winner,' Sam thought. 'And I'm the prize.'

Expecting the vice-grip of teeth, she was surprised to feel a cool tongue begin to lick her hand. She opened her eyes, seeing the gray dog licking the back of her hand, looking up at her with soft brown eyes. It stopped licking and raised it's head. Slowly, she raised her hand and placed it on the dog's head, scratching gently. The dog's head tilted into her palm, it's eyes closing as she scratched. She smiled. "Are you a friendly pup? Are ya?" The dog moved closer, sitting in the water next to her.

She wrapped her arms around the dogs neck. "Thank you, boy. You saved my life."

The dog barked happily, licking her ear. Sam laughed, really laughed, for the first time in what seemed like months. For all the hell she'd been through, she finally had something to be happy about.

Part Five

Teal'c stood stoicly in the corner of the cell where they'd been dropped, his hands still shackled behind him. It had been ten minutes since they'd heard anything from the guards. It seemed the palace had been vacated rather quickly.

Janet paced nervously, trailing the chain that connected her shackles to Teal'c's. She was about to call for help through the bars when they heard the door down the hall slowly creak open. Soft steps echoed down the otherwise empty halls and Kessia appeared in front of their cell. She gripped the heavy iron bars, glancing over her shoulder before she spoke. "You are searching for the woman with hair of sunlight?"

Janet approached. "Yes. You've seen her?"

"No," Kessia admitted sadly. "But Rakazsha claimed he was bringing a woman matching this description from Marchetta. He is far overdue. The reason you were brought here is because warriors found evidence of his blood in the forest."

"Blood?" Janet hoped that meant Sam had been able to escape him. "Kessia, you have to let us out. We have to save her."

Kessia held up a keyring. "I stole this from the guard before he left to join the search for Rakazsha. I will release you on one condition. Take me to your world with you."

Teal'c cocked an eyebrow. "You would be a slave." He felt it would be best to stay in character, just in case Kessia was trying to catch them in a lie.

"I don't care," she said, shaking her head angrily. "It's better than what they make me do here." She winced and looked back down the hall, as if expecting to get caught. "Your answer?"

Janet glanced at Teal'c, then said, "Agreed. We'll take you back."

Kessia quickly undid the lock, pulling the door open. "We must hurry. The search party will return soon."

She turned the lock on the shackles, freeing them both.

Teal'c picked up his staff weapon, which, surprisingly enough, had been left on a bench outside the cell. "If we are captured, I will claim to have forced you to assist us."

Kessia shook her head. "I have done much to cause anger in the Provider. My next offense will result in death. If he catches me, I am dead. I prefer death to slavery under any owner."

Teal'c nodded. "Then you will be welcome among the Tau'ri. They live free."

"But--"

"It was a trick," Janet explained. "I'm free... just as you will be when we get you through the Stargate."

Kessia looked from Janet to Teal'c, not believing what they said. Finally, she pointed towards the door. "We can go through here. Follow." She brushed between them and they followed her to the stone stairwell.

---

Sam walked through the dense underbrush, stopping every now and then to untangle the weeds that wrapped around her ankles. A few steps behind her was Spot, the only creature on this planet she had any good feelings towards. She sighed, checking the sun. It was directly above her. This planet, wherever it was, apparently had extremely long days. She brushed her hair out of her face and dropped next to a tree to rest. The dip in the stream had done nothing for her smell. She had been sweating non-stop since waking up with Rakazsha.

She felt her pockets, hoping to find a candy bar or something to ease her rumbling stomach. Instead, she found the small tape recorder the Chahakae had taken from their camp. She pressed play and listened to the hum of an empty tape. She looked at it for a moment, then hit record.

"Major Samantha Carter, United States Air Force. On this day of July..." she paused, realizing she had no way to know how much time had passed since she had checked a calendar. "July, 2001... I am making this recording in case worse comes to worse and I am unable to return to Earth." She stopped the tape, realizing for the first time that that was a possibility. She regained her composure and continued. "First and foremost, I apologize to the family of Major Mark Burdett. He was a good man who didn't deserve to die the way he did."

