Written By Clara and Jo. R

Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Summary: A single moment, a single decision.. a lifetime of change.
Disclaimer: Not ours, never will be. Rights belong to MGM, Sci-fi, used to be Showtime, Gekko productions et al. No money is exchanging hands (as if!) so please don't sue.
Archive: SJD, Helio, IB and our sites.
Authors Notes: Jo: Clara made me do it! Seriously! She was the one who had a ficlet idea while I was watching, of all things, Dirty Dancing, and then somehow this happened and then we took it in turns writing sections.. from the end to the beginning so.. it's all Clara's fault. Really.

| A Moment In Time...Changes Everything | A Moment In Time...Never Lasts Long Enough |
| A Moment In Time...Can Last Forever |

A Moment in Time...Changes Everything
A single moment, a single decision.. a lifetime of change.

�Yes Mr President�thank you sir.�

General Hammond placed the phone back in its cradle. This was never something he�d expected to happen. Not sending out SG teams in no way limited the risk to earth; he�d been under the impression that had already been proved.

He could however understand why the Tok�ra�s proposal was appealing. It was getting harder and harder for him to stand back and watch as teams went out and came back a member short, or with unimaginable injuries.

Sighing he stood up and walked down the stairs into the control room, surveying the on duty personnel as they went about their jobs. He wished he could tell them that the rumours currently circulating the SGC were false, but all he could do now was make sure his people were treated properly in the forthcoming round of reassignments.

�Sergeant Davis, send a message through to the Tok�ra�.tell them a decision has been reached.�

***

Watching his daughter pace, he wished he could do or say something that would comfort her, something that would make her understand why he and George had to go along with the wishes of the Tok'ra High Council and the US Government, even though they personally disagreed with the idea of all but closing the Tau'ri Stargate down.

"Try seeing it from their point of view, Sam," he suggested, trying to be helpful. "The President and Joint Chiefs are concerned that so many people are dying and not a lot is being achieved. They get the best of both worlds if they get the benefit of having a Stargate programme without the danger, which is what the Tok'ra are offering. I know you don't trust the High Council but I promise you, honey, I'll make sure whatever information we gather is passed on to the SGC. I won't sit back and let all suffer. This is my home, too, remember?"

"A home you won't get to visit if the SGC is closed down," Sam countered, her tone scathing, gaze heated as she stared at him. "Did you consider that, Dad? This doesn't just mean the end of SG-1, it means the end of us. How am I supposed to see you when I'm reassigned to Washington and you're on the other side of the galaxy? How am I going to know if something's happened to you, how am I supposed to help?"

His own expression softening, Jacob put himself in the path of her pacing, reaching out to draw his daughter into his arms. "I'll do everything I can to keep in touch, Sammy. And the SGC isn't being closed down completely. There'll still be a skeleton staff. I'll still be able to come through, I'm sure, then I'll come and visit you wherever you�re assigned. I won't let this come between us, Sam. We got through the cancer together and everything else. We'll survive this, I promise."

Lifting a hand to wipe angrily at her eyes, Sam let herself melt in her father's embrace. "I love you, Dad. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't, honey," even as he made the promise, his heart broke in two, knowing it would be nearly impossible to keep. "I promise, we'll see each other again."

****

�General, we can�t just give up and let this happen!� Jack stood and began to pace the General�s office.

�Son there�s nothing more we can do. The President has made his decision, now I have my orders as does the rest of this facility...�
 
Jack stopped pacing. �Sir?�
 
�Most SGC personnel will be reassigned except for a skeletal crew which will man the base and relay messages from the Tok�ra.�
 
�What about SG-1?�
 
�Dr Jackson and Major Carter have been assigned to Area 51. There will be a lot for them to do there.�
 
Jack slumped down into a chair arched his hands together. �There�s a lot for them to do here...what about Teal�c?�
 
�He will be sent through the Stargate to join Master Bra�tac.�
 
Jack nodded and dropped his head into his hands briefly before sitting up again. �And what does the Air force think I should do now?�
 
Hammond sighed and � imitating Jack � dropped into his own chair. �You have the choice between teaching at the Academy�� he paused and took in Jack�s expression of disbelief. ��or retirement.�
 
He watched as Jack stood up slowly and stalked out of the room. He really couldn�t blame him.
 
