Beyond - part 4

TITLE : Beyond
AUTHOR : Jaclyn Horrod
EMAIL : jhorrod@hotmail.com
CATEGORY: Action, Drama
SPOILERS : Set in Season 4 - spoilers for Into The Fire, Shades of Grey, Thor's Chariot.
SEASON / SEQUEL : Season 4.  If you haven't read Jaclyn's stories : Sacrifices, The Rescue and Deception's Kiss, Interactions, Inquisitions, you might want to read them first.  Continues in Sedition.
RATING : 15 /  Mature.
CONTENT WARNINGS : Mature subject matter, cussing (what do you expect from Jack O'Neill?)
SUMMARY : O'Neill, freed from his liaison with Heru'Ur and Hathor, is hoping to return to his duties as team leader of SG-1.  But as he relives some of the memories with Jackson, he realises the ultimate goal of his ruthless and cunning former ally.  Now it's a race against time - can he and SG-1 prevent disaster?
STATUS : Complete.
ARCHIVE : Rabelais, Heliopolis.
DISCLAIMER : Stargate SG-1 and its characters belong to MGM, Gekko Film Corp and Double Secret Productions. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment purposes and no money exchanged hands. No copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
AUTHOR'S NOTES : I would like to thank my extraordinary beta-reader, Rach, whose constant encouragement and assistance is so greatly appreciated.  I could not have continued to write without her support.
FEEDBACK : Most definitely!

Part 4.1

The Jaffa parted almost like the red sea ahead of them. Carter, finally able to move freely without assistance from Makepeace and Daniel, eyed them suspiciously.

"Why are they backing off?" she wondered aloud.

"Jack must have told them to?" Daniel surmised, still angry that his friend had been able to so easily dismiss them from his presence, but understanding the actions. He didn't like that, that he knew what had forced O'Neill to side with the Goa'uld against them, and had somehow found a way to ratify those feelings reasonably, without really wanting to.

"Well, I guess we find our people and pull out!" Makepeace stated, cautiously keeping an eye on the assorted Horus, Serpent and guards wearing the less familiar attire of Sokar's army.

"We can't," Carter said, her hands still shaking.  "He didn't want to do that Colonel, he had no choice."

"Major, are you insane?" Makepeace intoned. "He almost killed you back there!"

"No, sir, he didn't," she replied. "He could have done a lot more than he did. It was intense, but almost the minute it became unbearable he stopped, he pulled back."

"She's right, I've seen what Jack's capable of Colonel, he could have torn her apart if he'd wanted to ‑ that must have taken some concentration!" Daniel opined.

"You people never give up do you?" Makepeace sounded amazed. "Didn't his actions in there tell you anything?"

"Indeed," Teal'c offered.

Makepeace stopped in his tracks. "Not you too?" The look of astonishment on his rugged features caved into resignation. "Okay, let's say I go along with this insanity, any one have a plan?"

Carter looked at Daniel, who looked at Makepeace, who looked at Teal'c.

Teal'c regarded each individual, his eyebrows beginning to climb on his forehead. "I do not," he replied at length.

"Let's try and hook up with our people, maybe we'll figure something out along the way, if we're not all too brain damaged that is!" Makepeace remarked.

************

Hathor touched Jack's face tenderly. "We sense our Pharaoh's unease," she told him. "It did not please him to defeat the Tau'ri?"

"No, it didn't please me," he told her, his voice almost a whisper. "But I made a choice, right, you and the kid, over them. I won't lie to you, that was hard to do." He buried his face into her neck then. "I guess you wouldn't understand that."

"On the contrary, we have also made difficult choices," she imparted. "Our thoughts are filled with things we do not understand, yet we choose to remain here with you, when so easily we could have been free!"

"Yeah, that's a hard choice!" Jack groaned.

Hathor pulled away from him, her face masked with anger. "Why does our beloved so mock us?" she demanded.

"I never meant it like that, I'm just finding it a little difficult right now... sorry," he offered, placing his hand on her shoulder. "You're mad at me right?"

"We are not pleased that you are so easily able to disregard our thoughts!" she countered.

"Okay, stop with the thoughts," Jack told her, removing his hand, in no mood to joust with her over what was clearly such a minor issue. " Say the word, it won't bite you!"

"We do not have feelings!" she snapped, regarding him in her supercilious manner, aloof to a degree, yet obviously bothered by whatever constraints these feelings put on her.

"Well, maybe we should try and consider that, since I do!" the colonel retorted.

"Our Pharaoh is impossible!" she observed. "Perhaps he might consider himself better off with she who would challenge us!"

"Who... Carter?" he exclaimed.

"We sense you have feelings for her," Hathor intoned.

"Hey! I've got feelings for Teal'c, what does that tell you?" Jack replied. "Do you always do this pouting thing when you don't get your own way?"

"If our thoughts displease our beloved so, we wonder why does he choose us over his own kind?" she asked, turning to look him directly in the eyes.

His gaze completely captured the deep insecurity he felt at being so pervious to her; even averting his eyes betrayed him.

"You've got me there?" he replied, with neither any conviction, nor sincerity.

Hathor's eyes lit up, a delighted expression crossing her beatific features. "We have had you there for a very long time," she told him.

"Yeah, I'm sensing that," he agreed. "We, meaning me, need a new plan, one that's not so damn easy for you to read!"

"Does our beloved confess to us that he harbours such feelings?" she enquired.

"You'd really like that wouldn't you, so no!" He refused to cave in, however much it might appeal to him right at that moment, when he felt at his most challenged, and confused.

"We are responsive, do our eyes not deceive us?" Hathor's tone seemed somehow richer now. "Tell us, our beloved, can you not see that we are yours?"

Jack felt himself take a sharp breath; looking into her eyes had vanquished his senses so thoroughly that he'd forgotten to do so for over a minute.

"Love?" he asked, reaching out and caressing her face. "It's kind of a small word for such a big moment, I'm not sure?" he confessed. "Maybe." A heavy sigh.

"We believe such a feeling enslaves us, our Pharaoh, binding together, kalash, tel kalash, our belief is to fear such an imprisonment," she told him softly.

"Kalash?" Jack enquired.

"This means, soul," she imparted. "We are bound together."

"Hell and heaven," Jack opined. "I never did get that whole concept right up until now! And it's not really making much sense which ever way you look at it!"

Hathor placed her hand onto his. "Perhaps our beloved understands now, why the Goa'uld do not choose to love," she said.

"Weakness right?" Jack concluded. "Afraid it'll make you almost like us?"

"It is, you will understand why we have denied our feelings for so long."

"I'm starting to get that," he conceded. "Kinda puts us both at a disadvantage, doesn't it?  You'll be ruining the whole evil incarnate thing, and I'd be colluding in the worst way with the enemy, which actually isn't gonna come as any great surprise to anyone right now!"

"We are at the whim and the mercy of an almost terrifying and perplexing emotion. Our Pharaoh has our trust, does he give this same pledge to us?" she enquired.

"You need me to say it?" he responded. "Didn't everything I did back there prove how I feel?"

Hathor smiled at him. "If our beloved feels this best illustrated his feelings, we shall accept that as his oath!" she agreed, her features suddenly searching. "You are tired," she told him.

"Yeah, it's called emotionally exhausted where I come from!" he admitted.

"We shall rest with our beloved," Hathor told him, taking his hand and leading him to their bed.

************

"Ah, Colonel Darnell, this is Daniel. We're somewhere close to the, um, what is it?"

Jackson asked Makepeace.

"RV point," Makepeace told him, shaking his head and wondering why, after such a long time in the service of the Air Force, that he still needed to be told.

"RV point, we're alone. Colonel O'Neill has given us safe passage off the planet, over."

"We read you Dr. Jackson, we have you in our sights," Darnell responded, uncovering himself from the mound of earth and foliage he'd concealed himself adeptly under.

Makepeace raised an eyebrow. "Nice camo, Colonel," he remarked.

"What exactly happened back there?" Darnell enquired.

"It's a long story, but we do have a major problem with O'Neill," Makepeace told him.

"And that is?" Darnell demanded.

"It seems the colonel has either by some kind of mind control, or of his own accord, fallen in love with one of the hostiles, Hathor, and just to complicate matters, she appears to have convinced him she's carrying his child!" Makepeace explained.

Darnell stared at Makepeace. "Why in God’s name didn't you just kill her?" he asked incredulously.

"It really wasn't that simple Colonel," Daniel interrupted. "Jack's strong enough to handle Teal'c, and on top of that, he appears to have honed that mind control technique I told you about back at the SGC!"

Darnell shook his head. "Nope it never is!  So what do you have in mind? Since you're a liability and feeding him information, I guess it puts you out of the equation!"

"Colonel, can I talk to you for a moment?" Carter asked.

Darnell, and Makepeace joined her. "We could probably use that against the colonel, feed him false information."

"Good thinking Major, but since he knows we're here, we've blown the element of surprise, so what do you suggest we do?"  Makepeace enquired.

"I think the only way we can get Colonel O'Neill back to Earth is to change our target!" Carter said. "Whether he's in love with her, or controlled by her, won't matter, where she goes, he'll go!"

Darnell raised his eyebrows. "I like it so far Major, how exactly do we do that? Getting to O'Neill's consort isn't exactly going to be an easy task right?"

"I say, we send enough people back through the gate, Daniel included, and keep a small force here, Teal'c, some of your men, myself and Colonel Makepeace. Once the colonel believes we're gone, he's bound to relax more, possibly drop his guard," Carter asserted.

"Yeah, working so far, and he's not exactly thinking much like a soldier right now, she's seen to that!" Makepeace added.

"Exactly! If Daniel believes we're all going through the gate, he'll certainly transmit the fact to the colonel. We just wait. Teal'c can infiltrate the guard, and signal us to make a move, those tunnels are pretty extensive, a great place to hide," Carter stopped then, seeing Jacob for the first time since she'd believed him dead. "Excuse me sirs."

"Sure!" Makepeace acknowledged. "What do you think?"

"I think she's got a point. If we can't get O'Neill, we get the thing he values apparently most in the world. He'll follow, if he's as screwed up over this hostile as you say he is?" Darnell responded.

"Just got to find a way to get her back through the gate, that's going to be the main problem, we've pretty much got no defences," Makepeace stated. "Teal'c?"

The Jaffa, who had been observing the curious familiarity with which the Tau'ri seemed to express their emotions to one another, broke off. He looked across at Makepeace, a last glance toward Carter and her father.

"Colonel Makepeace?" he asked.

"Do you think that O'Neill could influence your mind the way he did Carter’s?" the colonel enquired.

"No, I do not," the Jaffa responded.

"Great, you may be the one to snatch Hathor then. If O'Neill can't influence you, we're gonna need a pretty compelling reason why he'd let us through the gate unharmed!" Makepeace told him.

Teal'c bowed his head. "It will be my pleasure!" he stated, offering a rare glimpse of his feelings in the matter.

"So who goes and who stays?" Makepeace enquired. "You know your people, who’s best equipped for this deal?"

"I'll keep Harleson, Reece and Ross back. They're the best people in my unit,"

Darnell told him. "Just you, Carter and Teal'c right?"

"Yeah, makes it more manageable," Makepeace agreed.

"Okay, let's plant the seeds," Darnell suggested. "I'll leave Dr. Jackson to you!"

"Brief one of your people to let Hammond know what we intend to do ‑ if we manage to snatch Hathor, we're going to want her in maximum security!" Makepeace told him.

Jacob shook his head. "I don't know Sam, you think he'll just follow you back to Earth?" he asked. "What if he launches an attack?"

"Dad you're just gonna have to trust me, I don't think he'd do that and risk us hurting her, as much as it pains me to say this, he's definitely under her spell," Carter told him.

"Which will make him very unreasonable, and even if he does come back to the SGC what then? You really think you're people can control him?" Jacob argued.

"I guess we might have to use the threat against Hathor to keep him under control, it might take a while to figure out what she's done to him Dad, but it has to be better than the alternative!" she opined.

"Which is?" Jacob enquired.

"If we can't get the colonel back, Darnell has orders to eliminate him." Her features contorted uneasily with that knowledge.

"I say it's a risk. We might get him back there, but have you considered he doesn't want to come back?"

The question wasn't one Carter was sure she could address, much less answer.

"And to be honest with you, your military isn't exactly equipped to take out a system lord with Jack's rank!" Jacob stated. "Heru'ur's alliance with O'Neill makes him the most dangerous of all the enemies you've faced!"

"Colonel O'Neill isn't an enemy Dad," Carter asserted.

"Wouldn't have guessed from the way he's being treated, but I've already said enough!" Jacob lamented. "I guess you're gonna believe whatever sits best, but, for what it's worth, you're luring more trouble back to Earth, than Earth can handle."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Carter demanded.

"Sam, the Tok'ra have reports back from his battle with Apophis, he saved Heru'ur's life, risking his own to do it, Apophis was despatched with out a second thought. What you and your people don't seem to realise here, is that you've got a loose cannon with more destructive capabilities than any Goa'uld system lord. He's powerful because Heru'ur believes he can help him to attain the ultimate prize, to rule the system lords," Jacob stated, talking fast, allowing everything he knew, and had learned about both the enemy at home, and those he now battled with, to come to the fore. "His connections to Earth make him doubly problematic, because half of the military want to lock him up and force the information out of him, and the other half want back the man they had before. The conflict here is overwhelming! Then add Hathor into the mix and it just got one whole hell of a lot worse!"

Carter stared at her father. "Are you saying that if we get him back to the SGC we might just risk losing him all over again, one way or the other?"

"Yes! That's exactly what I'm saying," Jacob confirmed.

"I can't believe that Dad, General Hammond won't let that happen!" she asserted.

"George may not have a choice, Major!" the Tok'ra operative replied. “None of us knows what he has in his head Sam, you know yourself how advanced the Ancients were, even the Asgard aren’t close to attaining the level of technology they possessed, and you want to bring Jack, with that knowledge, back onto Earth and try to contain it!” He shrugged. “Good luck!”

***************

"What the hell does he want?" Jack demanded, ragged from lack of sleep, and exhausted from his emotional encounter with both his former team mates and Hathor.

"I am sorry my lord, I would not have awoken you, but..."

"Don't worry about it!" Jack told him, facing Chronos now. "What?"

"O'Neill, we have learned of your plans to destroy Ahetep, the Goa'uld who dared to challenge you," he imparted.

"So... you got me out of bed for this?" Jack snapped.

"Our spies have learned of his whereabouts, you would do well to heed his location since we believe he will launch an assault on your former world, and undermine our treaty with the Asgaard," Chronos informed him.

"Sweet, go deal with it then," Jack instructed, a matter of fact tone addressing the system lord. "And since when do you contact me directly?"

Chronos's expression became almost thunderous.

"I have warned Heru'ur that you could never be one of us O'Neill, you prove it with your insults!" Chronos sneered. "With your lack of understanding of the Goa'uld!"

"Yeah whatever," Jack retorted. "I don't know what you're up to snake boy! But listen up, pulling stunts with me, no, it just isn't gonna happen, and this is a stunt. Want me out of the way for a while?"

"You are not worth dealing with Tau'ri, you have no influence here!" Chronos roared furiously.

"Hey! You're the one without influence, in case you missed that, do me a favour and go through the proper chain of command next time. H might have to listen to ya, but I sure as hell don't have to!" Jack vociferated. "Lodge your complaints with him."

Jack walked away from the device, looking at Kalim. "Can we change our number?" he asked.

"My lord?" The Jaffa clearly confused by the comment.

"Never mind, I'd better go see H, find out what old snakehead is up to!" Jack said, as he disappeared from the room.

Hathor regarded him. "It is a trick, Chronos is attempting to deceive you," she stated.

"Ya think?" Jack snapped. "Look, you really are gonna have to start trusting that I know what I'm doing here!" he told her. Looking at her his features became immediately penitent. A heavy sigh. "I didn't mean to yell at you," he apologised. "Sorry!"

"We are not some defenceless imbecile!" Hathor spat at him. "Do not treat us as if we care for your tone!"

"Fine, yelling is good, that I can do!" Jack told her "I've gotta see H, I think old Chronos is about to be a thing of the past, he's really getting on my nerves!"

The Goa'uld queen looked suitably impressed. "Our Pharaoh is most attractive when his authority is challenged," she said. "Might we have a ribbon device in order to protect us in your absence?"

"Hathor, I love you, but I not damn fool enough to trust you!" he told her. "Kalim will protect you, I'm taking the gate!"

She turned away from him. "We knew once we had shared our darkest thoughts that our Pharaoh would become abject!" she remarked.

"I'm not abject, I'm just making sure we, us, our person is completely honest with me!" he retorted. "Now be a good little... queen and stay!"

Hathor picked up one of the golden goblets on the table and threw it at him as he was leaving, barely missing him, striking the doorframe forcefully.

He turned and looked at her. "My, aren't we testy!" he snapped.

The Goa'uld queen stared at him. "We shall not miss again!" she warned.

"I'm going," he told her, a smile on his face, shaking his head as he opened the door, amused at the characteristics that made her seem almost human, shuddering at that fact. "I must be nuts!" he sighed.

***********

The gate erupted into life. Daniel and the others were waiting to go through as Carter sent the GDO code.  Makepeace and Darnell kept up the pretence.

Teal'c had once more concealed himself in the uniform of his former master, holding a staff weapon aloft.

Jacob had kept Jackson occupied, entering the event horizon with him, a glance back at his daughter and her companions.

"Okay, I guess we can do the whole escorting us back to the palace now!" Darnell told Teal'c, who, in keeping with the pretence they now maintained for the guard stationed at the gate, ordered them to head back.

As the wound their way close to the path that led to the palace, they saw O'Neill and a small guard of Jaffa, heading toward the Stargate.

"We could take him now?" Harleson suggested.

"No! You would never overcome the personal shield and the Jaffa, let's stick to the plan!" Makepeace snapped. "Tempting as it looks, our colonel packs more punch than you realise!"

"I wonder where he's going?" Carter said.

"With such a small force protecting him, it is likely that he heads to meet with Heru'ur," Teal'c informed them.

"That idea still gives me the creeps!" Carter commented.

"Not as much as the fact he's sharing his bed with a Goa'uld, Major!" Makepeace stated flatly. "That one's got my skin crawling!"

"Yes sir, I think I'm in touch with that," she responded.

"Okay, did this just get easier or harder?" Darnell enquired.

"I believe if we act immediately, the threat of having their queen harmed will prevent the Jaffa from acting against us!" Teal'c stated.

"Okay, I'd agree with that," Makepeace concurred. "Let's go grab the snake!"

The small party made it's way to the palace. Escorted in by Teal'c, the Jaffa who guarded the palace allowed them entrance.

"This feels too damn easy!" Makepeace complained.

"Let's not bitch about that, let's just get this done, and get the hell out of here, before we get rumbled!" Darnell suggested.

Kalim's presence outside the chambers was the only force that would not be easily fooled.