She stopped the tape again. He wouldn't have been there if she hadn't led him on. The poor fool still harbored his silly crush on her and was looking forward to some time alone with his favorite major. Little did he know that it would culminate with his death at the hands of a giant furry lizard. She hit record once more.

"The following is sensitive medical information for the ears of Dr. Janet Fraiser only. To listen further would be a direct violation of patient-doctor confidentiality." She paused, hoping that would convince any unwanted listeners from hearing the next part. She closed her eyes and whispered, "I am so sorry, Janet. If there was a way to erase these past two months, I... I love you more than anything, Janet. I only wish there was some way to make up for the past. I'm sorry. I will love you always..."

"If I were human, I am certain I would be violently ill." Sam gasped, spinning around.

Rakazsha stood a few yards away, blood still dripping from his multiple wounds. His chest hung open and bleeding, but it seemed to have been taped over with thin gauze. He smiled, revealing sharpened rows of teeth. "Did you miss me, Major Samantha Carter?"

---

Once outside the Provider's palace, Teal'c found a cart with a tarp covering the cargo area. He peeled the tarp back, motioning for Janet and Kessia to get inside. "I will ride to the outskirts of the village," he told them. "Then we will begin to search the forest for Major Carter."

Janet nodded, climbing into the back of the cart. She lay flat on her back, sliding over to the side so Kessia would have enough room. As Teal'c dropped the tarp back in place, Kessia whispered, "I hope your friend is well."

Janet nodded, forcing herself not the think of the alternatives. "I hope so, too."

"This woman," Kessia said, lowering her voice further. "She is special to you?"

"Extremely."

"She is lucky." Kessia smiled shyly, then closed her eyes. Janet wondered if the slave girl had been coming on to her, then dismissed it. The cart lurched as Teal'c took the reins and they began their trek through the bustling marketplace.

---

Rakazsha stepped forward, limping noticeably. "I did have such hopes for you, Samantha. When you returned to my body, I hoped you would check for a pulse. Try to see if I could be salvaged. But you rifled my belongings, stole my weapons. You know how hard it is to survive in these woods without a weapon."

"How long were you following me," she asked, slowly backing away.

"Long enough. I was hoping you would make it back to the Stargate before I made my presence known. It would have been immensely more gratifying than this. To see the glimmer of hope appear in your eyes... just to dash it when I took you into my possession again." He laughed. "Now. Be a good captive and hold your hands out."

"Like hell," she said, hurling the tape recorder at the creature. It glanced off his skull and he chuckled at the effort. The distraction was all she needed. She turned, making a mad dash for... someplace that wasn't there.

The Chahakae laughed behind her, beginning his pursuit. "You are a feisty one, Major Samantha. I will credit you that!"

She ignored him, pulling herself over a fallen tree. Her heart pounded against her ribs and she could feel the blood rushing through her ears. She couldn't let herself be recaptured. All she had to do was get back to the Stargate and dial someplace without an iris; the Tollan, the Land of Light, anything would be better than here.

Rakazsha roared behind her, snapping off branches as he passed. She tripped over a sapling, falling flat on her face in a pile of wet grass. She gasped, pushing herself up, and found herself choking on the greenery. It was caught in her throat, threatening to cut off her windpipe.

As she straightened, coughing violently to get rid of the grass, powerful arms gripped her from behind. Rakazsha laughed as he squeezed her tightly against his chest. "Looks like I am the victor, Samantha. You are mine once again."

Sam whimpered, but was partially glad that his grip had loosened the tangle of grass in her mouth and she could spit it out. Once she had caught her breath, she began to wriggle against him. "Let me go!"

"I let you go once, I got you back. I happen to find this game rather amusing, Samantha."