***

It was unbelievable. The Tok'ra and the US government, deciding it was time the SGC pulled out of actively fighting the Goa'uld and allowing the Tok'ra to fight on their behalf. *Trusting* the Tok'ra to do what was in Earth's best interests, to share everything they learnt...

It was ridiculous.

The three men looked at each other where they stood in the locker room.

"We can't let this happen, Jack," Daniel said eventually, breaking the tense atmosphere that had fallen over them. "We can't let them decide our futures for us...we have to keep fighting..."

"I know, Daniel, but I can't see how..." Letting his voice trail off, Jack shrugged and shoved his hands deeply into his pockets. He was still trying to accept � and believe � that General Hammond and Jacob had agreed to the plans so willingly. If they were fighting it, maybe he'd feel encouraged to. As it was...it was as though they'd been defeated without having a chance to do anything at all.

Teal'c stood with his shoulders squared, his head held at a determined angle. "I will request to leave for Cimmeria. I am sure they will allow me to contact the Asgard and ask them to find me a suitable planet from where I can rejoin the fight." He looked at Daniel and Jack with what could only be described as sadness in his eyes. "I will miss you, my friends, but my place is not here. Not if I cannot help my people in their fight against the Goa'uld."

Jack stared at him, a myriad of emotions crossing over his face at his Jaffa friend's words. Sadness, regret, thoughtfulness, hope. "That...that's actually not a bad idea, Teal'c." He glanced quickly at Daniel, grinning at the interest in the archaeologist's eyes. "What do you say, Daniel? Think Carter would be up for it?"

"I don't know, Jack...leaving Earth..." Daniel shook his head as if to try and make a decision. "We'd be leaving a lot of people we care about..."

"People who'll probably die unless we go out there and do something about it," Jack countered, his eyebrow raised. "Are you in or are you out? I can't � won't � force you or Carter into going if you really want to stay."

His expression one of consideration, Daniel mulled over the words slowly, taking him time. Eventually, he sighed in resignation and nodded. "I'm in. I promised Kasuf I'd get justice for Sha're and I will, at all costs."

"Good." His jaw tightening with purpose, Jack turned on his heel and made for the locker room door. "Get your things together and wait in the Gateroom. I'll see Carter and if she's coming, we'll join you in ten minutes."

Teal'c and Daniel had no choice but to follow his order, the last he'd give them as official leader of SG-1.

****

Entering the control room, Jack spotted Carter easily, enclosed in the corner with her father and General Hammond not more than a metre away, almost as if they were purposely blocking her from sight.

Blocking her from him and the influence of her teammates.

His hands clenched in his pockets, he strode over to them determinedly. "No one puts Carter in the corner!"

Jack pulled Sam up from the computer terminal and began to lead her out of the room much to Jacob and Hammond's amazement.
 
"Colonel O'Neill," General Hammond started, his face turning a darker shade of pink, "what in God's name are you.."
 
A glare from the Colonel silenced him. Stunned that his subordinate dared to act so obviously against him, the General realised with a sinking heart what was going on.
 
A decision had been made. One he wasn't going to like.

***

"Sir, is this really a good idea?" Sam bit her bottom lip and watched as Jack added the last few things to her pack. She was still a little unsure of whether his plan would work but didn't have any better ideas.

"Sure Carter..." He replied as he helped her into her pack. "When am I ever wrong?"

Jack smiled at her smugly before taking her hand again and guiding her out of the door and towards the Gate room where the rest of SG-1 stood waiting.

"Hey Sam...ready to go?"

Daniel smiled at her and she couldn't help but smile back at him before glancing up at the control room, where her father and General Hammond were still standing, having made no room to stop her.

She turned back to Jack and nodded, indicating she was ready as he squeezed her hand. Together, SG-1 made their way up the ramp and though the Stargate. Each looking forward to seeing what was on the other side.

***

A Moment In Time...Never Lasts Long Enough
Another moment, another hurdle

Sam stood on the observation deck of the �O�Neill II� and stared out at the stars as the ship dropped out of hyper speed and glided into an orbit around the planet they would be calling home from then on.

It had been quickly decided that they couldn�t stay with any of their allies for fear that the SGC and Tok�ra would be looking for them and so the Asgard had found a small, out of the way planet for them to spend the rest of their lives and safely coordinate their efforts against the Gou�ald from.

