Disclaimer Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.

Major Sam Carter stepped across the event horizon and blinked her eyes against the sudden brightness. Squinting she scanned the area for danger, then let her rifle drop and lifted her sunglasses from where they were hanging around her neck. As she put them on she noticed Daniel and the colonel doing the same. Not surprisingly Teal'c didn't appear to need such protection. Either that or he preferred to squint.

"So Daniel. Which way is your village?" Colonel Jack O'Neill asked, stepping closer to his archaeologist/linguist/anthropologist friend.

"Umm…That way," Doctor Daniel Jackson replied, pointing off to their left. Three days ago the SGC had opened the gate to this world, P3R713 and a UAV fly-over had revealed the presence of what probably were cooking fires. Given their status as a first contact team, SG-1 was assigned the mission. They were to make contact with the natives and see what, if anything, the people of this world had to offer Earth. If a resource was found, then SG-9 would be given the secondary mission of negotiating a trade treaty.

"Let's go meet the neighbors," Jack quipped. "I got point, Teal'c's got our six."

The quartet started walking, all eyes peeled for any signs of danger. The members of SG-1 had been together for nearly four years. And in all that time they'd been through quite a lot. They'd all cheated the grim reaper too many times to think about. Sam had survived a blending with a Tok'ra that had nearly resulted in her death, while Jack had also had various near death experiences courtesy of the multitude of aliens they'd met.

Daniel had survived a painful addiction to a sarcophagus and suffered through first losing his wife to Apophis as a host, then to the finality of death.

Teal'c too, for all his Jaffa fortitude had not escaped unscathed. Unable to live on Earth, his wife and son resided planets away and most recently he'd been horribly tortured at the hands of Heru'ur. In fact this was his first mission with the rest of his team since his recovery.

Jack suspected that was another reason SG-1 had been given this mission. He knew from experience there was nothing like a couple of milk runs to help them all get their groove back.

Sam met the colonel's shrouded gaze and resisted the temptation to look back at Teal'c. She knew all too well that the first mission was the hardest. She'd felt the same way after Jolinar. That maybe it'd be better for all involved if she'd just resign and go away. Her friends hadn't let her get off that easily and she wasn't going to let Teal'c make the same mistake she nearly had.

"Daniel, any idea about the natives?" she asked her friend as they walked. The village was almost three miles away and it'd be a nice walk.

Daniel started to speculate on which, if any, earth culture they could have descended from while Sam enjoyed the scenery as she listened.

They were walking through a meadow of thigh high wild grasses. It must have been the planet's equivalent of late summer because the day was warm, almost eighty degrees. The heat of the sun caused the grass to give off a warm sweet smell. Mixed in with the multicolored blades were wildflowers of nearly every hue. Bending and taking a quick look she noted the leaves were thick and coarse. Some grew low to the ground while the ones that grew tall had few leaves, just a stalk and blooms. This suggested to her that the plants had evolved to withstand long periods of heat or lack of rain. Some were also incredibly fragrant, reminding her of wild clover. An occasional bird keened overhead and Sam realized the constant whir and buzz of insects were drowning Daniel's voice out. Now if we ever make friends with these folk I need to come back with a blanket and book, she thought. For some odd reason napping in the warm sun serenaded by insects sounded like a great way to spend an afternoon.

"They're obviously agricultural," Daniel said, breaking into her musings, motioning towards a large field of corn. Sam followed his hand and smiled at the sight of short, brilliantly green corn. It looked like a stunted and slightly scrawnier version of the corn she was used to seeing.

"It looks pretty wimpy to me," Jack said.

"Before genetic manipulation and bioengineering most corn was pretty wimpy," Daniel said. "At some of the digs I've been on we've found ears of corn about the size of your finger."

"Great midget corn. Wonder if there'll be midget people to go along with it?"

Sam bit back a grin at her CO's good-natured teasing. Personally she didn't care if they were eight feet tall. As long as they didn't try to kill them.

<><><><><>

Three hours later Jack sat beside Daniel fighting the urge to fidget. As utterly fascinating as Daniel found conversing with the locals, it was all Greek to Jack. Or more accurately a derivation of…some South American language he couldn't pronounce.

He looked up at the open doorway and saw Sam standing there. Making what he hoped was an apologetic gesture he got up and walked over to her. He noticed she was careful not to cross the threshold. This planet was yet another one that subscribed to the 'women's work' philosophy. He'd seen the look on her face when she realized this was going to be another home ec mission where she would get to learn yet another way to cook something or how to weave the perfect blanket instead of finding out the natives' true level of technology and if they had anything to offer the SGC.

"Tired of swapping recipes already major?" He bit back a small grin as she gave him 'that look'. The one he'd learned over the years that meant she'd just love to make some smartass quip but didn't. One of these days he was going to get her to lose that resolve of hers. Of course Hammond would probably kill him. As far as the general was concerned one smartass in the SGC was more than enough.

"Sir. The UAV is about two miles away. Teal'c and I could go get it and be back in time for dinner."

"Thought you were supposed to be cooking dinner?" he asked unable to stop teasing her.

"Colonel. You've eaten my cooking," she reminded with a grin.

"Oh yeah. Wouldn't want to poison our hosts now would we?" Seeing a look on her face that promised severe retribution if he continued he relented. "Ok. Go on. Just stay in contact."

"Thanks sir. We'll be back in a couple of hours."

"Two hours?" he asked, knowing they could have the job done in half the time.

"It's not like we're in a hurry or anything," she said, really wishing he hadn't caught the time. In truth she wanted to make sure she was good and excluded from the food preparations. This whole male/female segregation was bringing back unwelcome memories of Simarka. She silently swore if anyone came at her with a blue dress she was beating a path back to the gate post-haste. "It's a nice afternoon for a walk and I wouldn't want to push Teal'c too hard."

"Fine. Two hours. Be back by dark," Jack relented with an envious grin. Now if they just had a fifth member he could leave them to watch Daniel and go with her and Teal'c.

"Yes sir," Sam answered. She turned and walked over to Teal'c. Jack saw them leave the village then went back inside the building. He took his place at Daniel's side and tried to force an interested expression on his face. Next time he was definitely packing his Gameboy, he thought as he stifled a yawn.

<><><><><>

Sam walked beside Teal'c in companionable silence. They had successfully retrieved the UAV, which they were now carrying between them. She luckily had the easier to hold on to tail section while he struggled with the slightly bulkier and more awkward fore section. She made a metal note to try and design some kind of handle. Something the members of the SGC would probably appreciate. Either that or mini refueler planes so they could fly them back to the gate. She smiled at the image of Lilliputian pilots in five-foot airplanes refueling in mid air.

"Something amuses you Major Carter?"

Sam shook her head. "Just letting my imagination run away with me," she said, shifting her grip a bit so she could remove her sunglasses. Though it wasn't quite dusk yet, the shadows were growing long enough that the protective eyewear was soon going to be more of a hindrance than a help. "How about you?" she asked.

Teal'c shot her a puzzled glance. "What about me?"

Sam took a deep breath. "Teal'c. This is the first mission you've been on since going to Chulak and…I'm sorry if I'm prying and you can just tell me to shut up if you don't want to talk about it but…are you ok?" she asked in a rush, hoping she hadn't pushed him too far.

"I have endured pain before. My symbiote has repaired the damage," he said evenly.

Sam stopped, forcing him to do the same. "Look I won't say I know what happened or that I understand all of it but…" she paused a second, trying to organize her thoughts. "Teal'c when Jolinar was on Netu…let's just say Rosha seducing Bynarr wasn't the worst thing that happened. I can't remember all of it…I really haven't tried but…I know the one thing she wanted almost more than escaping was to kill him. Him and everyone else who'd hurt her. When she recovered, if she'd had her way, the Tok'ra would have blown Netu to atoms years ago."

"You believe I harbor anger towards those who tortured me?" Sam remained silent. "I do desire retribution. The same as I wish to make Tanith pay for what he did to Sho'nac. However revenge is not foremost in my mind. There is every likelihood those who tormented me perished with Heru'ur."

"So…if you happen to cross paths with them again…it's bygones?"

"I did not say that. Every time I help the Tau'ri strike against the Goa'uld I hurt them. Should I let revenge rule my life they have won. However…should we ever meet again…what is that phrase O'Neill uses…paying back is a bitch?"

Sam smiled. "Close enough. And Tanith?"

"Sho'nac WILL be avenged, when the time is right," he stated. "It is getting dark," he remarked, signaling an end to the conversation. Sam agreed and they continued on.

As they walked through the high grass she let her attention wander a bit, again enjoying the scenery. After all it wasn't every day you got to see what another planet looked like. The sky was darkening a bit, the horizon to the left a few shades deeper than the reddish tinged sky to her right. There were a few low clouds, colored red by the setting sun and contrasting with the dark blue sky. She figured it would be totally dark in a couple of hours.