He reached immediately for his staff weapon as they approached. "Jaffa Kree!" he spat at Teal'c, who raised his staff weapon and fired upon the first prime, sending him sideways to escape the blast.

"Why didn't you kill him?" Darnell complained, breaking into a run.

Teal'c stood over Kalim now. "I do not wish to kill you, you will inform your lord that we hold his queen," Teal'c snapped. As Carter, entered the chambers, Hathor stood looking at them, her eyes glowing.

"You will pay for this!" she stated, knowing she had no place to hide, and nothing with which to protect herself with. "Our lord will bring the might of our armies down upon you!"

"Oh shut up!" Carter spat. "Teal'c, we're gonna need you in here," she called, knowing that without the element of surprise, none of them would be able to overpower the Goa'uld if she fought. "Don't hurt her, she might be pregnant," she added, although that fact made her sick to the stomach.

Teal'c approached her, taking hold of the Goa'uld, forcing her to go before them.

"Okay, let's get the hell out of here," Makepeace snapped.

"Harleson, Reece, you've got our six!" Darnell ordered. 

They made their way cautiously along the hallway, the Zat gun, which Teal'c had switched for his staff weapon, held clearly to the head of the Goa'uld queen, as a deterrent to the Jaffa now swarming toward them.

"Jaffa kree!" Teal'c boomed. "Kel, shak shel noc, Goa'uld!"

"Keep moving people," Makepeace said warily, his M90 trained in front of him.

**********

O'Neill stood before Heru'ur. "Look, I'm getting tired of all this stuff with Chronos, let’s just take him out," he told the Goa'uld.

Heru'ur sighed heavily. "It is not time O'Neill, he spoke the truth," he replied. "Ahetep has amassed an army of Goa'uld from the planet of our origin, we must deal with this threat to our existence," he stated. "There will be time enough to deal with Chronos."

"What? So? How bad can they be, no Jaffa, no weapons right?" Jack enquired, a grimace forming on his features as Heru'ur clearly dismissed that assumption.

Nefir's appearance brought the exchange quickly to a close. "My lord Jack, Kalim calls you back," he stated.

Heru'ur looked surprised at the intrusion, regarding his first prime. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

"The Tau'ri have taken your queen my lord!"

Jack looked furious. "What? How the hell?” he snapped, looking at the device. “Kalim, did they take her through the gate?" he asked.

He regarded Heru'ur then, as this assertion was acknowledged. "I'm gonna need you to deal with Ahetep, and make my apologies to Chronos, tell him I'll do it in person when I get back!"

"O'Neill, if you return to the Tau'ri they will attempt to hold you prisoner!" Heru'ur warned.

"Yeah, I know, but you're just gonna have to trust me when I say I know what I'm doing here. So do me a favour, let me handle this!" he instructed.

"We should launch an assault on the Tau'ri, they trouble us far too much O'Neill, is it not time to silence them for good?" Heru'ur insisted.

"Look, I just need the threat, I'm not taking out a whole planet because some of its people are getting to be a pain in the Mik'ta!" he asserted. "If I'm not back in a few days... don't do anything!"

**********

The wormhole disengaged at the SGC, Hammond stood looking at Hathor.

"We are not pleased, you will be destroyed for this!" she spat, the contempt on her features radiating behind those fiercely glowing eyes.

"So, this is Hathor," Major Davis remarked.

"Major, throw her in the appropriate cell!" Hammond said coldly.

"Um, wait a minute sir, shouldn't we see if she is pregnant? Maybe the colonel wouldn't be so difficult to get through to if she's deceiving him," Carter suggested.

"That's a good idea Major," Hammond agreed. "I want six SF's assigned to her at all times, and that includes you!"

"Yes, sir," Carter acknowledged.

Daniel stood in the control room shaking his head. "Oh boy!" he sighed. "This was a very bad idea."

Jacob Carter stood beside him. "You think he'll bring an army with, Dr. Jackson?"

"Jacob, he doesn't need an army," Daniel opined. "If we'd have gotten Jack back here on his own, I think we might have made him see the sense of what we were trying to do. Threatening what he perceives as his family, that's just asking for trouble."

"That's one heck of a statement Dr. Jackson."

Daniel turned to see General Vidrine standing behind him. "Hello General," he said, no obvious welcome in the greeting.

"Family?" Vidrine questioned. "Dr. Jackson, when we get Colonel O'Neill back here, he'll follow orders. He'll follow orders or he'll face a court martial!"

"Oh I'm sure that'll really worry him General, you really don’t have any idea what you’re dealing with here do you?" Daniel snapped, shaking his head.

"And just what is that Dr. Jackson?" Vidrine demanded.

"Sorry, General, but since you didn't listen the last time I tried to explain this, I'm not going to waste my time," the archaeologist stated.

Vidrine watched him leave shaking his head.

***********

Two SF’s restrained Hathor, Carter and Teal'c were in constant attendance.

"Will anything show up?" Carter asked, as Janet prepared to use a scanner.

"Not if her host’s body isn't affected by the symbiote, but to tell you the truth, I ought to be doing a blood test first, but I guess that would take too long!" Janet replied. "Okay, Miss Hathor, I'm just going to perform a scan, it won't hurt but it might be cold."

The Goa'uld regarded her without answer. Her eyes then fixed on Carter. "Our Pharaoh will not permit this," she stated. "And when he comes for us, you will not be as fortunate as you were the last time,"

"You make me sick!" Carter told her. "Whatever you've done to Colonel O'Neill we'll find a way to reverse, count on it!"

"You are a foolish child, our Pharaoh loves us of his own free will and mind," Hathor retorted.

Janet looked at Sam shaking her head. "Let's hope that's a lie!" she opined, holding the scanner in place.

"Janet?" Sam asked.

"Come and see for yourself," Janet told her.

"Oh my god," Carter exclaimed, looking at the tiny image.

"Yeah, not good news is it!" Janet agreed. "Their physiology must have some kind of accelerating process, the foetus is almost appearing as three months or more,"

"Unhand us, you will harm the child, with your crude devices!" Hathor spat at the SF's.

"Okay boys, let her up. Is this what you're using?" Carter charged bitterly.

"This my dear, was what our Pharaoh insisted upon!" Hathor told her, enjoying the pain the words seemingly caused her. “Since he has told us that he has no feeling for you, perhaps this is evidence enough?”

"Perhaps we ought to consider removing it?" Colonel Darnell suggested.

"Sir!" Janet exclaimed.

"Yes, Patrick, why don't you go and do something else," Daniel suggested, appearing from behind Teal'c at that moment.

Sam looked at Daniel, then back to Hathor. "Teal'c, take her to the cell, I'd better let

General Hammond know," she ordered.

"You can't put her in a cell," Daniel argued. "She's pregnant!"

"She'll be fine Dr. Jackson," Janet reassured.

"It's a little cold considering she is carrying Jack's child," Daniel insisted. “Can’t we just put her in the guest quarters?”

Darnell raised his eyes heavenwards. “God spare me from pacifists!” he snapped, moving toward Daniel. "Never the less Dr. Jackson, unless you forgot," Darnell continued. "She's a Goa'uld, she’s the enemy, and when her boyfriend shows up, likely as not they can have a nice happy reunion!"

Daniel stared at him shaking his head. "I'll be sure and mention that to Jack, if he comes," he remarked.

Vidrine waited for Hammond in his office.   "George, report?" he demanded the minute Hammond appeared before him.

"Our team was unable to secure Colonel O'Neill sir, so in order to lead him back to the base where we hope we can take him down, they've managed to capture the Goa'uld who seems to have influence over him in one form or another!"

"Our defence teams are standing by?" Vidrine asked.

"Yes sir, we have brought in three more teams in case the Colonel becomes unreasonable," Hammond told him.

"George, I don't want him hurt unless it's absolutely necessary, he's been through enough!" Vidrine stated. “Despite what my orders tell me, I’m still well aware of whom we’re dealing with here!”

"I agree," the General replied.

"Can he still breach the iris?" Vidrine asked.

"Yes sir, if we lose power, we'll be standing by," Hammond said.

************

The general alarm began to sound, alerting all personnel. "Unauthorised incoming wormhole," Sergeant Davis declared.

Hammond and Vidrine descended from his office, joining Jacob Carter and Major Davis in the control room.

"All Security personnel report to the gate room," Sergeant Davis continued.

"If it's him George, do you think he'll be reasonable?" Vidrine asked.

"Dr. Jackson and Major Carter to the Gate room."

"I'm hoping that he will be, but just in case we have taken precautions, teams are standing by with tranquillisers," Hammond stated.

Daniel and Sam climbed the steps to the control room, both anxiously waiting for some form of communication.  The power supplies began to drain from the facility, the iris opened.

"Standby people," Hammond ordered.

Sam glanced at Daniel, his concern apparent on his troubled features.

The glowing gold uniform of the Horus guard, the ribbon device on the right hand, told most who had seen him in the command days before, that it was indeed Jack O’Neill who stepped through the event horizon.

He paused midway down the ramp, the impressive helmet receding around his head, disappearing into the armour around his shoulders.

The steely gaze and stern features indicating anger now focused on the control room.

"You wanted me here," he yelled at them. "I'm here. Where's Hathor?"

Hammond looked at Jackson. "Daniel, you think you can handle this son?" he asked.

Jackson nodded, moving toward the stairs and into the embarkation room.

"Hello Jack," he greeted, as the SF's parted to allow him through.

"Daniel, where is she?" Jack demanded.

"Can we concentrate on you for a minute, she's fine. Jack, you really need to listen to me, if you react they'll kill her," Daniel stated, his tone even, as soothing as he could make it. “Jack, it’s...”

"Daniel.” O’Neill’s regard intense, the anger now barely concealed within those fixed brown eyes. “If they hurt her, even a scratch, I'll wipe this planet out of this solar system!" he spat. "I want to see her Daniel, right now!"

Jackson stared at him in disbelief. "Calm down Jack," he said softly. "They're not going to hurt her, I promise, if you give me the weapon and…"

O’Neill’s regard turning to incredulity. "What part of now didn't you get Daniel?" he demanded, his eyes intense. "Right now!"

Daniel turned and looked at the control room, shaking his head, backing away from O'Neill, his hands held aloft. “General I think we should do as he asks!”

"What now?" Vidrine enquired.

"Colonel O'Neill, we just want to talk to you," Hammond insisted. "Will you give us that Jack?"

Colonel Jack O'Neill shook his head slowly. "I don't owe you squat!" he snapped.   "Bring her here now General, I don't want to do this, but you've left me with no choice!"

Makepeace looked at Hammond. "It's no good sir, we'd better bring her here, hit him with the tranquillisers whilst he's distracted maybe?"

"That won't work, he'll just use the force shield," Carter said. "Only a slow moving object will penetrate that shield sir."

"Like a knife?" Darnell asked.

Daniel who had just re-entered the control room looked across at Carter, shaking his head, trying to prevent her from giving them an advantage.

"Yes sir, but wouldn't that be a little extreme, since we do just want to talk to him right?" Carter remarked.

"Colonel Darnell, do you think you could take him out, without killing him?" Vidrine enquired.

"Yes sir," Darnell responded.

"Then you have a go, take him down!"

Daniel bit his bottom lip; the thoughts were transmitted immediately to O'Neill, a grimace swept his face.

"Okay, Colonel, we're having her brought here now," Hammond told him.

O'Neill smirked then; his eyes fixed on Darnell, as the colonel made his way to an area that might offer him a shot.  Jack turned to face him.

"How quick do you think you'd be with that thing?  Quicker than my hand moving from here, to here?" He raised his hand, the ribbon device in full view.

"Jackson!" Darnell sighed.

"Yeah," Jack replied, a wry smile sweeping his features. "I'm running out of patience General."

"Jack, we can't let you go, you're not yourself; you need our help!"

O'Neill moved his hand to the right of Darnell, releasing an energy blast almost the equivalent of a missile, tearing into the concrete, the fragments raining down on the SF's and Colonel Darnell, who moved quickly avoid the force.

"My God!" Vidrine exclaimed.

"Someone’s might help right now!" Daniel remarked.

"I’m done with talking, getting a little irritated though!” he remarked “Am I making myself perfectly clear?" That last statement roared at the control room.

"We have no choice; we give her back, or open fire with everything we have!" Vidrine stated.

"It's your call sir," Hammond told him, thankful for once to be able to say that.

"Wait a minute!" Daniel snapped. "This isn't right! You can't do this, it's insane, that force shield isn't going to be breached. General Hammond?" His eyes implored. “You can’t let them do this!”

Carter turned away, unable to watch, she caught her father looking at her, shaking his head.  "It's out of my hands Dr. Jackson," Hammond told him.

"We can't afford to let the Goa'uld have him. Open fire," Vidrine said.

Part 4.2

The SF's in the gate room all dropped their weapons suddenly, standing almost frozen to their positions, O'Neill walking through them as if they weren't there.

"What the hell?" Hammond exclaimed.

Vidrine looked at Major Davis, who shrugged. "No weapon sir, sorry!" he told him.

As Jack ascended the few stairs into the control room, Makepeace stepped aside, reaching for his weapon.  Jack looked at him, shaking his head, waving his finger at the colonel.   "Not a good idea!" he told him.

"Colonel O'Neill, just what the hell do you think you're doing?" Vidrine demanded.

"General Hammond, I really don't have time for this pussy footing around, so I'm gonna lay it on the line here," he announced.

"Go ahead Jack," Hammond encouraged, staring at the colonel with a degree of anxious trepidation. "We only wanted to talk. You just made that so difficult you didn't leave us with any other choice."

"General, you had a choice," O'Neill told him. "I resigned my commission, remember? I left this command, because this place seemed hell bent on screwing with my head." His tone perfectly illustrated his deep sense of anger and frustration.  "Remember?" he asked. "Jack, infiltrate the Goa'uld... Jack, come back we've changed our minds.  And here's the best one yet! I was obviously colluding with the enemy?" he intoned furiously, getting closer to Hammond and Vidrine.  "It didn't matter how hard I worked to constantly prove myself to you, or anyone else in the damn Air Force. The only person who kept faith with me apparently doesn't have an opinion around here, and here’s a news flash for ya, you don’t damn well own me!"

Daniel looked at O'Neill, self-consciously. The colonel's indication toward him not something that he needed, yet he did appreciate it never the less.

"Jack, there have been mistakes on both sides," Hammond stated.

"Excuse me?" O'Neill exclaimed. "What mistakes General?  Was it getting a snake in my head, having to shack up, unwillingly that time, with Nurti? Or saving this damn planet from Apophis?"

"Okay Colonel, we don't need to exchange insults here, what are your plans?" Vidrine enquired, adding ruefully. "Since we obviously can't control you, we'd better look at what we can expect!"

"General I’ll do whatever I can, which by the way, isn't helped by the constant interference of the SGC. Heru'ur was all for wiping the place out, ‘cause it's getting on his nerves!" Jack said at length. "I'll go back and do whatever I can to undermine the Goa'uld."

"And how exactly does that help Earth, Colonel?" Vidrine enquired. "We need specifics here!"

"Since I'm kinda pals with the most powerful, and I might add, reasonable system lord in the damn universe. It takes the heat off Earth a little don't ya think?" O'Neill retorted. "He wants to wipe out anyone who poses a threat to his domination, it's what they do, they wanna own everything, and I'm thinking if we take out most of the system lords in the process, well that's kinda a good thing right?"

"Surely you don't trust this Goa'uld Jack? Either one of them?" Makepeace asked.

“O’Neill, do you not think it unwise to hand such power to one Goa’uld?” Teal’c interceded.

"Makepeace, right now I don't exactly trust anyone!" He responded. "Heru'ur's plans just happen to be convenient..." He paused then. "Hathor, she's well, I guess I'll find out!" He looked at Teal’c then. “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it, Teal’c!”

"Colonel, are you seriously telling me, you're thinking of..." Hammond struggled to find the right words. "You will actually be living with this Goa'uld?" A look of astonishment swept across his face.

Jack looked at him, his mouth lopsided as he bit his lip. "General, as much as it really pains me to say this, she's amazing!" he replied, his eyes expanding. "And yes sir, I think I'm, maybe, probably... well you get the point!" He looked away from Hammond, the personal thoughts of Hathor that filled his mind, something he had no intention of sharing with anyone.

"I see, and the child Jack?" Hammond enquired.

Jack raised his eyebrows, considering the question. His eyes meeting Jackson's then, averted quickly toward Hammond.

"Yeah," he conceded, "it probably complicated the whole deal, and I have to admit it's changed my perspective a little sir," he replied. "But, I think we'll be okay, Hathor's getting a handle on the whole showing her feelings deal. In fact, she's a damn fine shot with ornaments too sir, heck of a temper!" He winced as he imparted that particular piece of information. "What I'm trying to say is the circumstances have changed a lot for me, it's a chance to make a difference sir."

Daniel smiled then, amused at the image it conjured.  He felt a sense of relief at seeing O'Neill so like his former self. He wondered, after the way O'Neill had behaved on the planet, if he'd ever see things return to some semblance of normality.

"Well Colonel, I can't say that I'm happy to lose you from this command, but since we obviously can't force you to come back, I guess we ought to be thanking you for the risks you're subjecting you and your new family to," Hammond told him, showing what he considered due respect to O'Neill's feelings.

"Thank you sir, and speaking of my family," he asked.

"Major Carter, would you bring Hathor here please?" Hammond instructed.

General Vidrine stepped forward. "Colonel O'Neill, can I ask you a question?"

Jack looked slightly surprised. "Yes sir, of course," he responded.

"Do you think that you could possibly keep a channel open, and inform us of your progress?"

O’Neill nodded thoughtfully. Even if he didn’t want to admit it, he hated the idea of being totally cut off from Earth, and the people he’d become so close to.

"I'm sure I could do that sir, in fact, I'm thinking that Daniel might want to come over and learn as much as he can about Goa'uld culture, and artefacts and… you know. He'd be an acceptable liaison to Heru'ur I think!" Jack replied. "If he wants to?"

"Well I was thinking more along the lines of military personnel colonel, say, Colonel Makepeace, or Colonel Darnell?"

"No!" Jack was emphatic. "It's Daniel, or it's no-one. You're not out there sir, you don't know the Goa'uld the way, I do!"

Jackson regarded O'Neill with a single nod of appreciation for the offer of this role, and couldn't help but look a little smugly toward Vidrine.  "Thank you Jack, I'd be honoured," he replied.

The expression on O'Neill's face changed dramatically, the insistent concentration gone, beaming, he turned.  Hathor climbed the steps behind him, his smile greeting her as she came closer.

"Hey you," he gushed, moving toward her, wrapping his arms around her.

"We are not pleased!" she announced, pulling away from him.

Jack moved back, concerned. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Our Pharaoh has taken an age to rescue us!" she told him indignantly. "We have been subjected to primitive Tau'ri devices!"

"Sorry, I got here as quick as I could," he assured her, turning and looking at Hammond.  "What exactly, have you been doing to her?" he demanded.