And, without warning, he released her. She fell to the ground, the impact knocking the wind out of her. She scrambled to her feet, hazarding a glance back to see why she had been freed. Spot, her faithful companion, had attached itself to the back of Rakazsha. The dog's teeth had dug into the scaly flesh, tearing it open and covering the Chahakae's back with even more blood. The alien howled, pulling at the dog in an effort to save himself. Spot's teeth held fast and his claws held him in place as he wrenched his head from side-to-side. 
Rakazsha fell to his knees, finally getting a grip on the dog and pulling him off. He tossed the dog away, holding the open gash at the base of his skull. Spot yelped as it impacted a tree, falling in a motionless heap to the ground.

Sam's eyes burned with tears as she turned, running to where the Chahakae had fallen. "You bastard," she screamed. She brought her boot back, kicking Rakazsha in the jaw and snapping his head back. He fell backwards, sprawling on the pine needles and leaves. Before he could recover, Sam was on top of him, pummeling him with powerful blows. "You son of a bitch," she said, glancing a punch off the alien's rocky jaw. "That dog was the closest thing I had to a friend," she punched him in the nose, feeling bone break beneath her fist. "that I had on this god-forsaken rock." She hit the side of his head, knocking his skull violently to the side. "and you threw him like he was a piece of GARBAGE! Well, you know what?" She raised him off the ground and spoke directly into his ugly face. "You are the garbage."

She slammed him into the ground as hard as she could, knocking his teeth together. Blood seeped from the corners of his mouth as his fingers twitched one final time. His glassy eyes stared up at her, locked in a stare of shock and pain.

Sam collapsed, rolling off to the side. "You sonuvabitch," she muttered. She focused on the sun, far away, through the canopy of trees.

As she was drifting off to sleep, she felt something cold and wet on her hand. She looked down, seeing Spot licking her fingers. "Spot," she whispered. The dog laid next to her, resting his head on her stomach. As Sam lay there, she let every ache and pain she had ignored over the past day or so slowly take effect. Every inch of her body had either been beaten or pushed to it's limit while she ran away. Even if she knew where the Stargate was, she would never make it herself.

'This is a good one, Carter,' she told herself. 'You finally get rid of the bad guy and you get yourself killed in the process. Dad would'a found that ironic, don'cha think?'

She didn't fall asleep so much as pass out.

---

They had abandoned the cart when the trees became too close together to pass. Teal'c led the way, followed closely by Janet and Kessia. The slave girl kept a firm grip on Janet's stained tunic, keeping a careful eye out for Chahakae search parties.

Teal'c suddenly straightened, cocking his head. "I hear screaming."

Janet listened intently, then heard what seemed to be Sam's screaming at someone. "It's her. God, where is it coming from?"

Teal'c pointed with his staff, then pushed aside some overgrowth. "The space between these two trees is too small." He scanned the forest. "It is far too dense for me to pass."

Janet pulled Kessia's hand free, placing it on Teal'c's broad shoulder. "He'll keep you safe, Kessia." She pulled herself up to the tree, squirming between the two broad trunks.

Teal'c said, "I shall search for an access point and join you."

She nodded and slipped onto the other side of the tree barricade. Sam's shouting had stopped now, so she had nothing to go on; nothing to home in on. She wasn't going to give up when she was this close. She decided on the direction where she thought the screams had come from and ran. She almost tripped several times, righting herself before she slammed into the ground face-first. Turning a corner, she spotted a small tape recorder laying in her path. Hope welling in her breast, Janet picked it up and slipped it into the crude belt of her dress.

Her heart was pounding furiously. Breaking through the brush, she found herself on top of a steep decline and slid down the hill, landing in a dust cloud at the bottom. She coughed... and saw two bodies laying prone in the foliage. She scrambled to her feet, rushing to the side of her lover. She was breathing, but barely. Janet barely noticed the dog sleeping against her side. Softly, Janet brushed the dirty blonde hair out of Sam's face. "Sammy? Sam, can you hear me?" Tears poured down her cheeks as she watched Sam's eyelids flutter open. "Sam?"

"I'm... dy... dying," she rasped.

Janet shook her head, crying freely. "No, baby. No, you're not dying. You're gonna be just fine." Behind her, she could hear Teal'c and Kessia making their way through the trees. "We're going to save you, just hold on."