�Hey..� Jack leaned against the doorway and stuck his hands in his pockets. �Whatcha doin�?�

Sam smiled at him before turning back to face the window. �Just taking in the view.�

He stared at her profile, feeling awkward. It wasn't so bad for him or Daniel; neither of them had any close family ties to anyone still on Earth. For Carter it was different. There was Doc and Cassie.. And she had her brother and his family to think about, and then there was Jacob�

"Your Dad'll be okay," he said softly, moving to stand beside her under the pretence of staring out of the window "I'm sure we'll find a way for you to get in touch with him again. Just give it some time, let things to calm down�"

She snorted sceptically, wrapping her arms around herself as moisture sprang unbidden to her eyes. "You know as well as I do things probably aren't going to calm down in this lifetime. The Tok'ra know how to hold a grudge and they've got the advantage over us time-wise." She sighed softly and shook her head. "I wouldn't want Dad to risk trying to see me. I don't want to think what the cost of that would be."

Knowing she was right and that nothing he could say would make a difference, Jack shuffled uncomfortably from foot to foot, one hand leaving his pocket and hesitating in the air between them. Eventually, deciding he was being stupid � after all, she was his friend and not his Second anymore � he let his hand rest on her shoulder comfortingly. "We've done the right thing, Carter. It's probably the hardest thing we could do but it's right. Don't forget that."

Turning her head slightly at the warmth on her shoulder, Sam was surprised at how close he'd got. Their eyes met and held for several long seconds. Her lips parted, either to speak or for some other reason.

What, they never found out.

"Thor is ready to transport us down to the planet, O'Neill." They both turned and saw Teal'c lingering in the doorway, looking every bit as embarrassed as they'd ever seen him.

Jack nodded, his hand slipping from her shoulder and finding its way back in his pocket. Unconsciously, he took a step away and put a respectable amount of distance between them. "We'll be there in a minute, Teal'c."

The Jaffa nodded and turned on his heel, silently making his way through the ships corridors to where the Asgard and Daniel Jackson were waiting.

"We should go," Sam said before the Colonel could say anything, the small smile on her lips saying everything she couldn�t find the words to say. "Time to go see what this place is like."

"Yep." His hands still in his pockets, Jack motioned with his head for her to precede him down through the maze of hallways. "Time to go home."

****

As homes went, it wasn�t bad. Jack had to hand it to Thor; he�d managed to find them a planet with an environment as close to Earth�s as they could have hoped for.

He could hear a source of running water near by and a Stargate was visible in the distance but Thor had assured them that the planet had been abandoned by the Gou�ald long before they�d arrived.

The air was cool and the sun was just starting to dip below the horizon when Jack guessed there was probably about 30 minutes of sunlight left. �Ok campers, let�s set up camp and figure out what we�re gonna do tomorrow.�

Silently, Daniel and Teal�c began to set up the tents while Sam and Jack found wood for a fire. He didn�t know how cold it could become on this planet at night but he wasn�t taking any chances.

As they wandered away from the others, Jack glanced across at Sam. She wasn�t happy with the situation; he knew that. Part of him felt guilty that they�d had to go to such an extreme� even if the only alternative would have been to stay out of the fight against the Gou�ald.

Something he would have never forgiven himself for doing.

Then again, he'd taken his team from their homes. From their families. Carter in particular. Could he forgive himself for that?

He'd taken away her chance to have a normal life, to have a family with a dog and the white picket fence. To have a husband who loved her.

Hadn't he?

He blinked and froze, a thought springing unbidden to the forefront of his mind. There were no regulations anymore. There was nothing keeping them apart. Fair enough, he'd struggle finding a dog but he could probably build the white picket fence if she wanted it so badly..

Children� Marriage�

He could give her those things, couldn't he?

"It looks like it hasn't rained for a while," Sam murmured, mostly to herself. "Should mean we [ can find lots of wood that we can use.." Her voice trailed off and she glanced up at him, realising for the first time that he'd stopped walking and was stood staring at her, an expression reminiscent of the classic 'deer caught in headlights' look. "Sir? Is something wrong?"