She squinted and rubbed her eyes. She must be tired; they were starting to burn. Trusting Teal'c to lead her, she squeezed them closed and felt them tear a bit. She opened them again but instead of relieving it, the tears seemed to make her eyes hurt worse.

She stopped and let the UAV drop, bringing up both of her hands to her stinging eyes. Not having a handkerchief handy, she rubbed her jacket sleeves across her face, trying to make her eyes stop hurting.

"Major Carter?" she heard Teal'c ask, hearing the dull thud as her friend abandoned the flying probe to help her.

"It's …it burns Teal'c," she said, still scrubbing her face with her jacket sleeve.

"What is it?"

"I don't know. It just started…It…" she said, trying to open her eyes and pinching them shut as the burning got worse. She felt him grasp her arms, keeping her from grinding her palms into her eyes.

"Daniel Jackson has experienced similar symptoms before, though not this severe. We should return to the SGC."

"Ok," Sam agreed more than a little spooked. Even the tear gas she'd been exposed to in basic training hadn't hurt this bad.

She felt her friend start to lead her forward as she kept her eyes squeezed shut. They made it just a few yards when Teal'c gave a strangled cry and fell to the ground, taking Sam with him.

"Teal'c…What?" she asked trying to pull her gun from the tangle of limbs.

"We are under attack," he said harshly, pain in his voice. "Stay here. The grass will conceal you," he instructed pushing her down. She heard him struggle to his feet and lope away. She pressed herself flat as she heard more footsteps coming nearer and nearer then fading as they seemingly followed Teal'c.

She waited until she couldn't hear anything then reached for her radio. Teal'c needed help. Help she couldn't give.

"Colonel?" she fought to keep her voice low and even knowing that sounds could carry far, especially out in the open.

"Carter. You better not be telling me you and Teal'c are going to chicken out. If I have to sit here…so do you," he groused.

"Sir. Someone attacked us. I think Teal'c's hurt."

"What?" she could hear anxiety creeping into his voice, along with a rustling that gave her the mental image of him getting to his feet and moving towards the door of the hut, either looking for danger or getting ready to come help them.

"Someone attacked us. I'm…Teal'c led them off."

"Ok gimme a…son of a bitch!" she heard him shout.

She waited for a second. When he didn't continue she keyed her mic again. "Sir? Colonel. What's going on?"

"I got Jaffa in the village. Get back to the gate. Get us some reinforcements here," he ordered.

Through the radio Sam heard screams and shouts. "Colonel? Colonel?" She got no response save the distant report of faint weapons fire.

It could only be the colonel since she and he had the only automatic weapons on the planet…at least that they knew of.

Get to the gate. That's what he said. She could do that.

If only she knew where the gate was.

<><><><><>

"Jack stop!" Daniel yelled, pushing his arm so his shots went wide, slamming into the thatched roofs across the dirt street.

"Damnit Daniel!"

"Jack. It's not an attack. Well it is an attack but it's a ritualized battle," Daniel explained.

"Daniel. There are Jaffa out there! People are dying!"

"No Jack. They're not," Daniel insisted. "They may be getting roughed up a bit but no one dies."

Jack looked at the chaos outside. People were running and screaming but Daniel was right. There was something wrong. The Jaffa weren't real metal clad warriors but men wearing facsimile helmets made from what looked like straw. There were not bodies, no blood…at least that he could see.

"Daniel. Carter said she and Teal'c were being attacked."

"Where are they? If they just play along I'll get Kaban to release them."

"They're out there somewhere," Jack said, pointing towards the wildness outside the village.

"They left the village?" Daniel asked, his eyes growing wide.

"They went to go get the UAV. Carter said they were ambushed. She thought Teal'c might be hurt."

"Jack. They shouldn't have left the village. Not until morning. Here we're under Kaban's protection. Didn't you hear him tell us that?"

Jack stared at his friend, a knot growing in his stomach. Yeah he did remember something …but he wrote it off as some suspicious taboo or something, like the Cabin guy thinking if Sam walked into the hut she'd contaminate it so badly they'd have to burn it down.

He turned away, mentally calling himself every name he could remember and a few he made up. If his inattention had gotten two members of his team killed…getting a grip on his anger he turned back to Daniel. "Ok. Tell me exactly what's going on."

<><><><><>

Sam tried to open her eyes again but quickly abandoned the idea. The burning sensation was almost intolerable. There were tears streaming down her face as her eyes tried to rid themselves of the irritant. Realizing she wouldn't be able to see her way back the tried to paint herself a picture of where she was.

This morning they'd walked three miles southwest of the gate. Then she and Teal'c had traveled two miles due north to get the UAV. They'd been about a third of the way back so…the gate should be almost straight east. Raising her hand she tried to feel the subtle warmth of the sun on her skin. She waited, hoping her sense of time was still accurate and it wasn't already dark. There…she felt the faint warmth on her hand. She slowly gained her feet, cringing a bit as she stood knowing she was a target in the thigh high grass. When no shot came she reasoned she was indeed alone.

Refusing to wave her hands out in front of her like some creature in a mummy movie she settled for holding then out at her side. Drawing reassurance from the tall grass brushing the palms of her hands and the subtle warmth on the back of her neck she began to walk. She didn't have to be exact, she told herself.

She just had to get close. Jolinar would do the rest.

<><><><><>

"Two decades ago the Goa'uld attacked these people. They aah…well it's the same old story. They were used as slaves or taken as hosts. Then one day this guy appeared. There was a battle and…the Goa'uld went away," Daniel explained.

"They went away?" Jack asked skeptically.

"Yeah I know, not their usual MO. But…something happened and they retreated. They've never been back. That's what the festival is all about. Each year they reenact the final battle," Daniel related, noting his words did little to allay Jack's fear. They were still in the hut, Kaban insisting it was a safe haven and as long as they remained inside, they would be excluded from the 'festivities'.

"So…what happened to Carter and Teal'c?"

Daniel sighed. "If they had been in the village, Kaban had given the 'Jaffa' orders to leave them alone. But outside…occasionally 'Jaffa' from other villages take this opportunity for a little payback or to raid themselves a wife or…steal that prized cow. That's probably why they were attacked, the 'Jaffa' from another village had no idea they weren't playing along. Kaban says no one is supposed to be hurt…too badly anyway. No one is supposed to die in these reenactments or anything."

"Yeah. No one is supposed to die in training exercises but believe me, it happens," Jack said in disgust, getting to his feet to pace the small hut in impotent rage.

Just a simple mission. A chance to get their feet wet again, mend a few fences, get their groove back. A walk in the park, day at the beach…Yeah, right, simple. So simple half of his team was missing.

Daniel watched him pace, the guilt playing across his craggy face. He felt the same way. Things would be ok…right? Kaban said no one ever died…that it was all in fun. Rough fun but…

"Jack. What are you doing?" he asked, seeing his friend halt his pacing and step towards the door.

"To hell with Cabin's promises. I'm gonna go get them," he stated.

"Jack. Stop!" Daniel cried as one of the faux Jaffa stood in front of the colonel, his imitation staff weapon held at the ready. "Look. If we go out there now we stand every chance of getting hurt ourselves…and that won't help Sam and Teal'c."

"I am not going to sit here while part of my team is in danger. So move," he threatened the Jaffa, his voice cold.

"You are not permitted to participate in the festivities," the 'Jaffa' said.

Jack cocked his rifle. "Move now or I'll move your corpse."

Recognizing the tone, the Jaffa stepped away. Jack crossed the threshold and started in the direction Sam and Teal'c had taken. Only to crash to the ground as the Jaffa's partner brought the heavy end of his fake staff weapon down on the man's head. They lifted him up and carried him into the hut, laying him on the floor.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Daniel demanded, rushing to Jack's side.

"If harm comes to the visitor, harm comes to us. He and you are not allowed out of this hut until morning," the Jaffa stated as the pair turned and resumed their post outside the door.

<><><><><>

Sam gingerly untangled her limbs and sat up; gritting her teeth as her body told her in no uncertain terms that it didn't take kindly to being tossed down a hill. Well more like tripped down a hill but…close enough. Damnit. She'd been doing just fine, slowly but steadily making her way towards where the gate should be. That was until she took a step into nothingness. She'd tumbled down a slope, barely able to tuck herself into enough of a ball to avoid breaking her neck. She wasn't hurt, badly anyway, but now she was totally disorientated. If it wasn't for gravity she'd have no idea which way was up, much less east. Frustrated she fell back, lying supine in the dirt. If she waited until morning she could use the rising sun to guide her, but the guys might not have until morning.

General Hammond would send a rescue team, in about twenty-four hours if there'd been no contact…contact…the radio.

Cursing herself she raised her hand to her left shoulder and encountered nothing but an empty pocket. Damn. She must have lost it in the fall. She let her hand fall and felt hot tears drip from the corners of her eyes. Tears that had less to do with whatever was annoying them and a lot to do with abandoning her friends.