"Um, Janet just gave her a scan sir," Carter replied.

"A what?" Jack asked, confused suddenly, quickly realising what that word meant. "Why? And where is it? There's a picture right?" He looked at Carter.

Hathor slapped his face hard; Hammond and Jackson winced involuntarily.

"Ow!" Jack complained. "What the hell did you do that for?"

"We were being ignored. Will you now return us to our planet?" she asked, her haughty expression drawing an appreciative gaze from the Colonel. "We are tired of this place!"

Carter looked slightly taken aback at this obvious display of uncompromising affection between them, amazed at how different the colonel was in Hathor's presence.  A touch saddened, perhaps even jealous of the ease with which she seemed to hold his attention.

"Okay, fine," Jack conceded, still wearing a grimace on his handsome features, "You're not gonna do that again are you?"

"Our Pharaoh would be wise to remember that we are quite capable of defending ourselves," she reminded him.

"Hey! I get that, trust me, I really got that!" Jack admitted, his hand still attentive to his right cheek. "So I guess we'll, meaning Hathor and I, will be leaving."

Hathor regarded him. Leaving the control room she made her way back down the steps into the embarkation room.

O'Neill turned and raised his eyebrows. "Damn good aim with everything actually!" he remarked, rubbing his cheek. "Kinda pleased she's not from around here, if you get my meaning!"

Daniel grinned at him. Makepeace too couldn't help but smile. "Real lucky!"

"Take care of yourself Colonel!" Carter said.

"Thanks Carter, I'll do my best to avoid the blows in future.  And about the other thing?" he replied. "Sorry!"

"Yes sir," she responded.

"And Carter." He looked around at Hathor, who was now staring up at him. "The picture?"

Carter smiled at his almost adolescent glee. "Yes sir, I'll send it with Daniel," she replied.

"Sweet, better go or I'll have matching stings!" he retorted, already moving away, down the stairs.

Daniel stood beside Sam. "Why are we all feeling so good about this?" he asked, quite bemused by it.

"I have no idea. I mean, she's a Goa'uld!" Carter told him. "But have you ever seen the colonel so..."

"Happy?" Daniel finished the sentence for her. "No, I can't say that I have."

Jack looked back over his shoulder at them, from the embarkation room, standing next to Hathor, offering his colleagues a smile. "Well I think that went okay, we get to go home, and nobody died," he told her.

"And this is a triumph?" she asked him.

"Yeah, it's called diplomacy," he responded.

"Had we been able, we would have destroyed this place!" she told him pointedly.

"Remember what I said about love weakening you, making you more like us?" he asked.

"Indeed, our memory is extremely functional!" She replied. "But our Pharaoh forgets that we are a goddess, and such behaviour toward us is not tolerated."

"Okay, we need to work on this whole humanity thing, I can see that," he conceded. "If our petulant queen thinks us worthy of her goddess like attention?"

"We believe our Pharaoh has much to learn, but we will be willing to overlook his inadequacies, if he in turn will remember that in order to learn from us, he must first kneel before his goddess," she explained at length.

Jack's head tilted to the right, a wry smile swept across his features.   "Yeah, that would be about, never!" he intoned, watching the glyphs lock on the Stargate.

Hathor raised her eyebrows, a soft, almost acquiescent, smile lifting the corners of her mouth.

"Perhaps, in more suitable surroundings, our Pharaoh would be less dogmatic and realise that we are most definitely worth such a gesture!"

"Hathor, this whole challenging me thing, no! This might take you some time to get used to, but I'm wearing the trousers in this relationship!" he stated.

"We would never dare challenge our beloved," she whispered, close to his ear. "We have seen what he is capable of!"

She slipped her hand into his, squeezing his fingers. Jack smiled to himself, glancing back once more, before the pair disappeared into the event horizon.

************

General Masterson looked across his desk at Colonel Ian Short. "They had him," he hesitated, "and they let him walk right out of there."

"I read the file sir, what do you think we should do?" Short asked, still smarting over O'Neill's escape from his custody.

"This kind of information would be invaluable to our operation Colonel," Masterson said. "Find a way to obtain it, I'm not fussy how!"

"Understood sir," Short replied, standing, "is there anything else sir?"

"No, that'll be all for now!" A pointed look at his subordinate.

************

Heru'ur spun around, the ribbon device sending the two Goa'uld, who advanced on him, back viciously, striking the wall with a deafening thud.  The Goa’uld had long since abandoned the planet; its archaic pyramids in a state of decay, crumbling.

It had taken the system lords several attempts to locate the structures in which Ahetep had concealed his followers, many thousands taken from planets across the galaxy to his former home world, recruited into the ranks of this ancient breed of Goa'uld.

Chronos fought beside him. "I had forgotten the thrill of such encounters," he snapped, an evil smile permeating his features.

"These creatures show skill and cunning, we must destroy them," Heru'ur stated, a glance toward Chronos. "Slowly!"

Their Jaffa streamed through the maze of corridors and tunnels that created a cacophony of sound.

"My lord!" Nefir announced.

Heru'ur turned, regarding his first prime. "You have found Ahetep?" he asked.

"No my lord, he has escaped in a ship concealed behind the far pyramid.  News has also reached the mothership of O'Neill," Nefir told him.

"He is back from the Tau'ri?"

"Yes my lord, he has rescued his queen, and returned to Ishkarata, shall I send word to summon his forces?" Nefir enquired.

Chronos listened to the exchange. A snarl crossing his lips, he had hoped the Tau'ri would have disposed of Hathor, and kept O'Neill from returning.

"Send for him at once, inform him of the escape of Ahetep!" Heru'ur ordered, beginning to walk now deeper into the pyramid. Chronos followed slowly.

*************

"Home sweet home!" Jack announced, as he led Hathor back into the palace.

"Does it not strengthen our view that you should give us a means with which to defend ourselves?" Hathor continued to argue, making the point earlier as they had walked back from the gate.

"Will you lay off, I've got a hard enough time controlling you without worrying about you getting bored and slam dunking me with one of them things!" he snapped.

"Since our Pharaoh inadequately provided protection for us, we have no alternative but to demand it!" she insisted.

"Okay, I'm getting a headache!" Jack complained. "Can you not do the nagging thing, it's so... human!"

Hathor's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Our beloved is pushing us too far!" she warned.

O'Neill stepped back away from her. "Yeah, and keeping my distance," he remarked warily. "Look, Hathor, you're just going to have to trust that I can protect you, I got you back unharmed didn't I?" he insisted.

"We were concerned," she admitted, her eyes lowered, unable to look him in the face. "Our child grows inside us, and we were unable to protect it.  Does our Pharaoh not realise that we are so..." She looked at him then, clearly helpless.

Jack's heart wrenched in his chest, he moved to her, his hands to her face. "I'll never let anyone hurt you, or the kid," he asserted, his lips brushing the tip of her nose. "I'd die first!"

"We do not like this fear we feel, this child makes us weaker still!" she told him.

His arms engulfed her then, wrapping around her tightly, protectively. "You're safe," he whispered, kissing her face all over gently. "Both of you."

"My lord!" Kalim declared loudly, as he entered the room through open doors.

"What? Can't you see I'm busy here?" he demanded, a heavy sigh. "Remind me to put some locks on that thing!" he said to Hathor, who kept her face pushed against his chest, enjoying the security of his arms.

"Heru'ur sends for you, his forces were unable to prevent the escape of Ahetep," the Jaffa told him.

"Now's kinda a bad time Kalim, can't Chronos deal with that?" O'Neill asked.

"Both Chronos and Heru'ur do battle with an army on the planet, my lord, it is Heru'ur's wish that you seek out and destroy Ahetep!" Kalim insisted.

"Alright! Where in the hell did he get an army from?" Jack snapped, allowing Hathor to move back from his arms, looking down at her with an apologetic smile.

"We will accompany our Pharaoh," she told him.

"No, it's dangerous out there, we don't know what we're dealing with here!" O'Neill argued.

"Since our Pharaoh has promised to protect us, we shall be safe at his side," she insisted. "Where we belong."

"Nagging!" Jack exclaimed, looking at her his eyes closing, seeing the determination that had been etched into those delicate features. "Oh for crying out loud, fine, you come, we'll go. Kalim I want every damn ship ready to go... now!"

"Yes my lord," he replied, immediately departing.

"I don't like this," he sighed, "taking you out there,"

Hathor put her fingertips against his lips. "Need we remind our Pharaoh that we have led armies into battle for a far greater length of time than has he!"

"Nope, but that was different," he told her, "you weren't carrying my kid then, and I wasn't around to worry about you!"

She smiled, a rueful smile. "We have already told you, we are not helpless. Our beloved should not treat us as such!"

Jack nodded. "I'd kinda hoped we'd get to spend some time alone," he confessed, brushing her hair away from her cheek.

"Once we have destroyed this creature, our Pharaoh will have us all to himself," she promised.

"I'll hold you to that!" he told her, a smile crossing his face.

***********

"Dr. Daniel Jackson?" A man's voice called out, as Jackson reached into his pocket for his keys. He looked around, seeing the tall casually dressed man walking toward him.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Jackson asked, finding his keys and opening the car door.

"No, I've seen your picture in some files at the Pentagon, I work with General Vidrine's office," the man responded. "It's strange bumping into you on the street, didn't think you people got off the base much..." He laughed almost nervously. "Well, not on this world anyway."

"Right, well I'm sorry but I'm in a hurry right now, so..." Daniel replied, opening the car door and getting inside.

"Nice meeting you, I'll see you around I guess," the man told him.

Daniel felt uneasy; something about the character didn't feel right. Pentagon personnel weren't generally so forthcoming with their identities.   He shook his head, starting the car up and pulling away, a glance back, toward the strange individual as he did so.

The streets were unusually quiet for a Friday afternoon, turning right and heading for the highway, he put the incident out of his mind.  His thoughts on other things, a possible off world trip in a few days to find out how O'Neill was progressing already on his now busy agenda.  The scriptures brought back from P3J-912 another consideration.

The black sedan that slewed into his path barely seen before he struck it, his head narrowly missed the steering wheel. The shock took a moment to clear, focusing on the vehicle in front of him; the driver slumped over the wheel.

"Oh my god," he gasped, reaching for the door lever. He climbed from the car, walking slowly toward the prone vehicle, it's driver still unmoving, glancing around to see if any one had witnessed the accident, but the side street was deserted.

A sudden sharp pain in his neck, Daniel's hand reached up instinctively, his knees folding under him, dazed, falling onto the road, and into darkness.

Colonel Ian Short walked over to the unconscious archaeologist. "Hello again Dr. Jackson," he said.

"Perimeter’s still secure sir," Captain Mickey Harper told him.

"Good, get him in the car," he instructed, walking over to the vehicle that had been used to block Jackson's car.  "You alright Lt. Colonel Samuels?" he asked.

"Yes, sir I am!" Samuels replied.

************

"Jaffa kree!" Heru'ur ordered. "We will finish this from the motherships!"

He surveyed the hundreds of dead Goa'uld around him. "Can there be many more?" Chronos enquired.

"We will find this Shol'vah and destroy him, these are slaves from Luxor, one of your planets Chronos!" Heru'ur stated, looking at Chronos suspiciously.

"He will pay for this insolence!" Chronos snapped.

Heru'ur regarded Chronos, that arrogance he framed so well permeating across his face.

"You would have sent O'Neill into this trap!" he snapped.

"You perceive this as a trap?" Chronos mocked. "If I had set a trap for O'Neill, I would have certainly ensured a greater chance of successfully destroying him!"

Heru'ur stepped back. "Your treachery is obvious to me, you will pay for your stupidity. In siding with this Goa'uld you have sealed your fate!" he scowled, raising his hand, sending the system lord crashing back into the crumbling wall behind him. "You will die here, as you deserve to!"

Heru'ur moved forward, weakening Chronos with another powerful energy charge from his ribbon device.

"Your armies will make an interesting acquisition into our own forces, as will your domain!" he spat.

Chronos, severely weakened by the injuries his host had sustained, looked up at his tormentor. "You are a fool, the Tau'ri will destroy you," he gasped.

"O'Neill will open up this galaxy to the Goa'uld! I will rule, you will die!" Heru'ur stated, disappearing from the ruined pyramid. Chronos tried to crawl after him, knowing that from the motherships Heru'ur would destroy the pyramids, and him with them.

************

"I don't know where he is sir," Carter said, she looked concerned. "I've called his apartment several times.”

Hammond sighed heavily. "Well Major, it looks like your trip to P3X-542 is cancelled pending Dr. Jackson's return, you'd better inform Colonel Makepeace," he told her.

"Yes sir.”

***********

Teal'c stared at the screen. "I do not see the point to this?" he told Makepeace.

"It's a computer game, you take on the aliens and you score points, you'll get the hang of it, trust me!" Makepeace informed him.

"For what purpose?" Teal'c enquired.

Makepeace put down the control stick and looked at the Jaffa. "It's fun, relaxation, and you can hone your skills, concentration and all!" he said.

"Colonel Makepeace, I do not think I will become a better Jaffa playing with..." He regarded the colonel, waiting for a reminder.

"Control stick," Makepeace said.

"Indeed, a staff weapon is a more difficult weapon to control," Teal'c told him.

"Teal'c, did you ever have fun, just relax when you were on Chulak?" Makepeace asked, intrigued now.

"I was a warrior in the service of Apophis," Teal'c imparted.

"Yeah, I guess not then!" Makepeace sighed.

The knock on the door turned both men's attention toward Carter as she entered.

"Sir, we appear to be delayed," she told the colonel.

"Really? Why's that Major?" Makepeace enquired.

"It's Daniel sir, he's not shown up yet, General Hammond sent me to tell you," Carter replied.

"When did we last hear from Dr. Jackson?" Makepeace looked at her, concerned.

"Last night sir, after he left for home, I spoke to him briefly on the telephone, why?"

She asked, sharing the same concerns as Makepeace, yet not wanting to openly voice them.

"Just seems a little odd, Dr. Jackson strikes me as a very punctual individual," he replied. "I guess we'll see him soon enough though!"

Carter nodded, curious then. "Teal'c are you playing computer games?"

Teal'c raised his eyebrows at her. "Colonel Makepeace is playing," he stated. "I am merely watching."

"Oh right," Carter smiled. "I guess when you've flown death gliders in real space battles it is a little lame right?"

"Indeed," Teal'c confirmed.

Carter grinned at Makepeace. "I think you're on a losing battle there sir!"

Makepeace frowned. "Major, I'm pretty glad he doesn't want to play, I'm a sore loser!" he admitted.

***********

Jack looked across at Hathor as the mother ship crossed the expanse of space in hyper speed.

"So you're the expert, think we should take them head on, or do something a little more sneaky?" he asked.

"We are sure our Pharaoh is well aware of how to defeat such a minion without our help, however, we do appreciate his consideration," she told him, a smile crossing her face.

"Hey! I'm just wondering if you have some tactics, that's all?" he asked. "Something not in the O'Neill play book of aerial combat!"

"Tell us, our beloved, once you have achieved your goals here, will you leave us, and return to your former home?" she enquired.

Jack regarded her strangely. "What makes you think that?" he asked.

"We saw how relaxed you appeared in the company of the Tau'ri, how you must desire the simplicity of such a life," she told him.

"Nothing's ever that simple on Earth, I guess what I do next, well that kinda depends on what happens between us," he replied honestly.

"Since we are carrying the child of our Pharaoh, we would hope he would consider us committed to his happiness, and treat us accordingly," she commented.

"Hey! You'll be the first to know, and coming with," he told her. "Count on it!"

"My lord, Heru'ur hails you!" Kalim told him.

"H, what's up?" Jack asked as the system lord appeared on the device.

"O'Neill, we have discovered that Chronos plotted against you," Heru'ur told him.

"Why am I not surprised?" Jack retorted. "So we're gonna kick his snaky little ass too, right?"

"I have taken care of it, have you found Ahetep?" he asked.

"Wait a minute back up, you've taken care of it?" Jack enquired. "As in?"

"He is dead, we do not stand for treachery, you were correct in the assumption that he attempted to lure you to Ahetep, whom he had provided with hosts!" Heru'ur informed him.

"Slimy snake-ass son of a bitch!" O'Neill vociferated.

"He is of no concern, Ahetep is, find him and destroy him O'Neill," Heru'ur demanded. "Then we shall deal with the others!"

"Yeah, listen, Chronos being out of the way kinda gives you a clean run right?" Jack asked. "Yu and company aren't really much of a problem.”

"Our beloved is mistaken," Hathor told him. "There are far more system lords than you can possibly realise, those you have seen are merely the ones who frequent this part of the galaxy, the battle has only just begun!"

Jack looked perplexed, exhaling sharply. "Sweet," he remarked. "H, I'll find Stuart, count on it!"

*************

Daniel woke up slowly, his head throbbing, hands tied to the steel framework of a bed, in a small, dark, and damp smelling room.   His glasses had been taken from him, making anything in the room far too blurred to comprehend.

"Welcome back to the land of the living Dr. Jackson!" Colonel Ian Short said.

"Where am I?" Jackson asked. "And who the hell are you?"

"Now if I told you that Dr. Jackson, you'd be in danger, since you could reveal things we'd rather keep secret!" Short replied.

"Let me guess then, NID, or CIA? More likely NID, since you blew your last chance at controlling the SGC!" Daniel ventured.

"See, that's not wise Daniel, to speculate, didn't I just mention the danger you'd be in?" Short goaded.

"I'm not in any danger, Colonel Short, I figure what ever it is you want, you need me to get it," Daniel surmised.

"Well we need you alive just now Daniel, doesn't mean you'll stay that way... good guess at the name though!" Short told him.

"No, not really, I don't know anyone else that wears that aftershave!" Jackson retorted. "Not something I was likely to forget in a hurry!"

"Really? Well I doubt your stay with us this time will be something you'd forget easily either Daniel, see we want information, Colonel O'Neill, and we don't mind if you say no, makes it more fun!"

"I've got nothing to say to you, go ahead, Jack's out of your reach anyway," Daniel told him, feeling the binding on his wrists beginning to cut in as he tested their strength.

"Struggle away Daniel, we anticipate that Colonel O'Neill will come and find you, and when he does, we've got exactly what we want!" Colonel Short told him.

Daniel laughed. "Oh you'll have it, whether it's what you want, will be another matter," he replied.

Part 4.3

"Our beloved seems tense," Hathor remarked, joining him at the Pel'tac, where he'd stood for the past two or three hours, staring out into the space.

"I know," he remarked, "it's like looking for a needle in a haystack." He closed his right arm around her waist and pulled her to him.

"Perhaps our Pharaoh should consider sending some of his ships to scout in other quadrants?" Hathor advised, ignoring a reference to which she was quite oblivious. "Motherships may traverse great distances in space."

Jack's expression became very focused then. "Ah, crap!" he exclaimed, looking into her eyes then, the troubled brow furrowing deeply. "Thank you!"