She glanced around, her hand automatically closing over her gun. Surely the only reason for the expression on his face would be that they'd been misled, that they weren't alone and because they'd let their guards down, they were in trouble�

"Carter�" The deer in headlights look faded into one of stunned realisation. "We're not military anymore. We're not Air Force."

"I know, Sir." She sighed deeply, letting her hand drop from her weapon. "It'll take a while to get used to it but it's for the best, right? We can still be Air Force unofficially, use our training to fight to Goa'uld�"

He stared at her in confusion before his brain caught up with him: she thought he was going to miss the military; she hadn't realised what he had. Or, if she had, she was better at hiding the strange discomfort that washed over him at knowing they were - for all intents and purposes � free to do whatever they wanted.

With each other.

*Gulp.*

"Carter� Sam�" Jack stared at her, knowing there was a strange look on his face. He didn't need to see the raised eyebrow and wary glance from her to know that. "We're not Air Force anymore," he said again, pronouncing each word more slowly. "There are no regulations�"

For a few moments, all she did was gaze at him.

He started to feel incredibly stupid. What had he been expecting? That she was going to throw herself in his arms and kiss him senseless?

"Ah�" He stumbled under his words, kicking at the dirt under his feet. "Forget, it was just a�" Her hand on his arm stopped him. He lifted his eyes from the ground and met her gaze, swallowing hard at the look he saw reflected back at him.

She moved closer, still without speaking. Shuffling her feet until her toes were up against his.

He leaned in and so did she. Their lips were just millimetres apart� when the world went black.

***

He�d recognise the feeling anywhere much to his annoyance. So when Jack began to wake up he knew he�d been hit by a zat.

�Carter?�

Quickly he sat up and regretted the movement almost immediately as he let out a groan. Blinking he looked around him but couldn�t see any sign of her.

The panic started to rise as he attempted to lift himself of the ground. �Sam! Daniel! Teal�c!�

This could not be happening. They couldn�t have been found so quickly, it just didn�t seem possible. He stumbled back to where he and Sam had left Daniel and Teal�c setting up camp and was relieved to see the two men present and both beginning to stir.

�Guys come on, wake up� I can�t find Carter.�

He�d never seen the pair of them move so fast. He probably would have found it comical if they weren�t in their present situation.

�Do you see who attacked us Colonel O�Neill?�

Jack ran his fingers through his hair. �No Teal�c, they probably came from behind.�

�Well, we�ve got to contact the Asgard, get them back here to help us!� Daniel�s voice began to rise.

�Yeah, Daniel do the honours will ya? We need to start walking towards the Stargate.�
 

A Moment In Time...Can Last Forever
A final moment, a vital decision

They had almost reached the Stargate when they were suddenly engulfed by a white cloud of light. Blinking, Colonel Jack O'Neill looked around, his spirits lifting when he realised where they were.

"Thor!" No sooner was the word out of his mouth than the little grey alien appeared. "Someone attacked us on the planet.."

"And took Major Carter," Thor finished for him, his face as expressionless as ever. "We are aware of this O'Neill. We have been tracking their progress but I fear time is growing short."

"*Their* progress?" Daniel took a step forward when it didn't look like Jack was going to say anything. "You know who has her?"

Thor's gaze flickered over to the archaeologist before flittering back to the silent colonel. "We do. It is the Goa'uld Apophis. We believe he intends on using her and the knowledge she possesses to conquer your world."

"If Apophis has indeed taken Major Carter, why did he not then take us also?" Teal'c stared at the Asgard suspiciously, his brown eyes narrowed. "Apophis has made no secret of how much he despises all of us."

"It is our understanding that his plans for Major Carter will later involve him returning to this planet to find you." Thor turned his attention to Jack once again, tilting his head to the side on a slight angle. "It is why we must hurry if we are to get there in time to prevent Major Carter from becoming the next queen of Apophis."

Jack snapped back into focus, his temporary relief at feeling the hum of the Asgard vessel beneath his feet fading rapidly. Daniel felt like the air had been knocked out of his lungs, his mind automatically focusing on his late wife. Teal'c stood with his head held high, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

Of all the things they could've imagined Apophis doing to Sam, making her a Goa'uld was the worst possibility.

=*=

Sam blinked a few times and groaned as she opened her eyes. The room swan above her and she closed them again quickly.

The last thing she remembered was standing on the edge of the clearing with Jack before darkness swallowed her.