There was some type of battle going on with her team caught in the middle, possibly already captured and she couldn't do a damn thing. She shuddered as she remembered the list of what Teal'c had endured, the damage Janet had documented, torture that had even made the colonel and the general blanch. They could be going through that right now. Every minute it took her to get help was a light year further away they could be, another moment of pain and terror they had to endure because she was useless…all she had to do was go get help…a simple thing…and she couldn't do it.

She was letting them down. They could be dying and it was all her fault…wait. A tiny feeling impinged on her consciousness. Pushing away her self-pitying thoughts she emptied her mind and calmed her thoughts as she 'scanned' for it. There, off to her right. Naquadah…lots of Naquadah…the gate. It was close.

She carefully got to her feet, realizing just how much of her equilibrium was tied into her vision and faced the feeling. It had to be very, very near.

<><><><><>

"Teal'c." Daniel looked up from his place on the floor to see Jack at the door. He took an impatient step forward then stopped as their two guardians barred his way with their staff weapons. Daniel clambered to his feet as Jack took a frustrated step back. He'd regained consciousness just over an hour ago…and began to prove the true meaning of 'bear with a sore head'. Daniel had hidden his relief that Jack was all right and concentrated on staying out of his way. If he was an imaginative person he swore he could see steam curling out of Jack's ears as he paced relentlessly.

Six villagers carried the large unconscious Jaffa in on a makeshift stretcher.

"What the hell did you do to him?" Jack demanded as the men gently set the stretcher on the floor and stepped back. Daniel hurried to Teal'c's side as Jack confronted Kaban who had followed the villagers in. Daniel lent one ear to the conversation as he assessed Teal'c's condition. His fatigues were torn and dark with blood. There was a deep gash on his left arm as well as his right thigh; both wounds still seeping blood.

His face and hands were covered with a myriad of scratches and bruises but it was the wound in his belly that concerned Daniel most. It was dangerously close to his womb, creating the distinct possibility that Junior could be injured too. The last thing they needed was for the symbiote to be damaged. Janet had briefed them that the little worm was going to be particularly vulnerable for a while. It had expended a great deal of it's energy to keep Teal'c alive during his torture. And they all knew if Junior died, Teal'c died.

"I thought no one was supposed to be hurt?" Jack accused the older man.

"I am so sorry," Kaban apologized, sincerely from the sound of it. Daniel glanced and saw the raw distress cross their host's face. Either the man was a hell of an actor or he really was sorry. "The hunters who found him thought at first that he was a real Jaffa, that the Dimtari had stopped working and that the enslavers had returned. This should not have happened, we have done him a great injustice."

"What about Carter?"

At Kaban's puzzled look Daniel spoke up. "The woman that was with him. Where is she? There's no way they thought SHE was a Jaffa," he said barely reigning in his anger.

"All they saw was Teal'c. However if she is out there she will be safe."

"You said Teal'c would be safe!" Jack accused, raising his voice, and motioning towards the unconscious figure on the stretcher.

"Women can not participate in the festival. If any 'Jaffa' see her, they will not molest her. They will either bring her into the village or grant her safe passage."

<><><><><>

Sam walked into the DHD, adding another burning bruise to her thigh and frantically grabbed a hold of the edges to keep herself from falling over. Ok. She was here. Now…now all she had to do was dial home. She could do that. She'd done it hundreds of times. She and Daniel used to joke that they could dial out in their sleep.

She ran her fingers lightly over the device tracing the raised edges of the glyphs. Thirty-nine panels. And all she had to do was find the right seven. She paused and tried to remember her cursory glance she'd given the DHD when they'd arrived.

She felt for the U shape of the first glyph. Finding and pressing it she found the cleaver shape of the second glyph and right beside it the spidery feeling third one. The fourth fifth and sixth followed in quick succession then she paused. What was the point of origin? It…oh yeah, the colonel had joked that it looked like the golden arches. She found and pressed it, then pushed in the round center panel.

The whooshing roar of the gate opening had never sounded so good.

She pushed up her sleeve, grateful that the coarse material of her jacket had protected the GDO and keyed in the IDC.

She stood there, barely daring to breathe as she waited for the acknowledgement. She figured it had to be dark. The surface of the DHD had felt cool and slightly damp beneath her fingertips and there was a faint music of what had to be night insects in the background. The air was calm and the planet quiet. She hadn't heard anyone following her but the light and noise of the gate opening would carry for miles.

She waited, fighting the urge to cower beside the DHD, half expecting to feel an arrow tearing through her flesh at any moment. Hell she might as well be standing here with big neon 'shoot me' sign on her back.

When the answering beep came she was so startled she almost screamed.

She staggered to the gate, praying desperately that it would stay open long enough. She crawled up the steps and tumbled across the event horizon.

<><><><><>

"Carter? Where the hell are you?" Jack called over his radio for the tenth time that morning earning him puzzled looks from the men escorting him, Daniel and Teal'c back to the gate. And for the tenth time there was no response.

"She probably made it home and called for reinforcements," Daniel said, trying to reassure his friend.

"Just keep those positive thoughts coming," Jack replied morosely, earnestly wishing he owned a pair of Daniel's rose colored glasses. He was hoping against hope that Carter had made it home. Considering the alternatives were that she had been captured by another village, which meant he was going to have to leave her behind until he could come back with a rescue team, or that she was lying in that damned grass somewhere injured, it was the only one he really wanted to consider.

Damnit. He never should have let her and Teal'c go off. If he had listened to Daniel he would have known it wasn't safe. But he'd tuned it out. Ignored most of the conversation trusting Daniel to remember all the pertinent points. True it was a delegation of duty, but this time it was more like dereliction of duty.

Jack's morose thoughts were stopped as Daniel fell back a bit to check on Teal'c. Men from the village were carrying the Jaffa on the stretcher. That was something else for Jack to worry about. It was nearly twelve hours since Teal'c had been returned to them and he was still unconscious. If these people could take down a Jaffa, what kind of a chance did Carter stand?

A startled cry caught his attention. He looked forward to see three SG teams coming their way. Kaban and his men raised their weapons as the SGC personnel did the same.

"Hold fire!" Jack yelled as Daniel hurried forward to reassure Kaban and forestall an all-out battle.

"O'Neill?" Major Coburn yelled, slightly but not totally lowering his P-90. "Heard you guys were in a little hot water?" he asked cautiously.

"Just a little misunderstanding," Jack said, noting with relief that Daniel was handling things with Kaban. The natives carrying Teal'c set him gently down then backed away. "Did Carter make it back?" Jack asked Coburn as Daniel made his good-byes.

"Yes colonel. She…made it back. Are you ready to leave sir?" the major asked, forestalling Jack's next question of why she wasn't with them. Coburn wanted nothing more than to beat a path back to the gate and the safety of the SGC. Traditionally the teams sent to rescue SG-1 had a mortality rate slightly lower than that of the seemingly cursed SG-11. A tradition he had not intention of continuing.

"Yeah. Daniel?"

Daniel bade Kaban a final farewell and joined Jack. Two members of SG-7 picked up Teal'c and they made their escape from P3R713.

<><><><><>

"Receiving SG-1's code sir."

"Open the iris," Hammond ordered noting the medical personnel already in the gateroom. The portly general relaxed as he counted the heads and came up with the right number. In fact if it weren't for Teal'c being carried home he'd think they were returning from a routine mission.

The wormhole snapped shut and George sighed. Both in relief and in dread. No time like the present, he told himself as he left the control room.

"SG-1, welcome home. Good job major," he told Coburn as the man was handing over his weapon.

"It wasn't much of a rescue sir. Looked more like the natives were escorting them home."

"Colonel? I understood there were Jaffa…"

"Just a misunderstanding sir," Jack admitted.

"General. There were Jaffa but they weren't real. It was a reenactment…"Daniel started to explain.

George held up his hand and cut him off. "It can wait for the debriefing."

Jack scanned the milling figures in the gateroom and noticed one conspicuous absence. "General? Where's Carter?" he asked, feeling that sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Even if Hammond had forbade her from going on the rescue mission there was no way in hell she wouldn't be here to greet them…unless she couldn't.

George sighed heavily. This was the part he was dreading. "Major Carter is in the infirmary colonel."

"Is she ok?"

"What's wrong?" Jack and Daniel asked in unison.

"Go. Doctor Fraiser will brief you. We'll hold the debriefing when you're done," George ordered, his tone telling them they probably weren't going to like what they found.

<><><><><>

"What happened?" Janet demanded as the still unconscious Teal'c was lifted onto a bed.

"He and Carter were attacked," Jack reported, looking around.

"They got in some good blows but the only one I'm really worried about is the one near his pouch. They weren't healing at first but I think they're starting to. He's been unconscious all night though," Daniel said.

Janet nodded and checked Teal'c's blood pressure just as the Jaffa began to stir. "Teal'c…it's ok. You're at the SGC. You're safe," she said, laying her hands on him to reassure him.