Hathor regarded him with curiosity; those intense brown eyes filled with angst, almost fear, yet safely aboard such a vessel, and with her at his side, how could such an emotion exist?  "This is not a term we are familiar with?" she told him.

"Earth, I didn't even think!" Jack stated

"Please tell us, what you talking about?" she enquired. "If our beloved speaks in riddles, how are we to help?"

"Look, Ahetep is Colonel Stuart, he’s from Earth originally, he got a snake in his head from P3X 888 - Daniel thinks that’s the first home world of the Goa'uld, apparently... anyway, they, being the NID, did some deal with Heru'ur, to take out Daniel and me.” O’Neill’s eyes narrowed, a reaction to memories of past dealings with that particular organisation. “If he's still working with NID, that's got to be where he's heading," O'Neill explained.  "Added to the fact that Earth is probably the last place the Goa'uld would look for him!"

"We are most certainly confused," Hathor replied. "From what we have seen of the Tau'ri we wonder why would anyone ally themselves with the Goa'uld?"

"Um, well, let me think, I'm working with Heru'ur," Jack commented, "and Chronos said he intended to infiltrate the SGC, Earth!"

"But you merely deceive him for the purpose of keeping the Tau'ri from harm!" she stated, a smile permeating her eyes. "We are not so blinded by our feelings for our Pharaoh that we cannot see that fact."

"Yeah okay, good call!" he responded, an ironic shake of the head. "But the NID is an agency that wants to control everything, they don't agree with us on how the SGC should be run, so they're trying to find a way to get what they need," he told her. "And trust me on this, they can be just as damn underhanded and devious as any Goa'uld can."

Jack released the Goa’uld, his arm trailing behind him as he began to pace up and down, something that, for whatever reason, always appeared to help his thought process.

"So our beloved may be correct in assuming he would flee to the Tau'ri," Hathor ventured. "But surely such a vessel would be visible to your Earth defences?"

"Not necessarily,” O’Neill retorted, giving little thought at that moment to the fact that she might have been seeking information, “and not if it’s cloaked!  He's got no reason to land it." Jack surmised. "Assuming it's a mothership we're looking for?"

"So we will head to Earth?" Hathor said, the question needing no answer as she regarded O'Neill with a look of utter deference. "Our Pharaoh is wise, but will shall not be so pleased to return to this place so soon."

"Yeah, sorry about that, but hey!" he smiled. "You can stay on the ship, got all these little comforts around you to remind you of home right?"

She spun around, her eyes glowing at him, angry at yet another dismissal.

"Our Pharaoh tries our patience, have we not already expressed our wish to be at his side?" she snapped, regarding him with disdain.  "Yet he continually treats us as a creature he may dismiss at will!"

She moved closer to him, the fury on her beatific features swiftly bearing down on him. "We are not your slave, our beloved, we are your equal and more!"

O’Neill, distracted at that moment, turned and regarded his irate consort, his eyes rolled heavenwards.

"Hathor, will you just, jeez, relax!" he exclaimed, the grimace sweeping easily onto his handsome features, nervously watching her, unsure if this latest misunderstanding might lead to more physical retribution. "You're driving me nuts here!”  

His features contorted then, searching her face, with reticence creeping steadily over his refrain. “Would ducking be prudent right now?" he asked, since she was now within striking distance.

The Goa'uld queen regarded him. "Duck?" she wondered out loud, looking curiously at him. Jack did so immediately, cringing then as he realised it wasn't a threat, one eye closing into an embarrassed wince, looking up at her.

"Okay, so that was a question, right?" he asked, standing up slowly, another grimace forming on his face, as he noted her amused regard.

"Our beloved would fear our wrath so easily?" she asked, her eyes expanding, arching those incredible eyebrows higher. The smile she favoured him with, filled with a perversely wicked glint in her eyes.

"Hey! That last one would have had Tyson reeling!" Jack pointed out. "And I know what you're gonna say next, and the answers still no!  So if you insist on coming, that's fine, but no gadgets!" He looked at her sternly. "And before you start, just don't do that whole nagging thing again!" he added, his hand raised to silence any more protestations.

Hathor's expression bordered on murderous. "Why does our Pharaoh continue to treat as with no respect?" she demanded.

Jack shook his head, "Oh here we go!" he muttered, eyes heavenwards.

"You would enslave with this love?" she roared angrily.  "With this child, and still give us no reason to desire it so!"

O'Neill inhaled deeply, allowing the breath to be expelled slowly. "Why is it so damn important?" he demanded, taking the two steps that would put him within easy reach. "Give me one damn good reason to trust you?"

"You are asking us?" Hathor replied, that incredibly aloof expression, she used well to undermine him, creeping steadily over her features.

"Alright, now we're doing the pouting thing! Hathor, will you just do me a favour and do the routine when it doesn't matter so much?" he asked, scowling at her now. "You've got this damn irritating way of being almost human!"

"Now we shall not tell you!" she snapped, her eyebrows arching over those hypnotic eyes, turning her back on him petulantly.

Jack looked heavenwards, a heavy sigh. "Alright, fine, I'm sorry, you're just so damned demanding,” he complained. “And I’m not used to this whole, sharing my life with a woman thing! It’s been a while." His hands held out in front of him, trying to calm himself, as well as his wayward consort. "Tell you what, just get us to Earth, and we'll discuss it okay?" He smiled at her then. “I promise!”

Hathor looked into those appealing, imploring eyes, for a moment she found the allure almost impossible to resist, catching herself.

"Perhaps if our beloved spent less time concerned for his former home world, and more time to address our feelings, we would not be so!" she argued.

"I thought you wanted to help?" Jack asked her then. "So?" He gestured at the controls of the vessel.

Hathor turned, placing her hand on the console, her fingers moving slowly over the device, redirecting the vessel toward Earth. "We do so under protest!" she informed him coldly.

He smiled at her again, almost helplessly besotted, shaking his head. "Yeah, well, I’m getting that part!" he remarked.

***********

Hammond’s regard now fully on Major Davis, who had arrived back at the SGC moments earlier, a frown turning to concern as he listened to the news.

"Dr. Jackson's car was found abandoned in a warehouse car park, on the industrial estate, over five miles from his apartment," Major Davis told him.

Colonel Makepeace wore a similar expression to that of his CO. "Why does this have NID written all over it?" he asked.

"You'd know that better than anyone else sir?" Carter remarked caustically.

Makepeace smiled at her. "Look Major, I didn't deal with the NID, I dealt with Maybourne, and I was undercover for a reason.  I have no idea why they'd want

Dr. Jackson though?" he responded.

"We can't be sure of that Colonel, let's just allow the police to investigate further. I'll contact the Pentagon, maybe they can come up with something," Hammond said.

Carter shook her head; she felt more urgency than her superiors appeared to.  "Sir, if this is the NID," she asked, “we’re going to need help, there’s only one thing they could be after!”

"Colonel O'Neill, I know Major," Hammond responded.

“Why?” Major Davis enquired, looking from one to the other.

“Because they’ll be trying to lure him to Earth, and they know he can find Daniel, they have to!” Sam replied. “Or did you think they tried to neutralise the Colonel last time because of his sarcasm?”

Major Davis raised his eyebrows. “Thank you!”

"What about Stuart?" Makepeace offered. "He was working with the NID, maybe he still is?"

"Why would a Goa'uld work with anyone from the Tau'ri?" Teal'c enquired.

"Be a heck of a way to start infiltrating Earth wouldn't it?" Makepeace opined. "He's probably got a ship, so the gate isn't a necessity, and the NID are just arrogant enough to think they could control him!"

"Then surely we must find Daniel Jackson immediately," Teal'c insisted.

"Where do we look?" Major Davis enquired. "They could have him in any number of places." He frowned then. "I wish I could do something more to help sir," he told Hammond.

"It's alright Major Davis, let us deal with it from here," Hammond reassured. "Major Carter, we may have to consider contacting Colonel O'Neill ahead of schedule, and apprise him of the problem."

"Yes sir, I'll get on it right away," Carter acknowledged.

"Colonel Makepeace and Colonel Darnell will escort you," Hammond continued. "Best if you remain here Teal'c!"

***********

"So, Daniel, feeling a little more like talking now?" Short enquired, the symbiote held inches from his head.

"Colonel, you have no idea what you're doing," Daniel told him. "If you do this, I swear all you'll get from it is a request to kneel!" The remark sounded a lot more flippant than he'd intended.

"We know a lot more about it than you do Daniel, we've had a spy in the ranks of the Goa'uld for some time, one who is coming here to see you, we need O'Neill, we need the Ancients’ technology, and we need it now!" Short snapped

"You won't get it if you put that thing in my head," Jackson retorted, clearly shaken by this startling new development. "Colonel, you really don't know what you're doing."

The fear screaming inside his head had not prevented Jackson from attempting to keep Short's attention on an argument.  The blood running down his face from the blow he'd received, for one too many smart answers, was beginning to dry and pull at his skin as it hardened.

"So, we left enough clues, the SGC will suspect something, and they'll bring O'Neill right here, he'll just be expecting us of course, so the Goa'uld waiting for him might come as a shock," Short boasted. "Equipped with all those lovely toys they have, O'Neill's power outage tricks won't work here Doctor, so, tell me what other things did that Ancients’ download equip the colonel with?"

Jackson looked a little surprised. "You're letting Stuart on here aren't you?" he asked, a wry smile sweeping onto his face. "Are you completely insane?"

"No, Colonel Stuart is one of our most loyal undercover agents," Short replied. "He's been working with us for some time. If he hadn't missed O'Neill because of your actions in bringing him to the SGC, I guess we'd already have the problem solved, and you’d be wrapped up in bed right now with a mug of cocoa!"

"Instead of just trapped in a small room with one!" Jackson retorted bitterly.

Short replaced the symbiote in the jar, closing the lid firmly. He took the gun from the table and forced it inside Daniel's mouth, his lips stinging, already bleeding from several blows landed on his face by Short's bad tempered questioning.

"You really don't know when to shut up do you?" he intoned acrimoniously. "Is it the whole being brave thing Daniel, or did you spend just a little too much time around that smart mouthed Colonel?"

Daniel looked up at him with all the loathing he could find in himself. Unable to respond with the barrel of the gun pressed almost to his throat he began to retch, Short removed it slowly, a twisted smile crossing his face.

"Jackson, you're just the bait, the small fry, you don't count here!" Short told him.

Daniel remained silent, wanting to react, but realising it was in his best interests to keep quiet.  He wondered if the SGC would realise who had him, he knew they'd contact O'Neill, they had to, no one else could find him, the psychic link they had, probably the only hope.

Short left the room, leaving the canopic jar with the Goa'uld still inside in plain, if very unfocused, sight.

Daniel considered his predicament, of all the scraps he'd gotten into off world, he never dreamed that the worst danger had been on his doorstep the whole time. Trying to free himself only caused more pain, the one thing that kept the screaming in his head from becoming a reality, was the thought that he kept returning to, someone will save me!

************

"Mars," Jack told Hathor, as the planet loomed large in the window, "still trying to explore that one from Earth," he added, "which is kinda funny when you think about it."

"It is a barren planet," she remarked. "Life was destroyed there over ten thousand years ago." She looked across at the colonel, who regarded her now with an inquisitive expression.

"How long have you been around, exactly?" he asked, moving closer to her, behind her, engulfing her in his arms. She leant back into him, her head rested on his shoulder.

"We have existed for a very long time, long enough to know that most planets in your system died before yours was ever born," she told him.

"Kinda hard to imagine living that long," he imparted, his cheek pressed into her hair. "Don't you ever get tired of life?"

"We are a goddess, worshipped still on your world, as we are on millions of others." Her voice filled with a strange and enticing tone. "Our beloved knows very little of this place, how minute, or vast it is.  We have travelled through most of it, seeing the worlds that he only now beholds.  How could we ever tire of such an existence?"

"Well when you put it like that, I guess never!" Jack replied, a note of sarcasm entering into his voice. "With all those worlds to conquer and enslave, must make life real interesting for you!"

"We sense our Pharaoh is judging us?" Hathor stated, moving her face toward his.

"Maybe," Jack replied, a sigh then. "So will we be able to detect the ship if we get close enough?"

Hathor looked out into space, Mars now disappeared, the planets stretching out like stepping stones before them, enjoying the closeness between them.

"If the ship is in the same quadrant of space, we will be able to detect it," she replied, feeling his breath caressing her cheek. "We like this," she whispered.

"It's called making up after a fight, kinda the best part of having one I suppose," he told her.

"Hmm," she sighed. "Perhaps we should fight, as you call it, more often, if our beloved is so giving afterward!"

Jack's eyes narrowed, inclining his head to look as much as he could into her eyes. "You're kidding right?" he asked.

She pulled forward then, looking at the console that began to illuminate.

"What?"

She turned and looked at him. "A mothership is close to us," she told him.

*********

Makepeace led the team back through the gate, shaking his head at Hammond, who waited for the team in the gate room.

"Colonel O'Neill is apparently after some Goa'uld or another sir, the Jaffa there wouldn't tell us anything else," he reported.

"That's unfortunate Colonel, I guess we'll just have to keep looking ourselves," Hammond responded, the obvious disappointment he felt showing on his face.

"Where sir?" Carter asked, feeling the same trepidation Hammond did. "We don't even know where to start?"

"Major, I have people working on it at this very moment, we'll start there!" Hammond told her.

Teal'c stood at the back of the embarkation room, looking at Makepeace, waiting for the colonel to join him.

"Should we not attempt to look ourselves?" he enquired, once Makepeace came to him.

"Teal'c, I couldn't have put it better myself, I've got a few ideas, off the record, you up for that?" he asked.

"If it means that we shall look Colonel Makepeace, yes!" the Jaffa told him.

"Come on," Makepeace told him, a slap on the shoulder, "I'll explain it along the way!"

The two men left Cheyenne mountain twenty minutes or so later.

**********

The alarms began to sound at the SGC; Hammond descended the stairwell from his office into the control room.

"Lieutenant Simmons?"

"NASA is picking up a large object in Earth's orbit sir, right over the American seaboard," he told him.

"A Goa'uld mothership?" Hammond enquired.

Carter joined them in the control room. "Well it isn't the Asgaard sir," she opined.

Major Davis shook his head. "Colonel O'Neill?" he asked.

"Wouldn't he have made contact by now?" Hammond enquired.

"Unsure how long it's been there sir," Lt Simmons replied. "NASA are bringing Hubble round now."

**************

"I got it, there, see?" Jack sounded relieved, his eyes drifting across to Hathor who somewhat uncharacteristically was leaning on the control console. His eyes narrowed. "You okay?"

"We will destroy this ship now?" she enquired, ignoring the question, moving once more to his side.

"Hell yes, blow it out of orbit," Jack told her. "We'll stay cloaked after that, don't want to get the locals spooked!"

Hathor activated the weapons, destroying the Goa'uld vessel.

**************

"Wait!" Carter exclaimed, studying her monitors. "It's gone, disappeared?"

"Standby, I'm getting reports of an explosion," Lt. Simmons said hurriedly.

"What?" Hammond demanded.

"Standby sir," Carter said.

**************

"Cheyenne, this is O'Neill are reading me over?" Clearly O'Neill's voice.

"We're reading you sir," Carter responded.

"You've got a little snake problem in your midst, we just destroyed a ship, probably

Colonel Stuart's." O'Neill told them. "We don't know if he was on it, over."

"Colonel, we have a little situation of our own here," Hammond told him. "Dr. Jackson has disappeared, we suspect hostiles over."

*************

"Great!" Jack snapped, a heavy sigh. "Yeah, um, standby." He looked at Hathor. "Still wanna come down with me?" he asked.

"Have we not made ourselves clear?" she stated.

"Yeah, you've made yourself clear. I just don't know what the hell I'm supposed to do with you when we get down there is all!" he remarked, considering whether her insistence was born from fear of his intentions. "Okay, fine," he conceded, opening the channel back up to the SGC. "We're going to have to bring down a glider sir, nearest gate is over 45 minutes away, we'll be with you shortly, O'Neill out!"

"We are most impressed, our beloved," Hathor told him. "We did not know you had mastered our technology to this extent."

"Yeah what can I say, I'm a talented guy!" Jack retorted, "Kalim, stay put, we're just gonna pay a flying visit to the folks back at home!"

"Yes my lord," Kalim responded.

**************

"What did he mean, we?" Hammond asked.

Carter shook her head. "Well sir, probably the royal we, as in Hathor!" she told him, a frown crossing her features. "I'll go up to the surface sir."

"Go ahead Major, I'd better let the Pentagon know about this. Major Davis, let's go!" Hammond ordered.

Carter ascended to the surface. She waited for the gliders to approach, looking up into the sky.

Hathor frowned heavily as O'Neill spun the vehicle over several times.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, his eyebrows shooting into his forehead. "Gotta love these things!"

He stopped then, remembering the passenger, to his chagrin. "Hathor you okay back there?" he enquired, a boyish impudent grin sweeping his face.

"We are fine, perhaps our Pharaoh would do well to remember we are with child!" she scalded.

"Sorry, I get a little cranky at the controls of one of these things. I'll slow down," he said. "You okay, you didn't answer me back there?" he reiterated.

"We did not answer, because we are fine!" she snapped.

Cheyenne Mountain loomed in the distance. "We're almost back in Kansas!" he quipped, forgetting himself once more.

"For that we are indeed grateful!" she remarked caustically.

"Do I detect a note of scorn in your voice?" Jack asked as the glider uncloaked, and descended down in front of the entrance. "You did insist on coming!"

"Our beloved would be wise to remember that we are running short of patience at this moment," she intoned.

Jack grinned to himself then. "Hey, we're wise!" he confirmed.

Carter moved forward, a look of disdain at the passenger.

"Welcome back to Earth sir," she greeted.

"Thank you Carter, feels like I've never been away," he stated, turning and assisting Hathor from the glider. "Okay honey?" he asked cheerily, looking at Carter, a shrug.

"She hates my flying!" he remarked.

Hathor raised her eyebrows at this curious address.

Carter smiled at him. "I can imagine sir," she replied.

"So when did Daniel disappear?" he asked Carter, taking Hathor's hand protectively into his own as the SF's approached.

"Stand down!" Carter instructed, turning and seeing their hands locked together, forcing a begrudging smile at Hathor. "He didn't arrive back this morning sir, we attempted to contact you," she continued. "Colonel Makepeace and Teal'c are out there looking, but we don't think they'll find anything!"

"If Daniel's close, I'll know!" O'Neill stated.

*************

Lt. Colonel Samuels entered the room, offering Jackson back his glasses.

"So, Dr. Jackson, it's been a while," he said.

"Not long enough," Daniel retorted, discerning Samuels as a spineless wonder who'd probably never consider getting his hands dirty by physically abusing him. "And why am I not surprised to see you here?" he added.

"Quite so, but then again, if you'd listened to me..."

"You know, that song must never get old for you," Jackson snapped. "You must really hate the fact that you failed!"