She sat up slowly and opened her eyes again. The Gou�ald holding cell came into focus and she groaned again.

They should have anticipated something like this would happen. But she couldn�t figure out how Apophis had known where they were. The Asgard had been so certain that there was no Gou�ald activity on the planet and they�d been there minutes�it just didn�t make sense.

=*=

Light years away, her teammates were wondering the same thing. They were sat at a table in the Asgard equivalent to a ships commissary, with Thor at the head of the table answering whenever he could.

"How did Apophis know where to find us?" Jack questioned, his hands clasped on the cool surface in front of him. It was either that or he'd hit something. Damn it, they'd been so close�pushing those thoughts from his mind, telling himself he had to keep a clear head so they could help her, he did his best *not* to think about how it felt to be so close and how his heart rate had quickened when his eyes had slid shut, just seconds before their lips would have inevitably touched�if it wasn't for the Goa'uld anyway. "You said it was a pretty safe planet. That there hadn't been Goa'uld activity for years�"

"We believe we were mistaken, O'Neill." Thor inclined his head; his eyes show what was the equivalent to Asgard sincerity. "Apophis was based on the planet when we arrived but had somehow masked himself from being picked up on our sensors. It is our belief that he stumbled upon your camp, detected by the energy beam from our vessel and decided to abduct Major Carter to put his plan in action. I am sorry for the inconvenience this has caused."

"Inconvenience?"

"You knew what his plans were for Carter?"

Daniel and Jack spoke at exactly the same time, getting to their feet and shouting at the Asgard in unison. They needed to vent their anger, Teal'c knew, so he sat back in his seat and watched them silently.

He would vent his anger later, he decided. Preferably when his hands were wrapped around the neck of the Goa'uld who had caused him and his friends so much pain.

"You call it an inconvenience? Apophis has Sam and you call it an *inconvenience?* Do you even know what she'll go through if we don't get to her on time? Do you have any idea what it's like to be a prisoner in your own body? Do you ever know what it's like to love someone who's a Goa'uld? And you call it an inconvenience."

"You knew what his plans were and you didn't tell us? You didn't warn us? How long have you know? For God's sake, didn't you think it was important? Carter might be a Goa'uld by now and if she is, it's all your fault! So much for the protected planets treaty. What good is it if you let one of us get a snake in the head?"

Thor seemed to be on the same page as Teal'c. He sat silently through the angry tirades, barely blinking an eye under the heat of the joint glare coming from both of them. When they were finished, he simply watched them retake their seats and stared at them in turn for several long moments. "I understand your concerns and your anger but please know we did not plan for this to happen and we intend to do all we can to prevent Major Carter from becoming a Goa'uld."

The ship jerked and slowed. Thor stood up and cocked his head to the side, listening to something they couldn't hear.

"We have arrived at the coordinates. Please ready yourselves. We will soon decloak and make Apophis aware of our presence."

"What is it you wish us to prepare for?" Teal'c asked, getting to his feet when his two companions remained slumped in theirs.

Thor turned to him, a faint smile on his face. "For battle, of course. Did you think we could rescue Major Carter without it?"

=*=

Sam sat on the floor with her back against the wall and arms wrapped around her legs. She�d tried to hotwire the door, more out of habit than an actual belief that she could get it open but hadn�t had any success. .

She had no weapons, no idea what she was facing and at that moment she was alone. Sam had no idea if Jack, Teal�c and Daniel were being kept prisoner elsewhere on the ship or if they had been killed on the planet. Both thoughts filled her with dread and she hoped that the Asgard knew what was going on and would be able to help them.

The door began to slide open and Sam rose quickly as she schooled her expression to hide the fear.

Apophis swept in, two serpent guards stood slightly behind their god. �Major Carter��

She hid the shudder that went down her spine as her name rolled off of his tongue. �Apophis.�

He chuckled at the icy tone of her voice. He chuckled at the icy tone of her voice. "You do not disappoint."

"I'm sorry, I'll have to try harder next time." The sarcasm dripped from every word.

"Such spirit, such temper." Apophis smirked at her and walked towards her, ignoring the defiant look on her face and taking her chin in his hands. "Yes, I will enjoy you. I will enjoy you immensely."

Sam scowled at him and jerked her head free. "I beg to differ."