Jack sighed in relief as the man opened his eyes and scanned the room. He saw him relax as realization of where he was dawned.

"Teal'c. Can you tell us what happened?" Jack asked, stepping forward.

"We were returning with the UAV. Major Carter was experiencing some difficulty. We were attacked. She was unable to defend herself so I instructed her to conceal herself whilst I led the assailants away. I succeeded for a period of time but their greater numbers eventually overwhelmed me. That is all I remember," he said quietly looking past Jack and seeing only medical staff. "Where is Major Carter?"

"She made it back Teal'c. She's ok," Janet said. "You just relax and let Junior do his job all right?"

Mollified, Teal'c nodded and closed his eyes.

With a nod Janet led Jack and Daniel away while nurses moved in and closed the curtains. From experience both men knew their friend would soon be undressed and in a gown.

"Ok doc. Where's Carter? Why isn't she here and what are you and Hammond tiptoeing around?" Jack demanded.

Janet sighed. "She's sedated Colonel."

"Sedated? What the hell's going on?" Jack demanded raising his voice. A chilling look from the doctor made him settle down.

"Something on that planet affected her eyes."

"What's wrong with her eyes?" Daniel asked.

"We haven't totally figured that part out yet. From what she told us during the walk back to the village something started to make them burn. Within minutes she was pretty much incapacitated. That's why Teal'c left her behind."

"So she can't see?"

"No."

Both men were silent as the implications of what they'd just been told sank in.

"Nyan!" Daniel explained.

"What?"

"Nyan's eye….thingie. It fixed Teal'c."

Janet shook her head. "No. It doesn't work. We already tried it. That's why she's sedated."

<><><><><>

Sam slowly opened her eyes and wondered for a minute if there was a black out or something. Realization mercilessly dawned as the fuzzy taste in her mouth; a slight headache and the background noise reminded her she was in the infirmary.

That's right. Nyan's gizmo. Oh god that had hurt. Worse than when her eyes and started burning on the planet. Janet had stepped in with her magic needle when the pain hadn't faded like it was supposed to. She lay there for a few minutes torn between sitting up or just rolling over and trying to go back to sleep. Maybe if she slept more it'd just wear off. They'd certainly seen stranger things in the past few years.

"Major Carter?" she heard, the voice preventing her from playing possum.

"Teal'c?" she said, pushing herself up to sit in the bed. At least the needle hadn't been attached to an IV line this time. Being confined to the infirmary was bad enough, being tethered to the bed by a sharp object under your skin was even worse. "Are you OK? Did the colonel and Daniel make it back?" she asked anxiously.

"I was injured but my larva has healed most of the damage. SG-2, 4, and 7 were successful in retrieving us and we returned to Earth with no further injuries, though Daniel Jackson reports the Tau'ri are no longer welcome on that planet."

"Well that's a shame. It was nice right up until they started shooting at us," she said, turning her head towards the voice.

"Does Doctor Fraiser have a hypothesis on what is effecting your vision?"

"Aah, no. At least not that I've heard. As far as she can tell everything's working fine it's just like the signal isn't getting through to my brain," Sam explained trying to contain her emotions. There was no need to get all panicky. Janet would fix it. She always fixed it. She just needed to be patient is all.

<><><><><>

Two weeks later she good-naturedly acknowledged Daniel's reminders of which number he programmed where on the speed dial and locked the door behind him. As the deadbolt snapped into place the bright smile slipped from her face. Thank god they'd finally gone. She honestly didn't know if she could have been able to keep it up much longer.

The guys had been great…too great.

For the first couple of days she'd been confined to the infirmary Teal'c had stayed there too, claiming he still needed to recover from his injuries. They'd passed the time talking, or with him explaining the various sounds she'd heard.

When she'd been cleared to go to her quarters, largely not because Janet wanted her to go but because SG-3 and 8 had tangled with some real Jaffa and she'd needed the beds, he'd escorted her to and from her quarters like the real gentleman she'd always suspected had been hiding behind the warrior.

Daniel and the colonel had been there too, though the guilt both men obviously felt but struggled to hide had made things more than a little strained. It didn't matter how many times she told them she didn't blame any of them, that going after the UAV had been her idea in the first place they still believed they were responsible.

Because of that they'd gone out of their way to anticipate her needs and take care of every little detail. They'd taken turns bringing her meals. Somehow the colonel had convinced Sgt. Siler to rig up some kind of antenna so the boom box Daniel had brought would be able to pick up the local radio station. Heck, Daniel had even offered to read to her. After all that how could she tell them all she really wanted was to be left alone when it would just make them feel even more guilty?

Finally, after being confined to the base for two weeks and enduring every test Janet could dream up, along with growing incredibly stir crazy, she'd finally convinced the doctor she had to get out of there. She needed somewhere peaceful and quiet. Somewhere that didn't have klaxons blaring at odd hours and hard, cold concrete walls and floors. Somewhere where she didn't have to try to do her hair or put on make-up. Somewhere where she didn't need an escort every time she left the room. Somewhere with a real bed.
Fortunately after about an hour of begging the doctor had given in. After a stern lecture and a trip to the grocery store…shopping with three men had to be the newest form of torture…she was finally home.

They'd settled into a familiar pattern. The guys had put away the groceries, each calling out where they'd put what, like she'd remember. Then had come the 'order pizza and argue about what to watch' part of the evening.

At first it had been comforting, familiar.

Then it had all started to fall apart.

The guys had started to argue about whether or not a player had been fouled, and had asked Sam her opinion.

Then she'd miscalculated where her drink was and spilled it instead of picking it up. Instead of teasing her about begin a klutz, they'd started with the platitudes and reassurances that there was no need to cry over spilled beer.

The proverbial straw had come when she'd excused herself to go to the restroom and overheard them discussing if one of them should stay the night.

She'd stood around the corner a part of her desperately wanting one of them to stay and another part of her knowing she couldn't let them. She couldn't keep leaning on them. They weren't going to be around forever. She needed to start standing on her own two feet, even if she couldn't see them.

It had taken her over an hour of careful manipulation but she'd finally gotten them to leave.

Hearing Daniel's steps fade down the hall she carefully felt her way down the short hall and found her sofa. Once there she curled up on the cushions, hugging one of the pillows.

Mission accomplished. Now…now all she had to do was figure out something to do with the rest of her life.

Surely somewhere there was the perfect job for a blind Doctor, Major ex-soldier astrophysicist planetary explorer…right?

<><><><><>

Jack strode down the ramp almost a month to the day after their return from P3R713, an impatient frown on his face. This last mission had been…ordinary. Horribly ordinary. He glanced at the rest of his team. Teal'c was handing over his staff weapon to the arms master while Daniel and Captain Hodges instructed the techs on decontaminating the artifacts and samples they'd brought back. It was wrong. All wrong. Captain Hodges shouldn't be here. Not that he wasn't a capable officer or anything. He was incredibly capable and efficient. Quiet but not withdrawn. He obeyed orders but knew when to suggest taking a break or altering their course. All in all he was a good officer with a bright future…he just wasn't Carter.

"Welcome back SG-1," General Hammond said, pleased to see them back but not missing the subdued mood. It had been this way ever since he'd pulled them into the conference room and introduced them to Major Carter's replacement.

"Glad to be back sir," Jack replied automatically.

"How was P2C397?"

"Perfectly ordinary sir. Caught up on my sleep though Daniel and Hodges found plenty to keep them occupied."

"Very well. You'll debrief at 1900," the general said, leaving the room.

Jack looked at his team. "Come on kids, it's needle time."

<><><><><>

Sam carefully set aside her remote control and got to her feet. She padded to the door and cursed herself as she instinctively stood on her toes to look through the peephole. "Who is it?" she called.

"Lieutenant Parkinson Major Carter. I'm General Hammond's secretary."

Sam frowned and wondered what the woman could be doing here. In the past week she'd heard little from the SGC save that SG-1 was off world and Janet was chaperoning a spring break trip with Cassie's class.

For a second she panicked that something might have happened to the guys but calmed herself quickly. If that had happened surely the general would have called.

She reached up and undid the chain and opened the door. "Yes?"

"Major Ma'am. I…may I come in?" the woman asked. Sam vaguely remembered the voice. She'd been introduced to her once. The woman had transferred to the SGC right before Sam's last mission.

"Sure," She replied, opening the door wider. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"No ma'am. Thank you. I'll just be here for a few minutes." Sam heard an uncertain tone in the woman's voice. Whatever she was here for, she had a funny feeling she wasn't going to like it.

"Well then, why don't you just tell me what you need?" Sam asked as she sat down. She knew she sounded short but she really didn't care.

"Yes ma'am. Of course." Sam heard the snaps of a briefcase being opened and the rustle of paper. "I just…I have your discharge papers here major. I apologize for the delay. These should have been taken care of last week but…well you know how things are."