"I'm working toward making this planet a damn cite safer than it is now, with your pet project Doctor!" Samuels barked.

"Yes I can see that, you've got Goa'uld symbiotes on Earth, and that's making it so much safer. What was I thinking?" Daniel retorted sarcastically.

"Well in a while Doctor, I guess we'll be watching your failure won't we," Samuels stated. "When you join us!"

"You're not putting one of those things in my head," Daniel protested.

"You don't exactly have a say in the matter now do you?" Samuels replied, his smarmy expression one which Jackson remembered so well.  "So you'll be joining us. We've got an interesting little experiment that we've been playing with, and since we've found a way to infect a symbiote with a virus, you're the delivery boy!"

"Are you insane?" Daniel charged. "You're not dealing with the same strain of Goa'uld, Samuels, these creatures don't have Naquadah in their systems, anything you do with them won't have the same effect."

"Dr. Jackson, you think you know so much. Let me explain to you how this works,"

Samuels imparted, pulling the chair closer to the bed. "We've been supplied with the symbiotes and our lab technicians have had plenty of time to genetically engineer a virus that will infect them without harming the host, we're pretty proud of it actually!"

"You're pathetic," Daniel remarked, shaking his head slowly. "You've got no idea what you're doing, the strain is different, altered. The gene pool you've been playing with has probably been out of the loop for thousands of years!"

Samuels leant forward, twisting the binding on Jackson's left wrist, watching the grimace on the archaeologist face. "You're the pathetic one," he snapped. "You and that damn place!"

Daniel stared up at him, shaking his head, biting back the pain, scorn filling his eyes. "So where are we," he asked, sensing that Samuels current state of mind might lean toward stupidity, born out of his obvious need to boast. "Area 51? Some other covert base you use?"

"Nothing so elaborate as that Dr. Jackson, we're not too far from your apartment actually, one of our safe houses!" Samuels told him.

"I hope you’re not in charge of security," Jackson continued, pushing as far as he dared. "If one of those symbiotes gets loose you'll have a hell of a time containing it!"

"We've got enough security, don't trouble yourself, besides we don't keep the symbiotes here, they're at another facility in Utah!" he imparted. "You know, there's a delightful irony here doctor, don't you think?" Samuels smirked, standing now, pushing the chair back.

"Really?" Daniel asked, wincing then as the pain from the wound on his head intensified.

Samuels’s smug expression was leering down at him. "Well think about it?" he said, "Now you know what it feels like, being a Goa'uld I mean... just like your wife!"

Jackson struggled furiously at his binds, feeling the skin tearing, the agony only adding to the determination he felt to free himself from the torment in his mind.

"Yeah, struck a cord didn't I!" Samuels laughed.

***********

Jack focused, trying to clear his mind of anything around him. He had no idea what kind of range the link he had with Jackson offered him, but high in the mountain, perhaps that range would be augmented. Turning he looked around at a communications dish, quizzically regarding the low humming that resonated from it.

He ambled closer. “Bizarre,” he whispered to himself. “Um, Carter, what is this?”

“It’s a satellite up-link dish sir, for deep space tracking at NASA,” she responded, looking curiously at the colonel as he placed his hand on the device.

“Get Hammond to turn the satellites on Colorado would ya?” he asked.

“Sir?”

“I think I can use this, or maybe it’s interfering.” He looked at the Major. “We really don’t have much time Sam, just do it!” he ordered more emphatically.

Carter walked away from him, back toward the facility.

“What I wouldn’t give to have Thor show up for that fishing trip!” Jack remarked, a smile at Hathor, her bemused expression regarding him almost reverently.

"Oh yeah!” he intoned, allowing the technology around him to filter through the information it detected. “Okay, I'm getting a lock here."

Carter had rejoined him, wearing the same bemused, yet fascinated, expression worn by Hathor. "Sir?"

"Quiet Sam, I'm... come on Daniel," Jack said, almost willing the archaeologist to invade his thoughts.

Hathor turned her attention to Carter. "Our Pharaoh is able to hear his thoughts?" she asked.

Carter nodded. "The colonel's been able to read Daniel's mind for a long time now, it happened on one of the planets we visited," she told her. “I guess he’s using that to boost the signal?”

"A most curious situation, you must tell us about it," she insisted, looking at Jack, who was concentrating, staring off into space.

"He's a little wrapped up right now," Carter told her.

"We are not blind, our beloved's thoughts are apparent to us!" Hathor replied haughtily.

"Will you two stop yapping?" O’Neill spat, both women turning and regarding him with disdain. O’Neill sighed heavily. "Come on Daniel?"

Hathor turned her attention to Carter once more. "You are accustomed to such treatment?" she asked.

"The Colonel outranks me," she replied, a grimace sweeping her face, eyeing the Goa'uld suspiciously.

"Alright, I think he's close," Jack imparted. "Either that or I'm picking up the archaeology channel!"

"A small team sir?" Carter asserted.

"Nope, won't fit in the glider, we've got to move fast, I don't think we have enough time for that," he stated. "I'm guessing, might have to wing it. I don't exactly... come on Daniel, I need more!"

***********

Daniel opened his eyes, alone again, his tear stained face suddenly concentrated.

He could sense O'Neill's thoughts; at least, with his mind in such turmoil he believed them to be Jack’s.

'Daniel, where?'

"Close," he replied aloud. "Not far, from the apartment, north."

'Hang in there kid, I'll find you!'

************

"Okay, I got him,” Jack said emphatically, beginning to walk away from the dish, toward Carter.  “I'm gonna need to borrow that hand device you've got in the vault," he told her. "I can't fit you into the damn glider, and she's probably more use to me with one of those, than an army right now!"

Carter looked hesitantly at him. "Are you sure sir?" she asked.

"Look, if you can get a helicopter, fine, get one," he intoned, "but right now we've gotta move!"

Hathor looked pleased, smiling toward O'Neill. "At last, our Pharaoh realises he cannot do this without us!"

"Oh stop the gloating," Jack replied, a grin crossing his features to underline the intent. "You'd better behave with that thing, or you'll find out how well I can use one!" he warned.

Hathor nodded. "We have told our Pharaoh, he can trust us!" she replied.

***********

Colonel Makepeace stopped the car, looking at Teal'c. "Don't know if they'd still use this place," he said, the almost derelict building secluded in the north side of town.

Teal'c nodded, getting out of the vehicle, Makepeace close by.

"It seems to be abandoned?" Teal'c noted.

"Yeah, seems to be, being the operative word," Makepeace intoned.

Makepeace held his hands aloft, facing the three gunmen, Teal'c doing likewise.

"I believe we have located them Colonel Makepeace," Teal'c stated, a heavy sigh.

"Yeah, Teal'c I think we did," Makepeace responded, shaking his head.

*************

Short opened the door to the cell looking down at Jackson. "Seems like you've attracted the wrong company," he said.

"Oh really, why's that?" Daniel asked.

"Your Jaffa friend and Colonel Makepeace tried to rescue you, quite ridiculous really!" he spat.

"Oh yeah, really stupid," Daniel agreed, the tone in his voice much more confident suddenly.

"Well it's about that time Dr. Jackson, you get to be a host!" Short informed him.

Daniel stared at him, horror-stricken. "I really don't think you want to do that," he said.

"You'd be wrong about that doctor, I really do!" Short replied.

"Well you wanted Colonel O'Neill right?" Daniel told him, stalling frantically for time. "Well he's coming, I just don't think you're gonna like it when he gets here!"

"We'll cope, doctor, try not to worry about that too much," the colonel remarked.

Daniel looked at him, shaking his head. "I really advise you against that Colonel, you've no idea what you're letting yourself in for!"

"I think I do," Short responded.

Colonel Stuart walked into the room then, smiling down at Jackson. "No white knights in armour this time!" he stated, a smirk forming on his rugged features.

Daniel closed his eyes, his heart pounding in his chest, he could hear himself saying something, it almost felt like a prayer.

Stuart's eyes glowed, reaching for the canopic jar. "You will serve us, we have so much to do here," Ahetep stated. "Our time to finally claim our rightful place is fast approaching."

"Colonel Short?" Jackson looked at the man his eyes imploring. "I can help you," anxious now, fear in his voice, "you have to listen to me!"

"Something you want to tell me doctor?" Short enquired, raising his hand to prevent the Goa'uld from loosening the container.

Daniel thought quickly, he needed time; he knew that, his mind panicked. "I know where an Ancients vessel is on Earth," he said quickly. "It's got everything you need, but if you put that thing in my head, you'll never get in, the Ancients are impervious to Goa'uld physiology."

"Keep talking doctor, you have my attention!" Short told him.

Part 4.4

Hathor took the device from Carter, placing it on her left hand. A satisfied expression adorned her face.

Jack regarded her with a smile on his face. "Happy now?"

"We are pleased!" she admitted.

"Sweet, let's go," Jack told her. "Carter, if you can get some backup out there, I'd appreciate it!"

"Yes sir," Carter acknowledged.

Hathor glanced at Carter as she followed O'Neill back through the corridors of the SGC, the major watching her curiously, the expression on her face a concern.

"Listen, that device doesn't have a shield right?" Jack told her as they reached the surface. "So I don't want you taking any unnecessary risks with your safety!"

"Our beloved forgets we have fought in more battles than he has lived!" she retorted, a renewed confidence entering her tone. "And since we are more likely to show no mercy to those who would challenge us, we shall be watching our beloved!"

Jack shook his head. "Is there anything we haven't done better?" he snapped.

Hathor disregarded the point, taking his hand in assisting her into the glider.

"Our Pharaoh's concern makes him very disagreeable!" she noted, as he brought the glider under control.

"No, that would be our wife!" he retorted, churlishly throwing the communication device in the air so he didn't have to listen to anymore of her observations.

************

Colonel Makepeace frowned heavily. "Short, I should have known you'd be behind this," he remarked.

"Unfortunately for you Makepeace," Short retorted, indicating to his men to lock them up. "Since I'm not too fussy whose blood I have on my hands!"

"So what's with taking Jackson?" Makepeace asked a wry smile. "Since I'm about to die you don't mind telling me right?"

"Serves two purposes actually," Short told him, leaning in the doorway arrogantly. "First one? Well that's getting O'Neill here, and the second, well that's a little more complicated," he stated. "See unlike the SGC, we don't have a tread softly and carry a big stick policy, ours is more… carry a tank!"

"Which would explain this really stupid move you're making right?" Makepeace asked.

"Robert, we won't meet again, but it was fun while it lasted!" Short retorted.

*************

"Well, looks like this is the place," Jack told Hathor loudly, since his comms had been thrown.

The craft hovered above the vehicle that O'Neill could clearly identify as belonging to Colonel Makepeace, the plates USAF issue.

Hathor looked down at the building, accessing controls within the death glider. Jack saw the lights on the panel beginning to light up in sequence.

He looked around as best he could, restricted in the Goa'uld armour he wore, and the build of the craft.  "What are you doing?" he demanded.

"We are scanning the buildings below us for heat!" she told him.

Jack raised his eyebrows. "That's kinda a good thing to know, hey!" he yelled loudly.

"You'll show me how that's done at some point right?"

Hathor touched another device, looking at O'Neill. "Would our beloved prefer not to shout?" she enquired mischievously.

Jack smiled to himself. "Thanks, where'd that come from?" he asked.

"We have new variations incorporated into our technology our Pharaoh, perhaps you would prefer we avail you of this information at a better time?" she suggested. "There are sixteen sources of heat, 12 of those are human!"

"Whoa," he exhaled heavily, "I guess we're gonna have our hands full!"

"Does our Pharaoh intend to land the vessel so that we may proceed and be done with this tiresome world?" she enquired.

"Man you're so bossy!" Jack whispered to himself, as he swung the glider behind cover and brought it down.  Hathor accessed a panel in the rear of the vessel as he did so, taking a small device unseen by the colonel.

"Okay, look, I'll try the direct approach, I figure he's waiting for me in there," Jack said, noting Hathor attaching something to her ribbon device. "What have you got there?"

"We are merely enhancing our ribbon device," she responded, the small green hue from the attachment beginning to glow.

"With what?" Jack demanded.

"The device allows us a greater capacity to destroy those that would challenge us," she told him finally.

Jack nodded dubiously. "Sweet! Watch where you're pointing that thing!"

*************

Carter had taken the helicopter from Peterson AFB, Major Coburn, and his unit accompanying her.

"ETA is 22 minutes sir," she told Hammond, who had been concerned that O'Neill had chosen to attempt a rescue with only Hathor for back up, even if Carter had asserted she was probably a worse adversary than a whole squadron of marines.

*************

Hathor followed Jack around the side of the building, about to walk out into the open.

"What are you doing?" he asked astounded.

"We are rescuing your friends," she replied, glaring at him for daring to pull her back.

"Will you just do as I ask for once?" Jack demanded, shaking his head in amazement. "Just walking out there won't exactly help!"

"Our Pharaoh is mistaken," she declared, looking at the hand he still had on her shoulder. "Remove it!" she snapped.

Jack did so instantly, frowning at her. "Look wonder woman, we're doing this by my rules, no arguments, no threats and don't you dare aim that thing at me!" Jack warned. "Ah!" His hand shot up in retaliation at the threat she now appeared to pose, instead she caressed his face, a smile.

"We will do as our beloved asks," she told him.

A heavy sigh from O'Neill. "Great, so I'll walk out there, and you can be the surprise, okay?"

"Does our Pharaoh wish us to destroy them?" she enquired, regarding his apprehensive expression with interest.

"No, just stun them or something, okay? No, look! This is a really bad idea, you're not exactly gonna stun anyone right?" he enquired. A grimace swept his face, but now wasn’t the time to argue humanity.

"Our beloved wishes us to spare those who would challenge us?" she asked incredulously.

"Oh I really wish I was somewhere else," Jack sighed, looking at her trying to gather his senses. "Hathor! We don't kill people if we don't have to, it's a humanity thing, trust me, they're just following orders!" he told her.

"Very well, we shall be lenient and offer mercy!" she replied.

"Great! Now I'll go out there and draw them out," Jack said, calming himself down. "You wait until I give you the signal, and zap em!"

"We are not sure what this means?" she stated, clearly vexed.

"Hit them with that enhanced, wonder woman damn thing, will you just come on!" he snapped, raising his hands in front of him, shunting them down, calming himself once more. "Okay, you ready?" 

"We have been ready for an eternity," she replied.

Jack looked at her, shaking his head again. "I swear the damn patience of a saint!" he muttered.

He walked across into the open, his hand hovering over the device he wore on his left hand, ready to activate the shield.

Two men immediately approached him, their guns in full view.

"Colonel O'Neill I presume from the outfit?"

"Hey guys, seen any Goa'uld around here?" he asked. "You know, glowing eyes, snake in the head?"

"Step right this way Colonel, I'm sure we can help you with that," one of the men replied.

"What in there?" Jack enquired, indicating toward the derelict building, aware of Hathor behind him suddenly.

"What the hell?" one of them snapped.

Hathor's ribbon device sent an enormous charge of energy toward them, it seemed to expand as it left the palm of her hand, sending the two men backwards, the sound of their bodies hitting the ground almost deafening.

"Is this what our Pharaoh intended?" she enquired, coming alongside him.

"Ah, yeah," Jack responded, looking at the two men, their weapons crushed, wondering exactly how they might have survived it, or even if they did.

He began to walk cautiously toward the building; Hathor glanced at her handy work, a smile crossing her features. "We have missed the power that our friend offers us!" she commented.

"We haven't!" O'Neill remarked. "Gotta be down," he added, his eyes scanning the stairwell.

O’Neill descended the cast-iron steps three at a time; Hathor took her time behind him. As he rounded the corner he saw Stuart, the smirk on his face one that O'Neill remembered well.

"Stay here!" he told Hathor, wondering if he had a hope in hell of her listening this time.

She regarded him, looking decidedly annoyed at the repeated orders.

"Well Jack, we meet again," Stuart snapped.

O'Neill raised his hand, the fury and hatred he felt, translated through the device, Stuart barely had time to react, as the force struck him, ripping into his midriff, shattering the ribs with a sickening crushing sound.

"Love to stay and chat," Jack spat.

O'Neill turned just in time to see the three NID operatives emerging from the left, their guns raised, opening fire, the shield deflecting them.

Hathor stepped into view, regarding them with fury, raising her hand, sending one of them careering into another, the bullets sprayed into the air.

The third opened fire at her. Jack froze, terrified for her, the ribbon device activated once more, deflecting the bullets, sending them ricocheting against the walls. The NID operative crashed into the boxes behind him.

"Whoa, cool!" Jack exclaimed, recovering the initial shock that had almost paralysed him at the thought of losing her.  He looked around at her now, the relief descending on his face. "Didn't I tell you to stay back there?" he snapped. "You could have been killed!"

"We shall stay with our Pharaoh," she replied. "We belong at his side!"

"Jack?" Makepeace's voice.

He spun around then, trying to get a lock on the direction of the sound.

"Makepeace, where in the hell are you?" he yelled.

"Here!"

Jack looked heavenwards, turning toward Hathor. "Here? Like I know where that is?" he remarked.

"We shall show you!" she replied, walking past him, to the left and down a corridor that branched off.

"Great," he cringed. "I'm so glad!" He caught up to her quickly. "We really have to talk!" he stated

They finally reached the door where the two men were held. "Stand back, I'll kick it in," Jack stated, finding it obviously locked.

Hathor raised her hand, showering more energy toward the door. Its rusting hinges collapsed, the door crashed inwards.

"Thanks!" he remarked. "Makepeace, Teal'c, any idea where Daniel is in this place?"

"Nope," Makepeace responded, nodding at Hathor. "Ma'am!"

"Oh that's just so inappropriate right now!" Jack complained.

"We do not sense the presence of any Goa'uld," Hathor stated, looking at Teal'c then. "With the exception of this!"

"They couldn't have taken him out of here could they?" Makepeace asked.

"I guess we could try asking one of them, if she hadn't killed just about everyone in sight!" Jack stated, regarding her with a scowl.

"Our beloved was in danger, we merely destroyed those who would challenge us," she remarked.

Jack placed his hands on his face thinking. Daniel's thoughts suddenly erupted into his head.

"Oh for crying out loud!" he snapped. "Okay, new plan. Apparently Daniel's told him where the damn Ancients vessel is, so we're going to Nevada!" he told Hathor.

He heard sounds of multiple footsteps behind them; saw Hathor sweeping around, her hand device raised.

"Steady," Jack soothed, grabbing her arm. "It's Carter!"

"O'Neill, should we not get to the Ancients ship before Colonel Short?" Teal'c enquired.

"Hey Carter, a little late!" Jack remarked.

"Sorry sir, we didn't exactly have your advantage!" Carter replied, looking around her. "Daniel?"

"Nope! Gonna have to make a detour," O'Neill stated. "Nevada!"

"I guess you'll be taking the Glider?" Sam asked, looking Hathor up and down, the Goa'uld quite obviously thrilled by this more destructive side to her nature.