"Oh you will beg," Apophis gave her a knowing look and turned on his heel, heading towards the door he'd so recently entered through. "You will beg for mercy, you will beg me to stop. And then you will beg for me to do as I wish so your pain comes to an end."

She managed to hold herself upright, to glare at his back and at his guards as they filed out of the prison after him. It was only when they were gone and the door had been secured behind them that she allowed herself to lean heavily against the wall, sliding down it until she reached the floor and rest her head in her hands.

'Please find me,' she sent up a silent prayer to whoever was listening. 'Please let them find me.'

=*=

Her prayers went unheard or unanswered. Less than ten minutes later, she was ceased by two Jaffa and led into an ornately decorated chamber. The bile rose in her throat and her stomach churned in realisation when she caught sight of the platform in the centre of the room.

She'd once asked Teal'c, over a campfire, what happened when a host was chosen for implantation of a Goa'uld. He'd described it in such detail that she hadn't been able to sleep that night or for several nights after.

The table she was being pushed towards was the one she would be placed on, almost as if she were a sacrifice to some greater god � which she supposed she was, only without the greater part and especially without the god.

She started to fight, started to protest when she caught sight of Apophis standing beside the vessel of his queen's symbiote but the Goa'uld just laughed at her and strode towards her, his hand device glowing ominously.

He held it over her head and her muscles went slack. Her legs turned to jelly and she would have surely fallen if it weren't for the two Jaffa holding her up.

She was only partly aware of being led towards the table. Vaguely aware that it suddenly got very cold.

Then there was a tremendous bang and the walls seemed to shake.

All hell broke lose but she was blissfully unaware of it, willingly giving in to the comfort darkness had to offer.

=*=

At first he didn't notice her, didn't see the unconscious body slumped on the floor between two fallen Jaffa.

"O'Neill, you must retrieve Major Carter. We will cover you." Teal'c's voice boomed in his ears, impossibly loud, and for the first time since boarding the Goa'uld vessel Jack allowed himself to tear his eyes off the enemy and search for the woman they were there to find.

It became clear in one respect how he hadn't seen her before. From the position of the two Jaffa either side of her, he determined that she'd been held up between them when the battle had begun. When they'd fallen, the slightly larger of the pair had sheltered her body, shielding her from the debris as well as his vision.

In another respect, he didn't know how he'd missed her. After all, it wasn't every day he was in the same room as his former Second when she was in such a state of undress.

Naked, save for the flimsy robe that hung loosely around her frame.

Mindful of the gunfire and blasts from the staff weapons all around him, Jack weaved his way over the bodies of the fallen, dropping to his knees with a wince to push aside the bodies of the Jaffa who had been protecting her.

His hand went to her face, fingers running over the smooth skin down towards her neck, resting there for a moment.

Relief flooded him when he found a pulse. Weak, but steady. Thank God.

"Carter. Hey, Carter." Gently, he tapped her cheeks in an attempt at getting her to regain consciousness. A moan escaped her lips but she didn't stir. She didn't move. He shook his head and adjusted the robe so the view was less indecent � and less mortifying for her, were she to suddenly wake up. "Looks like you're going to make me carry you."

He readied himself to pick her up, freezing when he sensed something behind him.

Someone.

"You will not take her, O'Neill. She is to be my Queen."

He turned his head slightly and saw Apophis standing behind him, a scowl on his face. The ribbon device on his hand was activated, as was the shield that protected him from weapons fire.

"There's not a chance in hell I'm letting that happen."

Apophis smirked and the hand wearing the ribbon device rose. "You will not have a choice."
Jack glanced around and tried to find something to use as a shield as the ship shuddered putting Apophis off balance and buying Jack some time.

Quickly, he hit the communications device that Thor had pressed into his hand before beaming them onto the ship. �Now would be a good time to-�

He was cut off midstream as they were transported back to the Daniel Jackson which quickly entered hyperspace, carrying them away from the battle.

Jack glanced around and checked that they we all there in one piece. �Thor! Nice timing!�

The Asgard dipped his head in response. �We should take Major Carter to the infirmary.�

"Don't have to tell me twice." Jack moved to scoop up the unconscious woman only to wince at a twinge in his left knee. "Ah, Teal'c? Wanna give me a hand here?"