Sam barely heard her as she fought to believe her ears. Discharge papers. Oh god. Sure a rational part of her mind had known this was going to happen but…well she'd kept hoping, praying things would change. They still hadn't heard from the Tok'ra. Maybe they had a cure? Or maybe they didn't care? If something happened to her father would they tell her now? Or did she even matter anymore? It wasn't like she was of much use right now. Maybe they'd already found someone else to fix things for them? The military had no place for those that weren't fit to serve. Maybe that's all she was now…a has been.

Someone the colonel or the general couldn't even waste their time with to come by in person. She'd have thought four years of comradeship would have counted for something…but obviously she was wrong.

"…Full medical discharge. You keep your rank of course ma'am, along with your benefits and disability." The woman prattled on, extolling the virtues of being discharged.

"Where do I sign?" Sam interrupted.

"Ma'am?"

"Just tell me where to sign," Sam demanded. If the military didn't want her anymore, fine. Who needed them anyway? She heard the rustle of paper and the click of a ballpoint pen. She heard the woman push aside the stack of unopened mail and lay the forms on the table. Lieutenant Parkinson put the pen in her hand and guided it to the proper place. Sam signed her name and let the woman take her pen back.

Her mission accomplished she gathered her things and left, promising to send Sam all the appropriate papers via messenger as soon as they were official.

Alone again in the darkness she picked up the remote and turned the TV on. For a brief moment she regretted she had no alcohol in the house as she channel surfed through the night listening to anything she could find. Anything to keep herself from having to think about her future…or lack thereof.

<><><><><>

"Sir. You wanted to see me?" Jack asked, cautiously stepping around Hammond's office door.

"Aah. Jack. Yes come in," the older man said, waving him in. Jack entered the room and took his customary seat. "So. How are things?"

"Which things would that be sir?"

"This was Captain Hodges' third mission with SG-1. How is it going?"

"It's…" Jack sighed. "He's a good officer sir. Gathers soil samples like a pro. He's just…" Jack trailed off.

"I know son."

"Any word from the Tok'ra sir?" Jack asked, knowing full well if there had been good news he would have heard it by now.

"No. Jacob is apparently still on his mission. The only person they're willing to send is Anise…" Jack shot the general a sharp look. "And I've told them we'd rather wait for Jacob. When Doctor Fraiser explained Major Carter's symptoms to Anise the woman had no ideas. All she wanted to do was run some tests."

"The last time she ran 'tests' Carter almost got turned into Sleeping Beauty and I almost got lobotomized. I think she'd rather wait for her dad."

"I concur," George agreed, knowing full well that Anise was far, far down on the SGC Christmas card list…somewhere slightly below Apophis.

"Has Doc Fraiser made any headway on her own?"

"The only hypothesis she can come up with is that something on that planet reacted adversely with something in the major's system…her current favorite culprit is the Naquadah in Carter's blood. Other than a few female hormones it is the one thing that makes her unique from the rest of you."

"Great. Any idea how to fix it?"

"Jack, you know as well as I do that it could be any one of thousands of possibilities."

"So. We go back, gather a few samples and give doc something to work on…" Jack suggested hopefully.

"I can't allow that. You said so yourself the leader of those people made it very clear you weren't welcome back."

Jack scrubbed his hands over his face frustrated by their staggering lack of options. He'd known the general wouldn't allow the mission, but he'd had to try. "Sir we were thinking. Ever since Carter's run in with Jolinar she can understand Goa'uld. Daniel says he can use her help," Jack suggested.

"Colonel…"

"Sir. If it wasn't for Carter I think it's safe to say none of us would be here right now. I think we owe her…"

"Son. You're preaching to the choir. As long as I command this facility there will always be a place for any member of SG-1, or any of the rest of the teams in any capacity I can justify. You just have to convince her." He paused as his secretary slipped in the open door and laid a folder on his desk with an apologetic look. She nodded respectfully at Jack then turned to leave as Hammond glanced at the papers.

"Lieutenant," he called sharply causing Jack to give him a look. The last time he'd heard the man use that particular tone had been right after he Carter and Daniel had gotten back from O'Malleys.

"Sir?" she replied.

"What is this?" he asked, holding up the papers.

"Major Carter's discharge papers," she replied.

"General?" Jack asked, concerned, "What the hell is going on?"

Hammond ignored him. "I can see that Lieutenant. What were you doing with them?"

"I stopped by her apartment on my way home last night and had the major sign them," she said, a frown creasing her face.

"WHAT!" Jack exclaimed shooting to his feet. "General?"

"Jack," George warned, his expression telling the colonel he could only deal with one of them at a time. "I may be a bit long in the tooth Lieutenant but I seem to have no recollection of asking you to do this," he replied coldly.

"No sir. You didn't. They…they've been sitting here for over a week and I know you're busy so I thought I'd help."

"HELP! Lieutenant, when I want your help I'll ask for it. You do not just drop discharge papers in the lap of a person like that. You damn well better hope there are no consequences to your 'assistance' or I just might consider sending you instead of the MALP the next time. Am I understood?" he asked, his eyes glittering with rage.

"Yes sir," she replied quietly.

"Dismissed."

Jack barely waited for the woman to turn to leave. "Sir?"

George tore the papers in two and handed the pieces to Jack. "Go," he said simply dismissing the man.

Jack eagerly left, nearly bowling over the subdued Lieutenant on his way out.

<><><><><>

Jack stood outside Sam's door and knocked a second time, sharing nervous glances with Daniel and Teal'c.

"Maybe she's out?" Daniel suggested weakly.

Jack rolled his eyes and fished in his pocket for his ring of keys. "Carter. You better be decent cause we're coming in," he called as he opened the door. Daniel and Teal'c followed him into the dim apartment.

Jack tripped over something and he would have fallen had Daniel not shot out a hand to steady him. The archaeologist bent over and picked up the offending item. The trio shared concerned glances as they recognized one of Sam's fatigue shirts. In fact the whole entryway was strewn with small piles of military issue clothing, fatigues, boots and even her dress uniform.

"Sam?" Daniel called out, making his way to the living room, his concern overriding his trepidation of what he might see.

A muffled rustling from the bedroom drew their attention. They followed the sound, Daniel pausing here and there, picking up a few pieces of clothing that appeared to have been dropped.

"Carter?" Jack called again entering her bedroom. He sidestepped quickly as a boot was tossed his way. "Carter. What the hell are you doing?" he asked the figure half buried in the closet. She didn't respond but kept digging through the items within, running her fingers over them, tossing some back into the closet and pulling others out.

Jack knelt down beside her and grabbed her arm. "Carter. What are you doing?" he asked, noting the bloodshot and puffy nature of her sightless eyes. He quashed the urge to send a certain lieutenant on a little recon trip…maybe to Chulak.

"Colonel? What are you doing here?" she asked as if she'd just realized she wasn't alone anymore.

"We haven't been techno babbled for a week and were starting to miss it. What are you doing?" he repeated pointedly as Daniel and Teal'c picked up stray articles of clothing and put them on the unmade bed.

"Ohh…Well I don't need this stuff anymore and …there's never enough closet space and…it's stupid to keep it around," she said, pulling her arm free and digging back into the closet.

"Carter…"

"Sam. Come on," Daniel stepped in. "It'll still be there. Let's go have some coffee," he suggested, pulling her to her feet.

"Daniel..." she protested, trying to pull out of his grip.

"Like Daniel Jackson says, it is not going anywhere," Teal'c interjected helping Daniel steer Sam out of her bedroom. The Jaffa led her to the couch while Daniel set himself to making the coffee.

Teal'c cleared a place and Sam curled up on the cushions while Jack plopped down in an armchair. The place was a mess. Aside from clothing strewn around her plants were limp and obviously desperate for a drink. A thin layer of dust coated the furniture and the coffee table was piled high with envelopes. Fighting the suddenly awkward silence, Jack leaned forward and started thumbing through the mail noting the dates on the postmarks. "What's with the mail?"

"Huh?"

"There's about a month worth of mail here," he said, holding up a hand full of envelopes.

"Ooh. I aah…I guess I need to find an accountant."

"Here we go," Daniel declared carrying out four mugs of steaming coffee. "No cream though, sorry Teal'c," he apologized, carefully giving Sam her mug.

"Yeah. I need to get to the store," she said quietly.

"For more than cream. Mother Hubbard's cupboards are pretty bare," Daniel said, giving Jack a meaningful look.

"When did you guys get back?" Sam asked, trying to change the subject. "I thought you were off world for a few more days?"

"We achieved our mission objective ahead of schedule and thus returned to Earth early," Teal'c reported, picking up the mood. He refrained from telling the major they came back early because none of them were comfortable with her being left alone.

"That must have made the general happy," Sam said wistfully, taking a sip.

"Why do you need an accountant?" Jack asked abruptly.

"What?" she asked, thrown by the sudden change.

"Why screw with an accountant? One of us can do this for you," he offered.

"No."

"Sam why not?" Daniel asked. "Let us help you."

"No," Sam stated, shaking her head.