"I will accompany you O'Neill," Teal'c offered.

"Ah," Jack's eyes rolling around in their sockets, "I don't think so Teal'c, but thanks, I just don't think you'd handle wonder woman here!"

"Major I take it we have transport?" Makepeace enquired, following O'Neill and Hathor now as they began to exit the building.

"Major, get this place sealed off and cleaned up!" Jack snapped as the climbed the stairs.

"Yes sir," Carter responded.

*************

Daniel tried to free the ropes that now cut even deeper into the wounds on his wrists, bundled as he had been unceremoniously into the back of a van by Short and two of his cohorts.

He knew Short wouldn't risk driving such a great distance, the SGC were onto him, he'd know that they’d encounter various roadblocks.

He'd done his best to project his thoughts to O'Neill, yet he hadn't heard anything in his head in reply.  That thought alone concerned him.  Short was edgy, dangerous, even if he'd managed to escape having a symbiote forced upon him, there was little chance that the NID man would leave him alive, he couldn't risk that!

**************

Jack climbed into the glider, waiting for Hathor to catch up to him; his stride, in his earnest, had lengthened to the point where the Goa’uld found it inappropriate to attempt to keep up.

"Makepeace, we'll head them off, if we're lucky he hasn’t made Falcon or Peterson yet, so we'll beat him there, let Hammond know the score, we might still have observation teams there, and I don't want to be landing a damn glider anywhere close by!"

"Affirmative," Makepeace responded, watching the craft lift effortlessly from the ground, disappearing from view before he'd had time to blink. "That's some damn fine piece of work!" he remarked.

"It is a Goa'uld death glider, more advanced that I have previously seen," Teal'c remarked as the two men made their way towards the helicopter, leaving Major Coburn and his team to secure the area.

**********

Jack took the glider into a high orbit, ensuring it couldn't be detected, engaging the stealth mode possessed by the new models, presented to him when he had conquered Apophis.

"Hey, listen," he said finally, breaking the silence that had been between them for the first few minutes of the flight. "Thanks for all your help back there, I appreciate it!"

"Did we not tell our Pharaoh that we were prepared to stand at his side," she replied.

"Yeah, but anyway, for what it's worth, thanks!" he repeated.

"This vessel of which you spoke?" she asked him then. "An Ancients craft?"

Jack wondered what had so peaked her interest, considering the implications of the

Goa'uld knowing that such a ship existed and on Earth, still not sure if he fully trusted her motives in being with him so readily.

"Well, it's kinda archaic," he replied.

"Yet still has information and technology from this race?" she enquired.

"Can we not talk about this, it's really not important right?" Jack insisted.

Hathor remained silent then, the reaction from O'Neill obvious to her, he still didn't trust that she had become as devoted to him, as he appeared to be to her.

"Our Pharaoh is doubting that we are sincere in our wish to remain at his side?" she asked, finally unable to leave the thought hanging.

"Let's just say, whatever's in that damn ship isn't up for discussion!" he retorted.

"We are confused, have we not shown our loyalty?" she demanded, her tone filled with the familiar rasping that he'd come to expect when he denied her anything.

"Yeah, you've shown your loyalty," he conceded, his eyes fixed on the horizon, the desert below them becoming very familiar. "But I've done just about all the sharing I'm prepared to do right now, so let's just stay off the subject and I'll be a lot happier, okay?"

"As you wish!" she responded.

*************

Daniel felt the plane take off. His constant attention to the ropes was beginning to payoff, even at the cost to his wrists, and the circulation in his hands.

Short was sitting with his back to him, unable to see what he was doing, confident that he'd fastened him well enough to ensure he posed no threat.

He didn't know exactly what he was going to do if he did get loose, Short and his associates carried firearms. But the thought of freedom spurred him on never the less, and he was becoming desperate, having heard nothing from Jack at all in response to the concentrated thoughts he'd been trying to send out.

"Um, Colonel, could I get a drink or water or something?" He asked, not wanting to draw attention to himself, yet his throat was burning up.

Lt. Colonel Samuels looked around at him, gesturing for one of the NID operatives to oblige.

"This had better be correct Daniel, or you'll have a long way down without a parachute on the return leg!" Samuels warned.

Jackson stared at him, not wanting to draw him any closer. Still trying to hone those thoughts to O'Neill, and wondering why he couldn't hear him.

*************

"There it is," Jack stated, as the glider flew overhead.

"We see nothing but desert?" Hathor responded.

"What?" O'Neill retorted, turning the glider on final approach. "Ya missed the neon sign with the, 'this way to the Ancients space ship'? Dang, shall I go around again?"

Hathor raised her eyebrows. A little irritated by Jack’s constant need to use humour of which she was ill equipped to understand, but she understood the tone.

"Our patience will last for only so long with our beloved's amusement!" she warned.

"Yeah, I get that a lot!" he remarked, noting the area was clear of anything that might indicate that Short had beaten them there. "So, we'll take her down, and wait inside," he said.

"We shall be most intrigued to see such a vessel," Hathor told him, her curiosity peaked.

"Why? What's so damn special," Jack asked as the glider touched down onto the desert’s surface.

"We have never seen such a vessel before," she imparted.

"You're kidding me? You mean, you never wiped out an Ancients colony? Shame on you!" he jested.

"We are not as amused as our beloved seemingly is with his constant use of sarcasm!" she told him.

Jack shook his head. "You know, I get that a lot too!"

He led her to the entrance of the craft, which had sealed itself, preventing access since Jackson had last managed to breach it's defences.

"Well, here goes, let’s hope I got this down pat!" he remarked, placing his hand firmly on the rock that seemed to have regenerated around the entrance.

Hathor listened to the words, but she didn't understand any of them, watching O'Neill with a heightened excitement at what might lay inside, and his obvious mastery of something that had evaded the Goa'uld over the millennia.

"Hey presto!" Jack remarked, as the door slid open, finally revealing to the Goa'uld queen that which she had sought for her entire life!

Part 4.5

The Ancients craft, although possibly thousands of years old, was still a magnificent sight. Its silver panelling etched with the language that now permeated O’Neill’s mind. 

Jack couldn’t tell if this was from his own memory, or that acquired knowledge he possessed. The vague images flashed almost instantaneously into his mind.

The long corridors stretched out before them, panels intricately woven into one another, to conceal their true purpose; entrances to many different chambers.

All the secrets concealed within the ship, that he began to recognise almost without thought.

Hathor seemed vibrant before him, her obvious excitement flooding his senses, eerily her thoughts conveyed to him as she looked around.

"We are most impressed," she stated, as Jack led them deeper inside the Ancients vessel.

"Such technology predates even that of the Asgaard."

“Yeah,” he agreed, having already had prior notice. “I got that!”

“This is indeed a mythical place,” she intoned.

"See, I'm not sensing anything special here, what's got you so excited?" Jack enquired, looking around at something that felt so completely familiar.  Words from the Ancients text filled his mind.

She turned and faced him. "Were you not in reverence at our discovery?  Learning that the Goa'uld existed, and were far superior and advanced, our beloved?"

"Um, well no, kinda disturbed," Jack responded honestly, looking around him, seeing the ship with a renewed interest.  "So what, you're telling me you're impressed right?"

"We have sought such technology our whole lives," she confessed, her fingertips brushing across his face gently. "And here, our Pharaoh may use it, can touch it and have it respond to his every command!"

"You've got some pretty neat stuff, what's so different about this?" he asked, genuinely confused, holding his hands aloft.  "I mean okay, so they built the Stargates, which I guess was pretty impressive."

Playing dumb, something that O’Neill did almost without consideration, he knew would be the only way to conceal the truth from her. She could not read his thoughts, as he could apparently hers whilst in this place, an alarming new development.

"The Ancients knowledge," she told him, "which you possess, is something the Goa'uld have tried to attain since we learned of its existence." She moved around him now. "It would make us invincible!"

Jack's eyes followed her, feeling slightly perturbed at this statement.

"That's kinda a stretch," he replied. "I mean the Asgaard..."

Hathor turned quickly, her eyes widening. "They were more powerful than the Asgaard," she declared, taking a deep breath as if that very thought thrilled her. "Even the Furlings did not possess such power!"

"Well that's a little scary," Jack replied, walking deeper into the ship, leading her into the control room that Ptah had ultimately failed to access. "So this whole alliance with Heru'ur and his patience, the whole friendship deal?"

Hathor smiled. "Did you think that he would be so well disposed to a slave?" she asked, studying one of the many devices. "Heru'ur has deceived you, the same way you have used his power to ensure the safety of your planet, our beloved," she explained. "He is waiting to gain your trust, to unleash your true potential."

"I figured out some of that for myself," Jack replied, the apprehension showing clearly on his face now.  Perhaps he had under estimated the power that the Ancients possessed. "But, just so we're clear on this, the whole Ancients information thing is what?  More useful to the Goa'uld as a means to defeating the Asgaard?" His eyes betrayed the concern that the information provoked in him. "That is what you're saying?"

"As our beloved has seen, there are more enemies to the Goa'uld than the Asgaard," she replied, her attention once more turned toward him. "The Asgaard are merely obstacles to the Goa'uld, they do not war with us!"

"But if you had this technology you'd war with them?" O'Neill enquired, the reticence he felt, building by the second.  In hindsight allying himself with Heru'ur might have been a mistake, but then, he already knew that, even if he hadn’t realised it from the get go.

"As with all others, they would be made to serve the needs of the Goa'uld," she imparted, a beatific smile adorning her face, yet still it seemed shrouded by some dark and terrifying malevolence.

She stood before him now her hand caressing his cheek. "What our beloved possesses within his mind is the very key to unlock the entire Universe!"

"Ah, crap!" Jack sighed, his mind weighed down with a thousand thoughts that seemed to be engaging in their own war. "That's news!"

"We are surprised that you had not realised what you possessed?" Hathor told him then. The feigned troubled frown answered the question. Hathor gently stroked his cheek. "Do you really believe that we would allow our Pharaoh to be so impudent to us, if he did not have the power to share with us what he holds?" she asked.

"Well it's not gonna happen," he snapped, furiously brushing her hand from his face.

"We sense our Pharaoh is perhaps surprised by this news?" she asked, ignoring the gesture.

He walked away from her, leaning against one of the consoles, its silver panels lighting up as he touched it, startling him, moving back.

"We have felt this power from the moment we laid eyes upon you," she continued, watching the horror invade his face.

An empty feeling was building inside him, could he have been that stupid? So easily deceived by her, that maybe there was something a little more going on than genuine emotion?

"Whatever's in here, it's staying right where it is!" Jack countered acrimoniously. 

He glanced at her then, he wanted to ask, but felt afraid to hear the answer.  He finally pulled his thoughts together.

"So this whole you and me thing?" he asked, continuing to understand a lot more than he’d be willing to let on, even if these thoughts did disturb him.

Hathor walked toward him, that supercilious expression she framed so well pervading on her face.

"We choose to be with our beloved," she said softly, almost a whisper. "Have we not proven this to him?"

"Yeah you keep saying that, and then you hit me with this..." He stopped, looking around sharply. "We've got company!"

************

"Come on Dr. Jackson, we're running out of patience here," Short warned.

"You need to untie my hands," Daniel told him. "I have to touch that and say the words, if I can remember them!"

"You'd better remember them doctor, or you'll be spending the rest of your death here!" Short snapped.

Daniel sighed heavily. "Yes, I think I'm aware of that, but since you can't decipher the text, or anything else that's in there, you might want to cut me slack," he imparted.

"Untie him," Short ordered, moving aside to allow his men to do as he bid. "But I'm warning you doctor, my patience is really going to wear thin if we're not in there within a couple of minutes, am I making myself clear?"

Jackson moved to the rock, the words weren't coming, blocked out by fear and pain.

"Come on Dr. Jackson!" Short pushed.

*************

Jack moved toward the entrance, concentrating his thoughts, listening to Jackson's.

"We shall allow them inside?" Hathor questioned.

O'Neill raised his hand to silence her, repeating the words over in his mind, the process marred by the density of the ships hull.

"Well that's not working, I'm gonna have to let him in," Jack opined, grabbing Hathor's hand, as he made his way back to the control chamber.

The Goa'uld scowled at him for practically dragging her along. 

"Okay," Jack spoke to himself, thinking through the controls, the symbols in his mind, his hand instinctively pressing down on the sequence to open the outer door.

*************

"Well done doctor, now let's go see the prize!" Short snapped, his hand gesturing for Jackson to enter first. "After you Doc, don't want any nasty surprises," he added.

Daniel eyes slid sideways, he hadn't said a word that might open that door. A vague smile crossed his face.

"Of course," he replied, leading them inside the incredible craft.

The lights inside the vessel were lowered. As he entered, Jackson could immediately hear O'Neill's thoughts transmitted to him.

"The control centre’s at the back of the ship," Daniel told them, following the instructions O'Neill gave him.

"This is incredible," Short exclaimed, his eyes darting around, trying to take in the scene. "All this time, it's been on our doorstep, and we never knew."

"Makes you wonder what else we haven't discovered on this planet!" Samuels agreed.

"Um, this way?" Daniel offered.  The two men followed him, their associates left to guard the entrance.

********************

"Look!" Jack snapped at Hathor, as she continued to wonder away from him, "I know all this stuff's got you pretty hyper, so just try to control that thing if you have to use it!"

"We feel the power of this vessel, our Pharaoh," she enthused, looking up at the high arches above her.

"Yeah, I think I'm getting that too, but we need to focus here," he insisted. The new chamber he had led her to was something that seemed to pulsate energy, close to the ship’s power source.

The low monotonous tone filled his head, flashes of dialect running unchecked into his mind. "Ad hec incoluntis," he said.

Hathor regarded him curiously; it was the language she had heard him use outside the vessel, a dialect she had never heard before. In the many instances of encounters with alien races, she was yet to come close enough to the Ancients to comprehend their speech.

"We should be very grateful if our beloved would speak in his own tongue?" she asked, moving toward him.

"What?" Jack asked, almost as if he'd heard nothing she'd said to him.

"Our beloved is overwhelmed in this place, tell us what this place is?" she enquired, reaching out to him, her touch making him startle, her hand quickly retracted.

He glanced at her then, a soft hue glowing in his eyes. "Help Daniel, video malus!"

His voice almost hollow, trance like. The blue light emanating from his eyes intensified.

Hathor stepped back, discerning that whatever possessed him, posed a danger to her.

*************

"What was that?" Short snapped spinning around quickly.

"Oh I think the door just closed," Daniel told him, stopping in his tracks suddenly, O'Neill's thoughts disturbing.

"What?" Samuels demanded, fear darting into his eyes. "Why would it close?"

"Well it has a habit of doing that actually, sorry I should have mentioned it!" Daniel remarked, trying to focus on the Ancients dialect he could now hear loudly in his mind.

"We can open it right?" Short asked, somewhat unnerved now by these strange and almost eerie surroundings.

"Um, yeah I think so," Daniel responded, attempting to keep as level a perspective as possible.

***********

Hathor moved toward Jackson, she could see him clearly even in the gloom that now prevailed within the ship.

"Daniel?" she declared.

Short and Samuels both went for their weapons. Hathor's disregard of them evident as she raised her hand, the device activating almost immediately, sending the two men careering back down the corridor, away from Jackson, who moved toward her now.

"Um, thanks. Jack?" he asked.

"Our Pharaoh is possessed!" she told him. She spoke with the tone of her host, the alarm she felt conveyed easily toward Jackson.  "Quickly, you must tell us what he is saying, or we shall be powerless to help!"

"I don't think you can help," Daniel told her, looking back over his shoulder at the two prone bodies of his captors. "Are they, um, dead?"

Hathor regarded him with disdain. "They are of no consequence, our Pharaoh needs us, you must come with us now!" she snapped, the level of anxiety she seemed to be exhibiting took Jackson by surprise.

He followed her, entering the chamber, O'Neill stood in the centre, engulfed by a bright blue light, his hands palms up, stretched out in front of him.

Hathor pulled Daniel back, looking at him. "What is the meaning of this?" she asked.

Jackson shrugged. "I really don't know?" he replied, moving toward O'Neill.

"Jack?"

O'Neill didn't appear to hear him, wrapped in the protective shroud that seemed to be insulating Jackson from hearing his thoughts suddenly.

A tremendous power surge rose, rocking the ship. "Um," Daniel gasped, his eyes staring wildly at his friend. "I think we'd better get out of here," he said, looking at Hathor, who seemed almost as terrified at this sudden eruption around them.

"We must save our beloved," she demanded, attempting to walk toward O'Neill. The energy surrounding him threw her back into Daniel's arms, the pair landed on the floor.

"You want to try that again?" Jackson asked. Stunned, he managed to untangle himself from the Goa'uld, tugging at her wrists and dragging her to her feet.

"What is this?" she asked, confusion seeming to permeate her mind now, as clearly as it had Jackson's.

"You're asking me?" he replied, having to raise his voice slightly to be heard. "I'm no expert but I think this thing’s powering up for lift off," he imparted. His tone sounded almost panic stricken now.

Hathor looked at O'Neill one last time before allowing Jackson to lead her back toward the exit.  Short and Samuels were just regaining their consciousness, both men attempted to stand as the Goa'uld and her escort reached them.

Samuels scrambled for his gun. Hathor's confusion and rage unleashed upon him, slamming him headlong into a side of the ship’s silver panels, the collision killed him, the impact causing a sound that was quite obviously his skull shattering.

Jackson shuddered, staring at the body in disbelief.

Short raised his hands in surrender as Hathor regarded him. Daniel regained his senses, about to protest, before she despatched him in a similar fashion.

"We are without compassion for those who would challenge us, and risk the life of our Pharaoh," she told the stunned archaeologist.

"Um," Daniel muttered, closing his eyes for a second, unable to quite take in the destructive power she possessed. "Okay, but we should really get out of here," he insisted, wrenching his eyes away from the mess she'd made of the two men.

"We agree, lead the way Daniel Jackson!" she ordered, allowing Jackson to step ahead of her, toward the exterior doors.

He paused then, and placed his hand close to the panel he'd seen O'Neill use to exit on their one previous visit.

"There are guys with guns out there," he told Hathor, her expression askant.

"Yes?" she queried.

"I'm just hoping you'll show a little more, um, restraint?" he remarked, his face creasing with the disdain he had for her actions.

"You are not our beloved, do not attempt to influence us!  They will pay for the loss of our Pharaoh!" she spat, her eyes glowing at his impudence.

"Ah, right, what was I thinking!" he remarked. The door shot open then, Hathor stepped outside.

Carter approached him. "Daniel, where's Colonel O'Neill?" she asked.

"He's in there, and it's not looking good," Daniel told her.

"Where are they who will pay for their insolence to our Pharaoh?" Hathor demanded, looking past Carter.

Daniel raised his eyebrows then. "Hathor, Jack's not gonna be happy if you keep killing people," he told her, an attempt at control, that he felt was woefully lacking in substance.