"Certainly, O'Neill." Teal'c left his Staff Weapon leaning against the nearest smooth grey wall and strode over to where Jack knelt beside the unconscious Major. Effortlessly, he lifted the blond woman in his arms, gave Jack a small nod, and followed the grey gangly alien as Thor left the room, leading the way to the infirmary.

=*=

"Is she okay?"

"She is fine, O'Neill. The effects of the ribbon device should wear off soon."

A second passed, then another.

"Are you *sure* she's okay? Absolutely, completely, totally *positive* that's she's okay? Nothing was done to her?"

If the Asgard could look exasperated, Thor certainly did in that moment as the alien threw a glance in the Colonel's direction. "I am *positive*, O'Neill, though I would hardly call being subjected to a Goa'uld ribbon device nothing."

Jack rolled his eyes, his expression mildly sheepish. "Other than that, I mean. Nothing� They didn't snake her or anything?"

"If Major Carter had been blended with a symbiote we would have been alerted to it, O'Neill." Teal'c's tone held a note of impatience. "Perhaps you should attempt to wake her again."

'And give us some peace' was the unspoken addendum to his suggestion.

Luckily, though, Jack failed to see the relief on the faces of the three men � one man and two aliens � he left behind and he shuffled self-consciously towards the pallet serving as a bed, his hands in his pockets as he surveyed her.

It couldn't be comfortable, he decided. The pallet looked like it was the same metal that made up the floors and the walls and everything else in the ship. There was no way she could be sleeping comfortably, even though the Asgard had come up with something that looked like an over-grown marshmallow for her head to rest on.

He kept his hands in his pockets, not trusting himself to keep from reaching out for her. Instead he leaned in, keeping his voice quiet when he spoke. "Carter? You can wake up now. It's safe. The bad guys are all gone�"

He was slightly taken aback when a low moan filled the air, he hadn�t expected it to work *that* quickly.

Carefully he leaned closer to her and swept a hand across her forehead. �I�m here Carter, we got you.�

Her eyes opened slowly and took her a moment before they focused on his face. �Hey��

Jack smiled for the first time in what felt like years. �Hi. You think you can sit up now?�

She nodded and he supported her as she lifted her legs over the pallet and sat up.

�It is good to see you Major Carter.�

�Yeah Sam, it is.�

She smiled at her teammates and blushed slightly. �Thanks guys. It�s good to see you too.�

�Colonel O�Neill, we have received a message from Earth.� Thor stepped forward slightly and broke the silence.

�What is it?�

�There has been a change in your planet�s situation. The Stargate Program is to be reactivated.�

�Sorry, what?� Daniel coughed slightly and raised his eyebrows. Jack was pretty sure that he had a confused expression to match the rest of his teams.

�It is being requested that we bring you back to Earth to resume your duties.�

Jack took a moment to digest the news, this certainly wasn�t news they�d ever expected to receive.

�Sir?�

�Yeah Carter?�

�Think we could head home?�

�Sure Carter, we�ll bring in the cavalry.�

=*=

The command pair of SG-1 exchanged a long look, failing to notice when Teal'c and Daniel excused themselves and followed the Asgard out of the room.

"So we go back to Earth."

"We do. We don't really have a choice."

"So� We go back to how things were." Jack once again put his hands in his pockets, shuffling on the spot. "Well, I should go and see what's going on. Try and get in touch with Earth�"

Only her arm snaking out and latching onto his stopped him from leaving her. He glanced down and saw her staring up at him, her cheeks flushed, her eyes bright.

A shy smile curling the corners of her mouth. "Not everything has to go back to the way it was."

He looked down at the hand on his arm, then back up to her face. "It doesn't?"

"No." A little more confidence entered her eyes and Sam eased herself to her feet, grabbing him with her other hand when she realised her legs weren't quite as steady as she'd hoped. It wasn't such a bad thing, though, she realised when his arms went around her loosely to steady her. "Not everything." Her smile widened slightly, her gaze lowering from his eyes to his lips. "Now if I remember right we were rudely interrupted last time we attempted this�"

"Aren't we always?" He was quick to quip.

The humour in the situation and in his expression faded as she shuffled closer.

As he lowered his face down to hers.

They were going home, probably to a different world, to a different SGC, but that was okay.

They were going to be slightly different, too.

=*=