"You gonna tell us why?"

Sam set her face stubbornly and took another sip of her coffee. "Do I have to make it an order?" he asked, recognizing her mood.

"I don't do orders anymore. Haven't you heard? I'm just a lowly civilian."

"Sorry Sam. Teal'c and I are the only civilians around here," Daniel said.

"You're wrong. I'm officially discharged," she reported morosely.

Jack pulled out the papers and ripped them in half again. Sam turned her head towards the sound. "That's what Hammond did an hour ago. And rumor has it there's an opening for a secretary at a certain air base here in the Springs."

"He can't do that. The Air Force won't let me stay. Not the way that I am. You know that sir."

"Hell. This is the same Air Force that thinks Teal'c is really Murray Anderson from Randolph, Kansas and that Cassie was born in Toronto," he exclaimed remembering just how many strings had had to be pulled to create identities for Teal'c, Cassie and the other strays the SGC had adopted over the years.

"But…"

"Look. We haven't heard from the Tok'ra yet. Even if it doesn't work there's still stuff at the SGC for you to do."

"Yeah," Daniel spoke up. "Other than Teal'c you're the only other person who halfway understands Goa'uld. I can use the help."

"And even sightless your knowledge of how the star gate works far surpasses that of anyone else at the SGC," said Teal'c.

"I'd be more of a liability than an asset. I can't even get from my lab to my quarters without getting lost. I mean I just started moving around this place without walking into the walls," she said.

"So. You're smart. You'll learn," Jack dismissed, the tone telling her the matter was settled. "Now why don't we clean up this mess and scare up some food. I don't know about you guys but MRE's leave a lot to be desired."

<><><><><>

"Lunchtime," Janet announced balancing a tray as she walked into Sam's lab. She responded by taking off the headset and turning off the recorder. In the two days since Colonel O'Neill 'convinced' her to come back to work, they'd started taking turns bringing Sam meals. Janet had soon discovered her friend had an almost pathological aversion to being anywhere other than her lab or her quarters. She didn't know if it was because of the need for familiar surroundings or the woman's desire for as few people as possible to know she was even on the base. "Ham and cheese," she announced cheerfully, putting the plate in front of Sam. "And a diet soda."

"Thanks."

Janet pulled up a stool and sat beside her as Sam felt for and carefully picked up her sandwich. "So. How's it going?"

"Fine," she replied shortly.

"Having fun translating?"

"Oh. Yeah. It's a blast," she replied sardonically.

"Really?"

Sam sighed. "Janet. It's busy work. What takes me hours would take Daniel twenty minutes."

"Sam…" she started, grimacing. She'd warned the guys that their friend would see through their plans. That most of what Daniel was giving her was busy work created more to keep her mind off her situation than anything else.

"Janet. I'm not accomplishing anything here but taking up space," she said, dropping her sandwich to the plate.

"Daniel says your translations…"

"My translations are nothing Teal'c can't help him with in a fraction of the time. I'm a fifth wheel here."

"Sam. You're a vital part of this base. Colonel O'Neill says so and the general agrees with him,"

"They just don't want to admit the truth."

"Which is?"

"Which is that I no longer belong here. This is a military base not a blind school. There's no place in it for me anymore," she said.

"So what? You go back and spend your days sulking in your apartment? That's productive."

"That's realistic. What good is an astrophysicist who can't even see the sky? Hell I can't even read my mail."

"Why don't you let them, let us, help you?" Janet asked.

"Because I can't."

"Why the hell not?"

Sam was silent for a moment. "Because…because eventually…eventually they'll leave. They'll get tired of leading me around by the hand and they'll go away," she said quietly.

"Sam. They won't," Janet promised, shocked by what she'd just heard.

"Janet. If there's been one constant in my life it's that eventually everyone leaves. They die or they move on. So the best thing for me to do is to find a way to make this work. If not here then somewhere else."

<><><><><>

"Ok Daniel. What is so important that you had to drag me away from a dozen reports I need to write?" Jack groused good-naturedly striding into Daniel's cluttered office.

"Teal'c and I have been going over my notes from P3R713 and I think we may have found something."

"Found what?" Jack asked, his interest piqued.

"Kaban said the Goa'uld left twenty years ago right?"

"I think so. So?"

"So what if they didn't leave because they wanted to but because they HAD to?"

Jack shook his head. "I'm still not following you?"

"The Tau'ri are not the only race who rebelled against the Goa'uld although they were amongst the first. I believe the people of P3R713 found a way to make their home permanently immune from Goa'uld domination," Teal'c said.

"Daniel…"

"Jack. Hear us out. Remember when the village was attacked? The villagers were chasing the Jaffa wearing garlands of flowers."

"They were?"

"Yes. They were," Daniel insisted.

"If you say so. I was a little preoccupied at the time. What does that have to do with it?'

"Teal'c said everything with Sam was fine until they were on their way back and she took off her sunglasses."

"We were traversing through a field of flowers at the time," Teal'c reported.

"And if you'll remember we noticed on our way in that the planet had an overabundance of flowers. If the ones in the field they were walking through are the same as the ones used in the festival and they were the ones the villagers were using to chase away the Jaffa, then it's possible they're what's effecting Sam's eyes."

"I still don't get how flowers can make someone blind."

"Probably not the flowers themselves but maybe a chemical reaction between their fragrance or maybe their pollen and the Naquadah in Sam's blood. I mean how better to protect a planet than to cover every square inch of it with Goa'uld repellant?"

Jack shrugged. "It's better than anything Fraiser's come up with. But…"

"We need to go back," Daniel stated, a rueful look on his face.

"Back?"

"The best way to synthesize a cure would be to obtain a sample of the offending material," Teal'c said.

"Go back? To a planet Hammond's locked out of the system? To the people that tried to kill us? People whose idea of a good time is to dress up in Jaffa armor and chase each other in circles."

"Jack. It's probably the only way to get Sam's vision back."

<><><><><>

"Here you are ma'am," the airman said coming to a stop outside General Hammond's office.

"Thank you airman. I'll be fine," she said, dismissing the man.

She heard him walk away and took a deep breath. There was another example of just how right her decision was. She was a liability, someone they had to watch out for, someone they had to protect. She wasn't useful anymore. She couldn't be dependent on them. And it was time for her to walk away with what little of her pride she had left, before she wore out her welcome.

Fighting the urge to clench her hands and wrinkle the envelope she grasped she knocked resolutely on the door.

Hearing no reply she knocked again then turned the knob and pushed it open. "General Hammond?" She heard her voice echo faintly off the far wall. The room was empty. Great. It had taken her two days to get her nerve up and he wasn't there.

As she debated the propriety of helping herself to a seat the klaxons began to blare announcing an off-world activation. Partially out of curiosity and partially out of the desire to be in the control room one last time she paused, trying to picture the layout of the briefing room. Feeling her way along the wall she set out for the stairs.

<><><><><>

"What have we got?" Hammond demanded hurrying up the short flight of steps. He'd just returned from the infirmary where he'd filled Dr. Fraiser in on SG-1's new mission, and arranged for the doctor to make sure Major Carter got home.

"It's SG-4 sir. They're back early. They sent an IDC but it was a couple of digits off. We've tried to establish radio contact but they won't or can't respond," Sargent Davis reported. "I haven't sent the confirmation yet."

Hammond nodded and stepped to the microphone. "SG-4 this is the SGC. What is your situation?"

There was a faint click and a tiny burst of static then silence. Hammond shot Davis a questioning look. "I don't know sir."

George sighed. These were the judgement call moments he had nightmares about. The team may be in trouble and due to the incomprehensible distances involved, that twenty-foot wide wormhole was their single lifeline to home. "Send the confirmation. Open the iris," he ordered as his hand reached for the microphone.

"Belay that!"

They turned to see Sam standing at the base of the stairs. "Major?"

"Do not open the iris sir," she ordered.

"You care to tell me why major? They must be having some difficulty…"

"They are sir," she interrupted. "There are Jaffa there."

"The MALP showed no signs of Goa'uld presence when we surveyed the planet," Davis said.

"They're there now," she insisted.

"How do you know?" Hammond asked.

"You can hear them in the transmission sir," she explained.

George looked at Davis who shrugged. "I didn't hear anything sir."

"Play it back. Modulate out the background noise," she instructed starting to walk away from the steps. She stopped and stepped back as her fingertips lost contact with the security of the railing.

"Do it," Hammond ordered crossing to Sam and taking her arm. He led her to a seat at one of the consoles.

Sam heard the subtle clicking of keys then a bit of static spilled from the speakers. Slightly more audible this time was the unmistakable sound of Jaffa and a startled cry.

"That's why the IDC was wrong. They were trying to warn us."

"Sir. We can't just abandon them," Sam said, knowing all too well what it would feel like to be left to her fate on an alien planet.

"We won't. Sargent I need all defense teams in the gateroom. Seal off the mountain," he ordered.

"General?" Sam asked.