Sam coughed weakly and said, "I'm... dying." She reached up, caressing Janet's face. "Are y... y... you my angel?"

Janet sobbed, dropping to embrace Sam. "Yes, baby. I'll always be your angel."

Part Six

Janet sat in the quiet, darkened med center, her hand firmly clutching Sam's. The major hadn't spoken or even opened her eyes since telling Janet she was dying. The last person to stop in had been Jack, checking on Janet to see if she needed anything to eat. He had said it was almost two in the morning then. She had no idea how much time had passed and she was exhausted, but she would be damned if Sam woke up and she wasn't next to her. She rubbed her eyes, sliding lower in the seat.

On the other side of the partition, Teal'c was resting in a deep state of kel'no'reem. He had been injured by a Chahakae search party that had stumbled upon them at the gate. Other than that, Mark Burdett was the only other patient. Kessia was scheduled to come in by morning for a physical examination to determine if she was ill or had any contagious diseases. If she proved clean, she would be allowed to stay if she wanted.

Yawning, Janet watched Sam's eyelids flutter and wondered what she was dreaming. She didn't feel herself fall off the precipice of sleep, but somehow found herself dreaming.

***

It had been two weeks since their near-miss in the bed. Janet had thought of it endlessly, constantly questioning whether Sam really felt the way she did. She was within reach of her every dream and fantasy, and she was questioning the reality of it. Janet was home alone since Cassie had decided to spend the weekend with the Crosses in Denver. The doctor pulled aside the curtain in her kitchen window, watching the rain as it pounded into the swimming pool.

She could see headlight beams cut across the backyard, indicating someone had just pulled into her drive. She ignored it, expecting whoever it was was just trying to turn around and correct a wrong turn. A few seconds later, however, the doorbell rang.

She dropped the curtain back in place and headed for the front door, checking in the mirror to make sure she was presentable. She flipped on the porch light and pulled the door open.

Sam Carter stood on the front steps, shivering in the downpour. Janet gasped, glancing at the driveway.

"Samantha Carter, you rode your bike here?"

Sam shrugged, stepping inside. "It wasn't raining when I left."

"When did you leave?"

"Noon." It was almost ten pm now.

Janet sighed, peeling the soaked leather jacket from the blonde's shoulders. "You're going to catch your death of cold. What were you thinking?" As Sam hugged herself, trying to warm up, Janet noticed that the t-shirt beneath the jacket was also soaked. Her nipples were blatantly visible against the white material, and Janet had to force herself to look into Sam's eyes.

"You."

"What?"

"I was... I was thinking about you."

Janet blinked. "And?"

"The bike really... helps me unwind. It clears up my thoughts. I realized that I don't care about Jolinar, or what she may do to my feelings. She doesn't love you, Janet. I do." She hooked a finger under the doctor's chin, tilting her face up for a soft, promise-laden kiss. Janet moaned into Sam's mouth, her hands rising to rest on Sam's wet shoulders. The water reminded Janet of her friend's condition.

She broke the kiss, looking into Sam's eyes. "We need to get you out of those wet clothes."

"As soon as we get you out of those dry clothes."

The two women embraced, their lips locked in a passionate kiss as Janet untucked Sam's shirt and pulled it up, bunching it up over Sam's breasts. Sam broke the kiss and raised her arms, allowing Janet to pull the shirt completely away. Janet's eyes widened, lowering to the goose-bumped flesh of Sam's chest. Her hands traced a line from the blonde's neck, along her collarbone, then down to cup the fullness of the breasts. Her thumbs rolled across the nipples, already erect from the cold of the rain. Janet whispered, "Sam... you're so gorgeous..."

Sam smiled, lacing her arm around Janet's shoulders. "You've seen me naked before."

"Examinations," Janet explained, "are different. A doctor can't do this." She lowered her lips to the cool flesh, flicking her tongue across the pink areolae.

Sam hissed at the contact, pulling Janet tight against her. The doctor began to kiss the slope of the breast softly, working her way up to Sam's slender neck. As Janet's lips gently sucked on the tender skin beneath her ear, Sam closed her eyes and gasped, "Bedroom?"