She regarded him then, looking at Carter. "We demand you assist our beloved!" she stated.

"Daniel?" Sam asked, still attempting to process this information, of which very little appeared to be clear.

"He's in there with some kind of Ancients interface, I don't know, but we couldn't get near him," Daniel imparted.

"What kind of interface?" Carter demanded. "Is he in danger?"

"I don't, um, I doubt it, it's not been the pattern so far, but whatever it is, it's powering up that ship, and I'm thinking this isn't a good place to be," Daniel concluded, his expression, though fraught with concern, clearly indicated his desire to be anywhere but where they currently stood.

"What?" Carter asked, looking around at Makepeace who was demanding a report.

"Sam, we don't have time for this," Daniel intoned.

Carter looked toward the ship, then back at Jackson. "Clear the area," she shouted, beginning to make her way back to Makepeace, who was staring at her with surprise.

"What?" he asked.

"Sir if that ship is powering up to take off we have no way of knowing how big it is," she intoned.

"Evacuate," Makepeace yelled, making his way towards the helicopter.

Teal'c paused momentarily, looking at Jackson, who appeared to be following Hathor into the desert.

"Where are we going?" Daniel enquired.

"We will follow," she stated. "Kree, shal dam mec!"

“Daniel?” Carter called out, but Jackson didn’t hear her, as the Glider uncloaked before him, Jackson taking a deep breath. "Okay!" he responded.

"Teal'c let's go!" Makepeace yelled. “What is he doing?” He indicated towards Jackson.

Carter shook her head. “I guess he’s going with Hathor!” she replied.

The helicopter was already firing up, ready for take off. The Jaffa turned in time to see the glider hovering above the desert floor, moving slowly off before cloaking once more.

He climbed into the helicopter.  "Major Carter, what is happening?" he asked. “Should we not attempt to prevent Daniel Jackson from accompanying the Goa’uld?”

"Teal’c, that ship’s gonna take off, and we don't want to be anywhere near it when it does!" she told him, as the chopper began to climb into the sky. “Daniel’s obviously another matter!”

Makepeace stared out of the open door, a glance back at his prisoners. “Jack was right about him!” he opined. "Are you sure it's planning on a take off?" he added, dubiously.

"That's what Daniel thinks sir, with Colonel O'Neill inside it!" Carter replied.

"What?  What's O'Neill doing in there?" Makepeace sounded astonished, his eyes scanning the desert floor.

"Well sir, I guess that would probably be down to the missing Colonel Short," she told him.

"Short's in there?" Makepeace looked even more confused now.

"If he is sir, I think Hathor may have taken care of him," Carter replied.

"Major, if I ask one more dumb question, shoot me!" Makepeace told her, shaking his head at this completely bizarre turn of events.

"Yes sir!" Carter responded.

Part 4.6

"You're heading back to the mothership right?" Daniel asked dubiously, as Earth began to shrink into the distance.

"We are unsure of whether even this craft will be capable of traversing such a great distance as can a vessel created by the Ancients," she informed him.

"Um, wow!" Daniel exclaimed. "So we're just hoping we can find it?" he enquired, a grimace crossing his features.

"We, shall find our Pharaoh," Hathor insisted.

Daniel looked a little surprised by that assertion, wondering if he dared to question her about her feelings.  Since she had reacted so violently toward those she blamed for sending O'Neill into the Ancients vessel, he was beginning to believe, like Jack clearly did, that she had rather intense feelings for him, or perhaps, if he were more cynical, for the power possessed by his friend.

"Hathor, I'm a little worried about this. If we can't track that ship, what do we do?"

Daniel asked, easing into the harder stuff slowly.

The mothership loomed before them and the glider skilfully docked. There was silence from the Goa'uld, until she stepped back onto the ship.

"Our beloved will not be lost to us," she told him, her eyes glowing almost intensely at the assertion. "We are his life!"

Jackson smiled at her, understanding her better now than he had before.  His obvious distrust of this Goa'uld and her motives, suddenly, irrevocably washed away.  Her eyes were unyielding, a deep sense of urgency prevailing.  She was as possessed of his friend as Jack appeared to be of her.

"Yes, I believe you probably are," he agreed.

********

Jack felt the power surge through him, suddenly subsiding as the ship began to dislodge itself from the desert.

"Suntius, destruere haudem hec trames, quam ut video!" he roared, the words echoing around the ship as it ascended into the sky, and almost instantly into space, and beyond the rings of Saturn, displacing time as the vessel engulfed distance, its velocity unseen and unfelt by O'Neill, who fell to the ground, unconscious.

Makepeace looked at Carter. "Where in the hell did that go?" he asked.

Carter stared up into the skies, not even a trace of it's progression through the atmosphere remained, her eyes drawn to the desert floor, widened as she could see no discernable trace of the ship’s departure, the desert floor unchanged.

***********

Daniel stood on the Pel'tac with Hathor, watching the planet, waiting for the vessel to appear so that they might follow it.

"Taking his time," Daniel remarked.

Hathor raised an eyebrow in his direction. "We have been unable to follow," she said, almost a sense of dejection in her tone.

"What?" Daniel asked, peering out into space, it's emptiness unchanged. "What are you saying?"

Hathor regarded him, her eyes filled with an almost infectious sorrow. "We have lost our beloved," she told him.

Daniel stared at her. "Lost?" he replied.

"Jaffa kree!" Hathor snapped at Kalim. "Return us to our home world!"

"Wait what about Jack?" Daniel asked.

She turned away from him, beginning to walk away from the controls, away from Jackson.

************

Jack felt cold, shivering in the blackness he awoke into.  He looked around, unable to penetrate its tenebrous veil.

"Where the hell am I?" he wondered aloud.

"Qui, appareo praerus suntius qui cognosco omnis?" 

Jack looked up sharply, still unable to see. The question from the heart of that darkness, had been to ask who appeared before they who knew all. He understood it with such clarity, he responded before he'd had a chance to even consider it.  "Ut."

"Qui essee ut?"

"Qui essee ut? Ego, sum O'Neill incoluntis unaparsa, Tau'ri, Earth!" he said. "Ut rogidvis ergo tu responsio ad mihi interrogan?"

"Ita est, nosmet ipsi, Ancients!"

Jack felt a sudden sense of relief, nodding to himself. "Ut, cognosco hec! Quare sum ut hicsus?"

"You are here because you wished it so!" the Ancients replied.

"Okay, where's here?" Jack enquired, still staring into the inky blackness that prevailed around him. "And what's with the darkness, I'm not a threat, ego sum unas penes tuus!"

"You are one with us, and one with the Goa'uld, what is your purpose for being here?"

"Hey! You're asking me?" Jack responded, still with no comprehension of what he faced.

"Tu, vinculum, Goa'uld?"

"That wasn't exactly my idea," Jack stated, turning around and still only perceiving the darkness they shrouded him in. "I'm trying to understand this, quare sum hicsus?"

"You are here because you are one of us," the voice replied.

"Okay this is going nowhere," Jack complained. "Can you take it away? The whole bunch of stuff you put in my head?"

"Primum tu necesse est destruere quae quam vexos omnis!"

Jack shook his head. "Got some cool way of doing that right?" he asked cynically.

"Haut causa ipsi video omnis ad facio quae pro tu!"

"Oh for crying out loud!" Jack remonstrated, a heavy sigh. "Alright, send me retro!"

"Primum, tu tuus necesse est cognosco, semperus hec! Tu erdutis quae quam nullus habeo, tu habeo copiae praeterus omnis ad destruere!"

O'Neill's eyes widened then, he could feel the colour draining from his face, a sombre nod toward those who could see him. "Gratusiam, retro!" he said, his voice almost deserting him.

His eyes closed, opening suddenly back in the ship, it's peacefulness shattered by the loud sound that filled his ears.  Slowly he realised it was his heartbeat, thunderous, tumultuous.

"Oh crap!" he whispered.

Part 4.7 

Jack walked back through the craft toward the exit, his mind reeling with the words he had understood so well, yet they now seemed as futile as the enemy he'd bonded with in order to defeat.

"I've got the power!" he complained to himself. "And not a clue what the damn power is?" A heavy sigh escaped his lips.   The whole confusing nightmare that had led to his estranged state, seemed now to be even more incomprehensible.

The bodies of the two NID men lay sprawled and broken where Hathor's wrath had slain them, Jack knelt down next to Colonel Short, his body still warm, yet no life force beat within.

"Gotta talk to her!" he sighed, shaking his head.

The desert was in darkness as he emerged from the vessel, Jack looked around, his features contorted as he realised he was completely alone. 

A heavy sigh. "Great!" he exclaimed. "I’ve gotta walk home?" he shouted, up into the heavens. "Well that sucks!"

************

Daniel followed Hathor into her chambers. "We've looked just about everywhere in the galaxy, what do you suggest now?" he asked, as frustrated as she that so far they hadn't been able to find a trace of O'Neill.

"We shall not stop looking Daniel Jackson, you however will return to your home world, we have no use for you here," she imparted. For the three weeks of Jack O'Neill's absence, both had spent hours together getting on each others nerves, Hathor had for the most part been communicating and behaving less assertively, the symbiote quieted by the increasing growth of the child inside her. "You would be wise to heed us!" she snapped.

"No!" Daniel snapped, folding his arms. "Jack's my friend as much as he's your... whatever, I'm staying here, whether you like it or not!"

Hathor regarded him sternly, her impressive eyebrows arching. "We do not believe we like your tone!" she snapped, moving toward him. "Our beloved may protect you Daniel Jackson, but you are nothing to us!"

"How do you do that?" he asked, regarding her quizzically.

She looked at him, curious as to the question he so obviously wished to ask, yet so foolishly neglected to include. "Perhaps if you would make clear to us your question?" she replied, crossing the room toward him. "We would be in a far better position to respond!"

"Well," Jackson looked a little uncomfortable. "You seem to be speaking with the symbiote, with Hathor's persona, but without Hathor really speaking?"

Her curiosity satisfied, she withdrew once more gazing out of the windows, her back to him.

"We are Hathor, why do you doubt that we are one?" she enquired.

"I guess because that's what I'm used to, so?" he urged.

"We are a queen, unlike those Goa'uld whom we have produced, our minds are one," she explained, her discomfort sudden, and quite unlike Jackson's.

"You are surprised by us, of course since you are..." She paused then, her head lowered, her hands reaching out as if to grasp onto something that wasn't there.

Daniel looked concerned, unfolding his arms slowly. "Hathor?"

Her scream seemed to pierce through him, he moved forward quickly. "What's wrong?"

"We need our beloved!" she gasped, doubling over.

Daniel's eyes widened, the shock obvious. "Oh, no it can't be," he said, grabbing hold of her arms, assisting her to sit. "I'll get some help, stay there!"

Daniel tore out of the chambers, looking around him. "Kalim?"

The Jaffa appeared from one of the rooms down the corridor. "Do you have Colonel O'Neill's kit here?" he yelled, as the Jaffa came toward him.

"Kit?"

"The things he had with him, where are they?" Daniel snapped, his nervousness making him more assertive than usual. "I need to go back to the SGC... if the code’s operational?" he wondered then. "Um, can you use that long range communication device to send a message to Earth?"

His own GDO transmitter had been rendered useless when he'd refused to return to Earth, Vidrine had insisted that any communication would now be via an outgoing wormhole, where there was no chance that hostiles could breach the security of the SGC and Earth.

"We are able to do this?" Kalim responded, clearly thrown by all the questions and answers he was getting, Jackson's constant motion, his hands waving about, his obvious agitation, confused the Jaffa.

"Or a radio, does Jack's radio? Help me out here, bring me Jack's stuff now!" Daniel shouted at him.

The Jaffa turned and did as he was bade, Jackson hands went up to his head, pulling at his hair in frustration, looking back in at Hathor, who had laid on her side. "Not good, too soon," he said to himself, remembering the scan. The child had appeared almost as one who had been carried for over three months, but he knew that couldn't be right, did what she said make sense, a queen, could they differ from normal Goa'uld?  "I'm not making sense!" he told himself angrily.

He stopped himself then.  Must stop panicking, he thought.

*********

"Unauthorised incoming wormhole, all SF's to the Gate room," Sergeant Davis alerted.

Hammond had just arrived at the SGC, looking at his watch, 07:30, he moved quickly toward the control room.

"What have you got Sergeant?" Carter asked, herself barely awake.

"Don't know yet Major," Davis replied.

Carter stared at the iris, waiting, perhaps it was Colonel O'Neill? They'd had no reports from Daniel on the search, since he'd reported that Heru'ur had despatched sixteen of his motherships to quadrants of space woefully close to the home world of the Asgaard over three days ago.

She held her breath, looking nervously over toward Sergeant Davis. 

"Sam? General Hammond? This is Daniel, are you reading me?"

"Go ahead Daniel," Carter replied.

"Sam, I think Hathor might be in labour or something, we need a medical team here right away," he shouted into the radio, his voice booming into the control room.

"What? Medical team to the Gate room, Dr. Fraiser to the Gate room!" Carter ordered.

"Sam, I think we're going to need to bring her back to the SGC, it's too early!" he said, his voice shaky, unsure.

"Reading you Daniel, standby," Carter responded.

"What's going on Major?" Hammond demanded, as he ascended the steps into the control room.

"Sir, Daniel thinks that Hathor may have gone into labour," she told him.

"What?" Hammond looked at her incredulously. "Labour?"

"Yes sir, labour, childbirth," Carter sounded slightly irritated.

"Major, I have two children and two grandchildren, I know what labour is!" Hammond snapped.

"Sorry sir," she apologised.

"Are we intending to send a medical team through the Gate Major?" Hammond enquired. "And were you going to ask for my authorisation to do so?"

"It's Colonel..." Carter paused, her eyes lowered, biting her bottom lip. "I'm sorry sir, I... Permission to send a medical team through the Gate sir?"

"Permission granted, I want you and Colonel Makepeace to escort them Major, on the double!" Hammond ordered, a smile crossing his features then as she raced from the control room. Sergeant Davis sent the request for Colonel Makepeace to report, ready to ship out, over the tannoys.

************

It had been a long walk across almost six miles of desert to the highway. O'Neill considered hitching a ride, but nothing had ventured along at such an early hour, he looked up and down the road.

"Well, okie dokie!" he said to himself, as he began yet another long trek toward the closest town, thankful that the sun was yet to rise fully, making the heat less uncomfortable.

The words of the Ancients still fresh in his mind, the connotations of which he could barely understand, yet something about the words, the manner in which they had chosen to deliver them, disturbed him.

'Possessed the power, why didn't they take it away? What the hell did they expect him to do with it?'

Long damn walk to think it over!

**********

Dr. Fraiser finally appeared in the Gate room. After assessing the nature of the emergency she had been called for, collecting everything she felt she needed had taken some time. Accompanied by a single nurse, she looked up at General Hammond.

"All ready sir," she told him.

"Good luck doctor!  You have a go," Hammond said. His gaze fell upon Colonel Makepeace now. "Colonel, report back as soon as you have ascertained the situation, regardless I expect some form of communication within the hour!"

"Yes sir," Makepeace acknowledged. "Alright people let's move out."

Carter glanced nervously across at Janet, an apprehensive smile.

"Don't worry Sam," Fraiser assured her. "I won't ask you to help!"

********

"Daniel, how's she doing?" Fraiser asked, the moment she was through the Gate.

"I don't know, she's, um, well she's got a bad temper at the best of times, and she won't exactly tell me anything," Jackson reported.

"Carter, you've got our six," Makepeace ordered, always one to follow military procedure.

Carter shook her head, falling in behind them, glancing over her shoulder toward the Jaffa that stood guard at the Gate. "It just keeps on getting weirder!" she sighed.

Janet and her nurse immediately approached Hathor, who Daniel had managed to get onto the bed. Guarded by two Jaffa, she was breathing heavily, her hair wet with perspiration.

"Oh yeah, she's in labour," Janet stated, her vocation kicking in, no consideration of who the patient was. "Miss Hathor?" She spoke softly, leaning close to the Goa'uld. "Just try to relax, I'm going to examine you and see how far along you are. Gentlemen?" She looked at the two Jaffa, who remained almost statue like.

"Ah, they're not going anywhere Janet, Daniel?" Carter asked. "Do you have any sway with them at all?"

"Jaffa, del mac noc kree!" Kalim ordered. The two guards immediately obeyed the orders of the first prime.

"Colonel, Daniel, I'm going to ask you to step outside for a while," Janet intoned, looking at the two men, who both appeared to be completely overwhelmed by proceedings.

"Yes ma'am," Makepeace said finally, glancing at Jackson. "That means both of us doctor, let's go!"

"Oh, right yes, um, if you need me?" Daniel offered.

"Thank you doctor, I'll be sure to give you a call," Janet replied.

"Well this is a weird state of affairs," Makepeace noted, once he and Jackson were safely outside.

"What?" Jackson asked, clearly not listening, double taking at the bemused expression on the face of the marine colonel. "What?"

"Weird!" Makepeace repeated.

"I really feel like I should be in there, I mean, without Jack being around I'm the closest thing to family," he paused, looking back at Makepeace. "What do you think?"

Makepeace shook his head, eyes heavenwards. "That it's weird!" he said.

Daniel regarded him features contorting. "Weird?" he enquired.

"Yep!" Makepeace confirmed, nodding his head slowly. "Very weird!"

Jackson's eyebrows arched high into his forehead, his eyes cast upward, searching his thoughts. "Well, I have to admit it's a little odd," he concluded finally. "But I still feel like I should be in there!"

"Whatever you say Dr. Jackson, whatever you say," the colonel replied glibly.

**********

The small gas station had loomed into view almost 45 minutes since.  Now O'Neill approached the pay phone, looking curiously at the woman who was staring at him from the pay booth, self-consciously wondering why seeing someone walk in from the highway might be a curious sight, particularly since she was yet to look away.

He lifted the receiver, staring back at her intentionally. His hands to his trousers, he needed change. "Ah!" he acknowledged, realising then what had so held her attention. The obviously bizarre uniform he'd forgotten he was wearing, that also had no pockets, and thus no change.

He looked back at her once more, shrugging, "Yeah, operator, I'd like to make a collect call to Cheyenne Mountain Air Force station, level six," he asked.

He turned around, his eyes meeting the clerk’s once more, beside her an elderly man.

"Oh I can just hear that conversation!" he remarked. "Ah, yes ma'am, Colonel Jack O'Neill," he replied to the operators query. "I'm holding."

"Jack?" Hammond's voice.

"General!" Jack sounded overjoyed. "Listen, I'm in a gas station north of the RS01, I was hoping someone could come pick me up?"

"Where?" Hammond sounded stunned. "Jack, Carter reported that the ship had left the Nevada desert," he said.

"Well I wouldn't know about that sir, I was inside the damn thing, and when I came out, not another living soul in sight!" Jack explained, a heavy sigh. "And a damn long walk sir, I must have lost twenty pounds in this thing!"

"We've had people looking all over the galaxy for you," Hammond stated, completely baffled.