"I'm not abandoning them to die," he stated. "Major perhaps you should…"

"I'll get out of the way," she finished, standing up.

George waved an airman over. "Take Major Carter to the infirmary," he ordered. Sam accepted the guiding hand and stepped away. "Major?" She paused. "Good job," he said.

Sam nodded and left the control room hearing the pounding footsteps of the approaching defense teams.

<><><><><>

Jack cautiously followed Teal'c through the tall grass fighting the urge to spin and check his six. No one was there. Just like no one had been there the last six times he'd checked. But he still couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.

To distract himself he closed the distance and started walking at Daniel's side. "So Daniel. What's your plan?"

"To talk to Kaban."

"Ooh. Ok. How do you plan to get in to talk to Kaban? Preferably without getting killed."

"Well… I thought you had a plan?"

"It was YOUR idea."

"You're the tactical person."

"Daniel…"

"I will enter the village surreptitiously and bring Kaban to where you two will be waiting in concealment," Teal'c stated, ending the bickering.

"You want me to ask for a favor from someone you're going to kidnap?" Daniel asked incredulously.

"Unless of course O'Neill can conceive of a better plan in the time allowed."

They both looked at Jack who shrugged and rolled his eyes. "I'm thinking."

<><><><><>

Sam sat in Janet's office listening to the flurry of activity outside. Apparently they had been able to get SG-4 back, though not without some causalities. From the stories she was overhearing a dozen renegade Jaffa had surprised the team. Something the SGC had been hearing more and more about in recent months.

Evidentially as system lords were killed, not all of their surviving Jaffa were transferring their allegiance to their new 'god'. Many of them had started striking out on their own, turning into rogue bands of thieves and bullies intent upon plundering for themselves all the riches they had been turning over to their masters for decades.

It had been a group of these thugs that had surprised SG-4 and planned to use them as hostages to breach the famed Tau'ri iris.

However, instead of conquering Earth, the alien warriors had walked through the gate to be met by a platoon of very well armed and extremely ticked-off marines.

The maintenance crews would be picking up the pieces for a few days but there were no fatalities and SG-4 was safely home.

"Sam I'm sorry. I forgot you were here," Janet apologized walking into the room. Sam could hear the weariness in her voice and the slight drag to her step.

"It's ok. You were busy. Is everyone all right?" she asked, hearing the tiny squeak of the chair as the doctor sat down.

"A couple of criticals we're going to transfer to the academy hospital in the morning but the only fatalities were the Jaffa. I hear you had a lot to do with that."

"Me? I didn't do anything."

"That's not what the general says. According to him if it wasn't for you we would have been totally unprepared."

"I was in the wrong place at the right time," Sam paused as a thought hit her. "Janet, where are the guys?"

"Who?"

"The rest of SG-1. There's no way the colonel and Teal'c would have missed that firefight. And I haven't heard them come in. They're ok aren't they?"

"Oh. Yeah they're fine. They weren't even…" she broke off abruptly.

"Weren't even what?"

"Nothing."

"Janet what? Where are they?" Sam demanded.

Janet sighed, cursing the tiredness that had made her slip up. "They're off world," she admitted.

"No one said anything about a mission."

"It was…last minute," Janet wavered.

"What aren't you telling me?" Sam asked, recognizing the tone of her friend's voice. The one she used when she had bad news that she didn't want to share.

"Nothing," Janet said with false brightness.

"Janet. There's no such thing as a last minute mission, not unless it's an emergency. Now please, don't make me find an airman to take me to the general and ask him. What's going on?" she pleaded.

"Daniel and Teal'c took another look at his notes from P3R713. They think they have a lead on what's effecting your eyes. They went back to get a sample."

Sam shook her head. "No. They can't go back. The…they barely made it out last time. Daniel said it was made very clear that we weren't welcome back, that the natives would use deadly force. The general locked the planet out of the computers. It's too risky."

"It's a risk they were willing to take."

<><><><><>

Sam stood in the corner of the conference room. Even through the bulletproof glass she could hear the faint clatter of footsteps on the ramp. Another team back safely. Which was good. It just wasn't her team. It hadn't been her team the last three times. They were overdue. The general's twenty-four hour window had expired three hours ago. And there wasn't going to be a rescue. Not this time.

That had been the terms they'd agreed to in order for the general to let them go. It was one of the details she'd found out when she'd pressed the man for the truth.

She heard the gate close and sat down in a chair she'd pulled from the table. She figured it was somewhere around midnight so she knew her vantagepoint was safe for several more hours.

When she'd found out about the mission, she'd flatly refused Janet's offer to take her home. She couldn't leave. It was her fault they were out there on an openly hostile planet. Her fault they were risking their lives on the tenuous promise of a cure. Her fault if they died.

She couldn't go home as if nothing was going on. She couldn't do that to them. The least she could do was be here if…when, Sam, when they came home.

Just let them come back, she prayed silently. Let them be ok and I'll be happy being blind. I'll stay here as the SGC's private pet. I'll translate Goa'uld limericks if it makes Daniel happy. Hell I'll even go to that damn cabin of the colonel's. Just let them come back.

She didn't want her vision back if the first thing she saw was their corpses.

<><><><><>

Jack crouched behind a large boulder drumming his fingers on his thigh. This was a bad plan. A very bad plan. And a lame one. That's what he got for letting someone else come up with it.

"It's a good plan," Daniel whispered almost as though he could read Jack's thoughts.

"Really? And what makes you think Kaban is going to help us…assuming Teal'c manages to find him?"

Jack's question remained unanswered as a rustle in the bushes caught his attention. He brought up his rifle and Daniel drew his pistol. Both men lowered their weapons the second they recognized the outline of Teal'c carrying a struggling form.

The Jaffa effortlessly set the person on his feet, taking care not to totally release his grip. He had not successfully accomplished his goal only to have to chase him back down. "My apologies," he said, removing the gag from Kaban's mouth.

"What is the meaning of this?" the man demanded indignantly. "You," he said, obviously recognizing his captors. "You said you would not return."

"Kaban please," Daniel spoke up putting a restraining hand on Jack's arm. "I'm sorry about…all this, but we need your help."

"My help? I do not know how things are done on your world but here assaulting a person is not a precursor to asking for help."

Daniel ignored Jack's 'told you so' look and continued. "We only did it this way so no one would know we came back."

"Our friend Carter…bout yea high, blond hair…" At Kaban's nod Jack continued. "The last time we were here she was…hurt. We were hoping you'd have a cure."

"The woman?" Jack nodded. "Females are prohibited from being harmed during the festival. She should not have been injured."

"She wasn't injured per se…something on this planet effected her eyes, made her blind. We were hoping you could tell us what it was. Maybe if we took back some of it we could find a cure," Daniel said.

"You speak of the Dimtari flower. But it only harms Goa'uld. And you said you were NOT Goa'uld," he accused, taking a step back.

"We're not," Daniel hurried to reassure. "Sam's not…anymore. She was possessed by a Goa'uld a couple of years ago. It died within her and changed her."

"She survived being a host?" Kaban asked incredulous.

"Yeah. Kaban can you show us this dim -sum?" Jack asked. "We need it to make a cure."

"There is no need."

"There is indeed a need," Teal'c interjected, stepping forward meaningfully.

"You do not understand. You do not have to create a cure. I will give it to you, in reparation for the wrongs done to you," he said to Teal'c.

<><><><><>

The raucous klaxon announcing an unscheduled off world activation jerked Sam from her slumber almost causing her to fall from her chair. Damn. She'd fallen asleep.

A quick listen confirmed she was still alone in the briefing room although she had no doubt there was an SF waiting in the hallway.

It had taken all her powers of persuasion to convince Janet to let her stay long about 3 am when she'd realized she wasn't tucked neatly in her quarters like the doctor had originally left her.

But then SG-7 had returned a little battered and bloody and Sam had a funny feeling her continued occupation of the briefing room had more to do with being forgotten about than Janet agreeing with her vigil.

She raised her fingertips to the cool smooth surface of the glass and could feel the faint thump of the booted feet of the defense teams streaming into the room with practiced precision.

She felt the glass vibrate harder and heard the low whoosh of the gate opening. For those vital seconds between a wormhole opening and the signal being received she could feel the tension mounting, even from her perch.

She ran through a mental list of possibilities. SG-1 of course, SG-3, 2 and 11 were off world also. Her team was late while the others weren't due back yet.

She heard the faint metallic whine of the iris blossoming open. Ok. So it was either a malfunction or a friend. She flattened her palm against the glass and fought the urge to make her way to the stairs. No. She couldn't do that. She'd just remind them she was here and find herself in a staff car going home or confined to her quarters.

The travelers arrived; she could just make out the clatter of booted feet on the metal grating. The wormhole closed with a snap and she stood there straining to hear something, anything that could tell her who had returned safely.