Janet kissed Sam's cheek. "I don't think I can walk that far..."

In one fluid motion, Sam bent and literally swept Janet off of her feet. Cradling the doctor against her bare breasts, she smiled and said, "Why do I feel like I'm in a cheap romance novel?"

"Better than a women-behind-bars movie," Janet chuckled, reminding Sam of a comment she had once made.

Sam kissed Janet softly before carrying the small woman up the stairs to the bedroom. Gently laying the doctor on the soft mattress, Sam straightened and pulled coyly at the button of her jeans. "Are you sure, Janet?"

"Positive," she gasped. "I want you."

"That's all I wanted to hear," Sam whispered, pulling the button free and sliding her fly down. Janet's heart raced as she watched the denim slowly slide down the lithe legs. Sam stepped out of the jeans and stood before Janet in only her panties, the material of which was sodden with a wetness that had nothing to do with the rain. Janet licked her lips, her eyes locked on the expanse of bare skin before her. "You're wearing... far too much."

Janet's hands moved from her sides to the buttons of her blouse, fumbling slightly as she tried to pull them free. Sam saw the trouble she was having and bent over, helping to free the buttons. Working together, they managed to open the material and bare Janet's cream-colored bra. Her nipples poked eagerly against the lace, begging to be kissed, touched, caressed... Sam crawled onto the bed, capturing Janet's lips once more as she found the clasp of the bra and released it. Janet shrugged her shoulders and let the straps slide down her arms. Sam tossed the bra across the room and laid the doctor on the mattress.

Staring into the deep, brown eyes, Sam said, "I want to see you... I want to know you by heart."

Janet nodded, unable to speak. She rested against the mattress as Sam pressed her lips against Janet's forehead. Slowly, Sam began to move lower, placing light kisses as she passed. She kissed the tip of Janet's chin, fluttered her tongue in the hollow of her throat, tasted each dusky-colored nipple. The doctor gasped, her fingers clutching the quilt as Sam's tongue traced a line from the valley of her breasts, then swirled in her navel before venturing lower.

The material of her skirt teased her overly-sensitive skin as it was slowly pulled down. She bent her knees once the skirt was clear, spreading her legs to cradle Sam between them.

Sam had skipped the most-sensitive area of Janet's entire body to tickle her thighs with her tongue. As she trailed kissed closer, ever so closer, to Janet's core, she suddenly stopped. "Oh. I think I have something I need to check at the base. Maybe we should pick this up another time."

Janet reached down, holding Sam's head still. "You stop, I swear I will kill you with my bare hands."

Sam laughed and said, "Just wanted to make sure you were still conscious."

She lowered her lips, gently applying pressure to the brunette's panties. Janet arched her back, moving her hands to cup her own breasts. "Please, Sam..."

Sam hooked her thumbs around the panties, yanking them down and exposing the hidden treasure. She inhaled sharply at the sight, taking in the heady aroma before lowering her lips and tenderly kissing the protruding lips. She could taste Janet's arousal and snaked her tongue inside to gather more of the sweet juice. As her tongue worked wonders on Janet's wet slit, her nose was gently rubbing the erect clitoris.

"Please..." Janet gasped, although Sam was beyond hearing her at this point.

The blonde's fingers wrapped around Janet's legs, one hand reaching up and splaying across the brunette's stomach. Janet moaned, gently thrusting herself against Sam's mouth.

Sam slid one hand down Janet's sweat-slickened stomach, lightly touching her finger to the brunette's eager clit. Janet's jaw dropped and she moaned low in her throat, her body thrashing on the quilt. Slowly, Sam slide her finger off of the nubbin and gently worked it into the doctor's dripping slit. Janet gasped at the intrusion as Sam began to lightly thrust her finger in. Working up a slow rhythm, she added a second finger to join the first, both working in unison with her tongue.