She didn't see the trio of figures striding down the ramp, the general waving the defense teams down as he crossed the gateroom, simultaneously relieved that they were back and annoyed that they were late. Daniel explaining, holding up a small wooden box, Teal'c pointing out the solitary figure unknowingly silhouetted in the window, her hands on the glass. The grimace that crossed Jack's face as the general explained that she'd been there for most of the last twenty-four hours. The quick agreement that a full debriefing could wait.

Sam tensed as she heard the footsteps coming up the stairs. Oh boy. This was either good news, bad news or the general had remembered she was here and she was getting evicted.

"Carter you know Siler doesn't do windows. Who do you think in going to have to get your fingerprints offa that glass?" Jack said, sparing her having to ask who was approaching.

He saw her close her eyes for a second in obvious relief then open them. "Colonel. What the hell did you think you were doing?" she demanded angrily.

The men exchanged puzzled looks. It wasn't quite the greeting they had been expecting. "Just went a visiting," Jack said, a subtle warning tone in his voice.

"Back to that planet. Where Teal'c nearly got killed. Are you guys nuts?" she said the frustration of the past several hours welling up in an uncharacteristic fit of anger.

"Ooh I dunno. Got nuts yes, are nuts…Danny are you nuts? No. No Mackenzie's full of it but Teal'c… I don't know about him. There's a definite wild streak. I mean look at what he reads…and did I ever tell you what he did in that hotel room in Wyoming…"

"Stop it. Just…stop it," The anger faded and she turned back to the window.

"Sam. We went to talk to Kaban. To see if he knew what caused you to go blind. And we think we may have found something even the Joint Chiefs could like…" Daniel started to explain.

"Daniel stop," she interrupted.

"Sam…"

"No. Just…There's no miracle cure this time. I just need to accept that this is the way it's going to be. There's no cure so you can stop looking."

"Carter…" Jack started, realizing his teasing had gone too far.

"No. Sir please. Just stop. I'm fine with it. I'll translate Daniel's tapes. You want to balance my checkbook, go for it. I've always hated doing it anyway."

"Sam…" Daniel cut her off, stepping forward to take her arms and turn her to face them.

"I'll do whatever you guys want me to just stop it," she pled quietly, tears filling her eyes.

"Stop what?"

"I don't want to see again if one of you have to die to make it happen. It isn't worth it," she said, her voice wavering.

"Yeah well. It is to us," Jack said, nodding at Daniel who took Sam's hand and wrapped her fingers around the box. She felt it, trying to get a clue as to what it was. "Kaban says that's the cure," Jack explained.

"Yeah it's really an interesting story. Seems Nirti was there several years ago. They couldn't get him to leave until a Tok'ra showed up and gave Kaban's father some plants. They…I don't know how it works but they only work on a host or a blended person. Must interact with the naquadah or something."

"Daniel…" Jack said, hurrying him along.

"Anyway, it renders a host blind. Permanently. A Tok'ra gave the plant to them. Then he hid out there for a while so he had to keep a supply of the antidote handy or he'd get caught in his own trap. One day he left, gave this to Kaban for safe keeping and hasn't been heard from since."

"That doesn't make any sense. Why would a Tok'ra engineer something that harms them?"

"Who knows why the Tok'ra do what they do," Jack dismissed.

"But Nirti wasn't blind when she came here."

"Nirti was in a new host," Teal'c said. "One I was unfamiliar with. The last time I encountered him he was in a male host."

"So it's the host that's blinded, not the Goa'uld," Sam reasoned thoughtfully.

"Or ex-host… Look, we don't know if this stuff has a shelf life or not. Whatta you say we go up and see what Janet says about it?" Jack suggested.

<><><><><>

Jack looked up from his muted Gameboy and shifted in the chair stretching cramped muscles. A quick glance confirmed Daniel was in the same state, bone tired and bored stiff but not willing to relinquish his vigil.

Sam was asleep, had been for nearly six hours now. Kaban hadn't said anything about the cure being painful but it had been.

Within minutes of putting the drops in Janet was scrambling for the morphine to relieve what had to have been excruciating pain.

She hadn't been the only one to be relieved when Sam's strangled gasps had faded to deep even breathing as she slipped into a drug induced slumber.

Now they were waiting. Waiting for her to wake up so they could find out if their mission was a success.

A sigh riveted the attention of the three men to the figure curled up on the bed.

"Carter?" Jack said, setting his game on the floor and leaning forward.

"Mmm."

Jack motioned for Teal'c to douse the overhead as Daniel turned on a small bedside lamp. He shook her shoulder. "Come on Carter. Wakey, wakey."

"Colonel?" she asked, starting to open her eyes.

Daniel reached in and covered them with his hand. "Why don't you wait until Janet gets here?"

Sam though a moment, trying to recall exactly what was going on. Oh yeah. The cure. The one that felt like someone was poaching her eyeballs. Janet must have used morphine. Nothing else made her feel so…well so drugged.

"No." she shook her head, pushing herself up while keeping her eyes closed.

"Carter. You should wait."

"No. It won't change anything. It either worked or…I'll be saving a lot of money on lightbulbs."

Jack glanced at his companions. "Ok."

She lowered her head and took a deep breath. Her eyes fluttered open and she frowned a bit. She raised her head and slowly scanned the room, her eyes gliding over but not settling on any of them. She closed her eyes again and lowered her head; a sign they took to mean the cure hadn't worked.

"Look Sam we still haven't heard from the Tok'ra. And since one of them engineered the plant it's likely that they know of a cure."

"Yeah. Even if they don't know anything we'll call the Tollans. Surely Travele won't mind sharing medical technology. Or Thor…he owes me."

"I can contact Tek'mate Bra'tac and see if he has any knowledge of any Jaffa who were in the service or Nirti," Teal'c offered.

Sam shook her head at the suggestions. "Carter, don't you shake your head at us." Jack admonished.

Sam raised her head and looked Daniel straight in the eyes. "Daniel, I thought we'd talked about this. The scruffy unshaven look just isn't for you," she said smiling broadly.

"You aah…it worked?" he asked hopefully.

She nodded, her vision again distorting, this time as her eyes filled with tears. "Ya sure ya betcha."

<><><><><>

Stifling a yawn Sam signed her name on the guard's clipboard and walked past the last checkpoint. She paused for a second to slide the protective glasses over her eyes before she stepped out into the bright morning light. Stepping away from the mouth of the tunnel she paused and looked up. The sun was shining over Fort Carson across the highway, glinting brightly off various windows. She saw a helicopter take off and followed its ascent into the vibrant blue sky. As it flew overhead she followed it until it disappeared behind Cheyenne Mountain, it's belly seeming to scrape the antennas on the peak.

The mountain's normally orangish-red surface was tinted a more yellowish color in the sun, and the pines clinging tenaciously to its cracks and crags were a brilliant green.

She closed her eyes and breathed in deep. She could smell the scent of the pine trees, the faint aroma of exhaust from passing cars, the smell of dew-moistened earth. She heard the whisper of the wind through the trees, the fading thump of the helicopter blades, the whishing of cars passing on the nearby highway, the cry of an eagle flying nearby…and the approach of footsteps.

She had known they'd be following her. That they would be there. That they would always be there. She had expected them to abandon her. But they hadn't. For the first time she could remember she felt secure in knowing that they'd always be there for her, that they'd always be there for each other. Oh there were no promises. One or all of them could die on their next mission but as long as fate allowed they would be there for each other. And it had taken her losing her sight to see it.

She didn't have to prove herself, prove her worth, not anymore. There was a gruff general with a heart of gold, a world wise, battle scarred and precocious colonel, a way too smart and way too thoughtful archaeologist and an alien warrior who was a big teddy bear inside who accepted her just as she was. They were an odd bunch, but they were family.

"You gonna stand out here and commune with nature all day?" Jack teased.

Sam opened her eyes and looked at her friends, all in civilian dress as was she. "Thought I'd hang around and work on my tan," she quipped as they stopped beside her.

"We're going to go get some breakfast," Daniel said. "Want to come?"

"Sure. Where you going?" she asked, falling into step.

"I thought we'd try that buffet Teal'c likes," Jack said.

"The one that threatened to kick us out last time?" Sam asked.

"They should not advertise themselves as 'all you can eat' if they do not mean it," Teal'c said smiling slightly at the astonished look on the faces of the other patrons as he'd put away his fifth heaped plate of food.

"I want to see the look on that manager's face when he sees us," Sam laughed as they reached Jack's car.

"And that waitress. The one that had a crush on Teal'c," Jack said, getting in. "What did she ask you Daniel?"

"Ooh. That…" Daniel said, blushing a bit. "She aah…she just wanted to know if everything was as big as his appetite," he replied with a grin buckling his seat belt.

Jack choked as he turned on the ignition while Sam turned around to see Teal'c settle back into the seat, a knowing grin on his face as his eyebrow crept up. "I do not understand this persistent Tau'ri fascination with size," he said.

Laughter spilled from the open windows of the car as it merged with the traffic on the highway.

~Fin~