Janet cried Sam's name, massaging her breasts as she writhed in ecstacy on the loudly protesting mattress. As Janet came, Sam opened her mouth to catch all of the juices, eager to taste all the incredible brunette had to offer. She managed to swallow most of it, but found her chin and throat were coated with the salty juice. She slid up Janet's exhausted form, gently placing a kiss on the doctor's lips. Janet could taste herself on Sam's lips and panted, "That... was incredible, Samantha."

"I've dreamed of it so long."

"You too, huh," Janet laughed.

Sam started to join her in the laugh, but turned her head and sneezed violently, the effort causing her unrestrained breasts to bounce against Janet's side. Janet cocked an eyebrow. "As much as I enjoyed the show," she glanced down at Sam's still shaking breasts, "you have a cold, missy."

Sam smiled and said, "Always the doc, doc?"

"Always," Janet winked. "Even after what you just did. Now, just lay back and Doc Janet will take good care of you..."

***

Janet jerked at the pressure against her fingers. 'How long have I been out,' she wondered. It didn't matter, as it turned out the pressure was Sam squeezing gently. "Sam? Sam, are you awake?"

"Jan... et...?"

Janet grabbed the dixie cup off of the night stand, gently tilting several ice chips into Sam's dry mouth. "It's okay, hon. Don't try to talk yet. Everything's just fine."

"Ma... k...."

"Mark?" Janet asked. "Major Burdett is fine, Sam. He's okay."

Sam nodded slightly. She rolled her head to the side, wincing at the pain it caused to course up and down her spine. "Jan... have to... tell you..."

Janet shook her head. "Shh... it's okay, Sam. I know." She placed the tape recorder on the mattress next to Sam and pushed play.

"...I am so sorry, Janet. If there was a way to erase these past two months, I... I love you more than anything, Janet. I only hope that somehow, someway, we can make up for past mistakes. I can't live without you..."

Tears had wetted Janet's face as she placed a kiss to the tip of Sam's nose. "I can't live without you either, Sam. You're my angel."

After a moment, Sam's frail voice said, "I... remember som'thin' from the... the planet."

Janet raised her head. "What?"

Sam coughed, trying to find her voice. Finally, she rested her head and asked, "Where'n the world.... did you... get that *hot*... little outfit.....?"

Janet laughed and kissed Sam's chapped lips.

---

The next morning, Janet was asleep in her office when the door opened slightly. Dr. Roth stepped in, lightly
clearing her throat as she stood before the desk.

Janet jumped, straightening her blouse as she tried to appear professional. "Um... yes, Dr. Roth?"

"I finished the preliminary examination of the girl you rescued. Kessia, I believe?"

"Yes. And?"

"She's healthy and wants to stay at the SGC. Assuming Hammond clears it, of course."

Janet nodded. "Thank you, Dr. Roth. And Teal'c?"

"Doing fine. He's already asking to return to duty. Major Burdett was put on convalescent leave an hour ago."

Janet smiled. "Thank you."

Dr. Roth didn't move from the desk. Instead, she said, "Permission to speak freely, Janet?"

She looked up. "Of course, Amanda."

Amanda smiled, taking a seat and reaching across the table to take Janet's hand. "I am so happy for you. I'm glad you got her back."

Janet smiled. "I'm surprised you're taking it so well."

"I admit," she shrugged. "I have feelings for you. Strong feelings. But what I feel for you is nothing compared to true love. I envy you, Janet."

Janet looked down at her papers, feeling the tears stinging her eyes. When she looked back up, she said, "Thank you, Amanda. I hope you find someone who loves you as much as I love Sam."

Amanda shook her head. "What you and Sam have... is a once in a lifetime love. But thank you." She stood, straightening her lab coat. "Have a nice day, Dr. Fraiser."

"You too, Dr. Roth."

---

Amanda was prepared to leave the med center and visit Kessia, but something drew her to Major Carter's bedside. Lightly taking the unconscious woman's hand, Amanda smiled. "You are so lucky. Don't let her go again," she warned. "I may not be able to let her go next time." She lightly kissed Sam's forehead, then released her hand and left the infirmary.

End