"Well, you can call the boys home sir, I'm right on your doorstep, and er, a little conspicuous if you get my drift sir!" Jack cringed, the gathering in the pay booth appeared to be multiplying each time he risked a glimpse.

"Stay put Colonel, we'll get you lifted ASAP!" Hammond told him, hanging the phone up.

"That'd be nice," the colonel remarked, to himself once more.  The four pairs of eyes had now sent out a scout.  The colonel shook his head. "Here we go!" he sighed.

The woman who approached him smiled nervously, pausing when she was about ten feet from him. "Excuse me?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am, something I can help you with?" Jack replied politely.

"Are you an actor?"

Jack stood bolt upright, considering that for a moment. "Ah, yeah, I'm on my way to the set, car broke down... you know, but don't worry, I'm no one!"

"My husband thought you were Harrison Ford, cause you kinda look like him from a distance," she told him.

A smile crossed the colonel's face then. "Harrison Ford?" he replied. Realising he was still holding the receiver he replaced it quickly, "No ma'am, like I already said, just an extra really," he said, hoping that being a nobody would conclude their exchange.

"Do you know Harrison Ford?" she asked, coming closer to him.

"Nope, I just do TV," Jack responded. "Don't really know anyone that famous, so…"   O'Neill sighed heavily, wishing the ground would open up at that point and swallow him whole.

********

Sam emerged from the chambers over an hour later. She smiled at Daniel, her eyes moist, something that she was trying to conceal.

"Sam, is she alright?" Daniel's concern evident.

"She's fine Daniel, So’s the colonel's daughter," she told him, an almost parental glow emanating in her eyes.

"Can I go in?" Jackson's eyes lit up. "A girl? Jack's going to be..." He looked away then. "I'll go see how Hathor's doing."

"Sure.  Daniel?" Sam grabbed his arm. "She's back to her old self, just so you know!"

"Thanks for the warning," Daniel replied.

"We do not care what you think," Hathor stated imperiously, the child wrapped in her arms. "We are fine and shall not be confined to our bed!"

"If you insist," Fraiser sighed. "Guess you know yourself better than I do!"

"We will be happier left alone," she intoned, her frosty expression fixed on Janet.

"Hi, does that include would-be uncles too?" Daniel enquired, approaching her cautiously.

"Daniel, come," she urged, the tone and the appearance instantly changing.

"Guess she likes you!" Fraiser said, as she passed him.

Daniel smiled nervously at Janet. "Right now she does," he muttered through clenched teeth.

"We have a daughter to present to our Pharaoh upon his return," she told him, hoisting the child forward for him to see.

"May I?" Daniel asked, holding his hands out.

Hathor allowed Daniel to take the tiny bundle from her, watching his expression in fascination as it softened.

"We would like to bathe," she announced, stepping from the bed, Jackson turned his back respectfully as she did so.

"Would you like me to, um, hold her, take care of her, while you do that?" Daniel asked, his eyes once more on the tiny face that peered up at him.

"Yes, we feel you can be trusted," Hathor replied, wrapped now in a silken robe.

"Great, I'll stay here then," Daniel told her, watching her depart from the chambers, past the SGC personnel who had waited outside.

Carter took the opportunity to get her first real look at the child in Daniel's arms.

"She's beautiful isn't she?" Jackson gushed. "So perfect."

"Tiny," Sam replied, leaning over to see her better. "Wonder what he'll call her?"

"Think Hathor will let Jack name her?" Daniel remarked. "I mean she'll probably want to call her something ancient Egyptian, or Goa’uld!"

"Daniel?" Carter's face wore a frown now, her discomfort with the situation obvious.

Jackson regarded her, a nod for her to continue.

"How long do you think it'll be before she finally shows her true colours? I mean this is a farce right? She's got the colonel fooled but she's not fooling me!" Carter declared. “Maybe we should take the Colonel’s daughter back to Earth with us, where she’ll be safe?”

"I'm sorry was that a question, or a statement?" Daniel enquired, looking slightly taken aback by her assertions. "If you're asking my opinion here, then I'd say she's as devoted to Jack, as he seems to be to her, for what that's worth, and I don’t think we’d actually make it to the gate with a Goa’uld child do you?"

"It's just too convenient Daniel, I don't trust the Goa'uld, and she's a Goa'uld, in case you forgot!"

"Present surroundings, no I didn't forget," Jackson retorted.

********

General Hammond waited by the elevator on level 28, the doors opened to reveal O'Neill.

"General," Jack greeted.

"Hello Jack, glad you finally made it back," Hammond acknowledged.

O'Neill looked at him quizzically as the two men began to walk side by side along the corridor.

"Finally sir?" he enquired.

"Colonel, you've been gone over three weeks," Hammond told him, a glance at his bemused features. "Where the hell did you go Jack?"

O'Neill's eyebrows spiked sharply on his forehead. "Three weeks?" he exclaimed, stopping, regarding the general with an askant expression. "Sir, I've been gone a day, tops!" he declared, shaking his head. “Maybe even less!”

"No you haven't Jack, and there's something a little more pressing I have to tell you," Hammond imparted.

O'Neill, features still contorted with this news, looked curiously at Hammond.

"Sir?"

"You've got some news back on Ishkarata," Hammond stated.

"Hathor sir?" O'Neill sounded concerned now.

"Jack, I don't how to break this to you, but we sent Dr. Fraiser there a little over four hours ago, and well," Hammond's bemused smile told the colonel all he needed to know.

His eyes expanding, mouth dropping open. "With your permission sir?" His voice filled with a mixture of shock and excitement, he barely waited for Hammond to give his approval, before taking off down the corridor toward the embarkation room.

"Sergeant dial up the Gate now!" he ordered, as he came to a shuddering halt in the

Gate room, his armour sounding as if a whole platoon had descended.

Hammond's arrival, and subsequent nod to the technician, immediately brought the chevrons into action.

Jack stared at the wormhole as it formed in front of him; taking a deep breath he climbed the ramp.

*************

Hathor, now dressed in her more usual attire, regarded Carter as she entered the room, the Jaffa who had been protecting her loyally at her side.

"What is she doing here?" the Goa'uld demanded, her face burning with a hatred that Jackson hadn't seen before.

"She's just getting to know your daughter, Jack's daughter?" Daniel reminded her.

"She's beautiful, what are you going to call her?" Sam asked, attempting to accept the circumstances as Daniel had so clearly suggested she do, yet still dubious as to the intentions of this devious creature.

"We shall leave the name of the child to our beloved, upon his return," she announced, Turning around abruptly, her eyes met Jack's, the intensity of the smile and wonderment that adorned his face, reciprocated by his consort; their eyes locked together.

"Hey!" he greeted breathlessly, reaching out toward her. "You okay?"

"Our beloved, we have searched the Galaxy for you," she told him. "Where?"

"It's a long story, kinda boring, you okay?" he repeated, his eyes fixed on her, despite the fact that Daniel quite clearly approached with his child.

"We are fine, and for your return," she said softly, taking the child from Jackson. "We have gifted our beloved a Princess!"

Jack's face melted, his eyes filling with tears, as he took the baby from Hathor, the Goa'uld queen curiously touching the tears that fell unabashed down his cheeks.

"We see our Pharaoh is pleased," she remarked. 

O'Neill, speechless for once, gently touched the baby's tiny fingers.  "She's perfect," he whispered. "Perfect!"

"Shall our Pharaoh give her a name by which we might call her?" Hathor enquired, her eyes lighting up at his regard.

"Me?" he asked, gazing once more upon his daughter’s face. "Ah, I, I'll think about it,” he replied, humbled to the centre of his soul by the child he now held so carefully in his arms. “Give me a minute here."

Daniel beamed, turning back and looking at Sam. "God I love happy moments," he gushed.

Carter nodded, still feeling slightly left out, yet appreciating seeing the colonel once more, and the happiness that the child clearly brought him.

"Got any thoughts?" Jack asked Hathor at length.

She stared at him, then back to the child. "Iceni," she said.

"That's pretty. Yeah, that's a good name, Iceni," Jack agreed, he looked across at Daniel, then to Carter. Unable to convey his feelings through words, he held her up to his chest protectively, showing her off. “Iceni,” he announced proudly.

Sam smiled, nodding. "Yes, sir, she’s beautiful,” she replied.

Daniel’s smile, a nod of approval.

*********

Colonel Robert Makepeace sat in the commissary, Teal'c opposite. "Damn weird if you ask me," he opined.

"Colonel Makepeace?" Teal'c asked, looking at him curiously. "You have said this many times, are you not yet accustomed to this situation?"

Makepeace shook his head, exhaling slowly. "I've got to tell you Teal'c, it's one of them never ending dreams, I know things change, but damn!"

"Indeed," Teal'c concurred. "It is a most unfamiliar occurrence!"

"See, I get the whole joining up with Heru'ur, infiltrating the enemy, keeping them close, destroying from within. But this whole Hathor thing? Weird!"

"As you have said many hundreds of times before," Teal'c reminded him.

"Heck, just goes to show how weird it is then!"  Makepeace stated, acknowledging Carter's arrival. "Major, how's the proud father doing?"

"Sir, Teal'c," she greeted, sitting next to the Jaffa. "Seems to be very happy sir," she replied. "But I don't know." She shook her head.

Teal'c shovelled a heap of scrambled eggs into his mouth, chewing over the food thoughtfully.

"Weird?" Makepeace enquired, the Jaffa regarding him quizzically.

"Very weird!"

Teal'c put his fork down, looking at Carter then. "I have noticed that this word appears to have great significance in your society," he commented, drinking a mouthful of coffee. "Perhaps it would be advantageous to study this word!"

Carter looked curiously at him, turning to Makepeace, a look of resignation on the colonel's face. "Don't ask me, apparently I say it a lot!"

"Sir?"

"Weird!" Makepeace told her.

"Yes sir, very!" Carter responded, shaking her head. "Weird." She got up and went for a coffee.

********

Hathor, exhausted now, had taken Iceni with her to rest, O'Neill's features still masked with delight as he sat with Jackson in the gardens, after watching them both fall into a peaceful sleep.

"Kinda puts a whole new perspective in the word, life," he remarked.

Jackson nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I suppose it does," he mused. His brows furrowed down now, in a searching regard of his friend. "So where exactly did you go?"

"Hammond says I've been gone for three weeks?" Jack said, looking at Jackson for confirmation. "It literally felt like hours!"

"Where?" Jackson probed.

"It was the oddest thing, I felt like I'd been dreaming, some kinda weird out of body experience, and then I'm with them," he explained.

"Who?"

"Ipsi, qui video omnis!" Jack stated, the Latin.

"They who behold all?" Jackson repeated the translation slowly, his eyes widening now, as it dawned upon him exactly what O’Neill meant. "Jack? The Ancients?"

O'Neill shook his head slowly. "They said so," he replied, looking Jackson in the eyes now. "But yeah, I think so. I guess they didn’t feel like removing all this damn stuff though, I did ask. Said some weird damn things too!" Jack told him.

"What? What did they say?" Jackson's curiosity overwhelmed him, this news something he'd wanted, but hadn't dared hope for.

"Primum tu necesse est destruere quae quam vexos omnis!" the colonel said, holding his hand up to silence Jackson, recounting the rest in his mind. "Primum, tu tuus necesse est cognosco, semperus hec! Tu erdutis quae quam nullus habeo, tu habeo copiae praeterus omnis ad destruere!"

"Wait, first you must destroy that which plagues all?" Jackson asked.

"Yeah, exactly!" O'Neill said. "Kinda odd don't ya think?"

"Um, a little, what was the rest?" Jackson probed.

"Primum, tu tuus necesse est."

"First you, yourself must," Jackson repeated.

"Cognosco, semperus hec," Jack continued.

"Um, know, always? This?"

O'Neill nodded. "The rest was, you accomplish that which none have, you have power beyond all, to destroy. Doesn't make sense does it?"

Jackson looked at him, his eyes widening. "Jack, it makes perfect sense!" he said, standing, turning round to face the colonel. "You have the power to destroy the plague," he gushed. "I'm thinking the plague is the Goa'uld, the thing that plagues all?"

"Yeah I got that part, but come on Daniel, do you know how impossible that sounds?" Jack retorted, staring dubiously at Jackson. "And why don't they do it?"

"I don't know, maybe they're not able to, um, where did you go exactly?" Jackson enquired.

"Hey, who knows?" Jack replied, standing up, a heavy sigh. "It was dark, actually it was so dark I thought I had my eyes closed," he added.

"That's odd, how did you speak with Hammond?"

"I was still on Earth, I come out of the ship and it's dark, no ones around, long walk!" he intoned.

"That's odd, we, Sam saw the ship leave Earth," Jackson mused.

"You're telling me!" Jack commented. "I'll tell you how strange it is Daniel, Short and

Samuels were still warm when I left the ship!"

Jackson looked amazed. "What?" he asked, sitting down.

"Something else too, whatever this is, I don't think it's altogether just Ancients!"

Jack said, a grimace crossing his features. "It's Seng’olian, most of it, the power to hear your thoughts, communicate with you... that's theirs."

"Jack this is amazing," Daniel exclaimed, standing up a little too quickly, taking hold of O'Neill's arm to steady himself.

"Whoa!" Jack declared. "Careful there Dr. Jackson!"

"We have to go back," Jackson stated. "Back to the planet, back to Seng'olia, they could help."

"Okay, no!" Jack told him flatly, allowing Jackson to stand under his own impetus.

"What?"

"Daniel, I'm just thinking that all this, stuff! This whole deal is just a little too big for me to grasp... and there's a problem," he stated, looking decidedly uncomfortable now with the whole conversation.

"There is?" Jackson's bemused expression met his friend’s, the hesitation in O'Neill's eyes was crystal clear to the archaeologist now; he shook his head. "Jack, you can't mean that?"

"Daniel!" O'Neill snapped aggressively.  "Put yourself in my shoes for just a second, what ever this is..." He pointed to his head. "And if I find it, do whatever it is the damn thing has the power to do... I could lose everything." He turned away from Jackson's confused regard. "I'm just not prepared to do that!" he added emphatically.

Part 4.8

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Daniel demanded, the look of wonderment swept from his face, replaced now with anger. "God you are, aren't you?" Jackson's tone was completely disbelieving of what he clearly could not understand.

He knew O'Neill was emotionally weakened by his experiences over the last five months or so, but to have a possibility to bring down the Goa'uld, and to not use that, whatever the consequences, that he couldn’t understand.

"Jack, please?" he asked. "Just think about what this could mean, please?" His eyes were beseeching now.

"Daniel, what do you want from me?" Jack vociferated, hands thrown up in frustration. "I have something here, I can't risk what ever this is, coming out..." His expression was almost imploring. "How can I?"

Jackson shook his head. "Jack I hate to say this, but isn't that just a little selfish?"

"Yes Daniel, it's very selfish." He turned away from the archaeologist. "For once!"

Daniel slapped his hands against his sides. "Great!" he exclaimed, following O'Neill across the garden. "So millions of people are out there, waiting to be enslaved on a whim?"

O'Neill spun around, his face filled with animosity. "A whim?" he repeated furiously, stony features snarling at Jackson. "We don't even know what the heck this is, how do we know it'll be any good anyway?"

"Sounds like a cop out to me," Jackson retorted, standing his ground in the face of his now very adversarial friend. "You've got something, the Ancients said that right?"

"They said a whole lotta nothing Daniel, you want to make this out to be a big deal, go ahead!  Personally I don't think it's some damn divine intervention type 'wrath of' deal we're talking about here!"  His face was incredulous. "Tell me you'd do that to Sha’re?"

"But that's different," Daniel protested.

"How?" Jack demanded, searching Jackson's eyes. "Come on Daniel? If you had this to do, to even consider, tell me she wouldn't have come first?"

Jackson looked down, a heavy sigh, his eyebrows knitting together. "I can't, you're right!" he conceded.

"Man that had to be hard for ya!" Jack remarked, regarding the rueful expression on his friend’s face.

"It's just," Jackson began, heavy hearted, "they killed Sha're, and thousands, probably millions, of people."

"Daniel, don't!" Jack warned, averting his eyes from the chagrin written on the face of the archaeologist.

"Jack, maybe we both need to think about this?" Daniel suggested, trying to figure out in his own mind how he felt about it.

O'Neill was probably right, in his shoes would he risk losing the woman he loved? Or would an underlying sense of duty kick in.  He regarded O'Neill, leaning now against one of the many decorative trees that lined the path they'd walked.  Perhaps he'd been a little too lenient with him, underestimated the extent of which his friend felt alienated by his own people, and drawn into this new world. He'd always thought that Jack's sense of duty had been his first consideration, but now?  Jackson doubted that now.

He looked up, freeing himself from the uncertainty of his thoughts, and he was looking into O'Neill's eyes. Everything he thought, everything he felt had been openly transmitted to the colonel. He realised that immediately, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry Jack, it's just the way I feel about it," he said.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too!" Jack told him, beginning to walk back toward the palace.

"So that's it?" Daniel challenged. "No more discussion, you've made up your mind?"

"Daniel!" Jack snapped, his eyes thunderous. Anger was building inside him, better that, than the more intense self-doubt that had begun to permeate through him.  Jackson was betraying him, pure and simple, after all they'd been through, after being so clear about this whole mess, Daniel Jackson, the one person who had believed in him for so long, was now questioning his motives, his loyalty, he shook his head.

"There's nothing to talk about," he said, looking away from Jackson. "If it was your family you'd be the one standing here arguing the point!"

Jackson regarded him then. "Maybe," he conceded, unable to maintain his eye contact, looking away once more from the colonel's terse gaze. "I just don't think dismissing this out of hand is right either," he argued, focused now. "You might have the whole key to this in your mind. Are you just going to walk away from that?  I mean, okay, yes, I know, there’s the kid now. But Hathor’s a Goa’uld Jack, and who’s to say she still doesn’t have some mind control, or something, going on here?"

"Hey! It's my head right," Jack pointed out, a solemn expression descending on his face then. "You should go back to Earth Daniel. Back to the SGC, where you belong, you’re wrong about Hathor, you’re wrong about me... you’re just, you’re wrong!"

His anger translated perfectly into the words and the scowl that swept across his handsome features.

Daniel looked quite surprised to be hearing that finality in the suggestion, catching a glimpse of the hurt in those often-dense eyes.

“Jack?” his tone lowered. “Whether you want to hear it or not, she is a Goa’uld and no matter what you think, what I think, we know what that is!”

O’Neill waved his hand at him dismissively. “She’s.” He paused. “Don’t ask me to do something I can’t do Daniel,” he insisted.

“What, like wake up?” Jackson asked. “Just think about what you’re saying for a second. Why you’re here? You’re not here because you want to be Jack, you’re here because you don’t think you’ve got any other choice!”

O’Neill stared at him, no anger, no resentment, just an emptiness that seemed filled with desperation. “Daniel, maybe,” he replied. “Maybe everything you’re saying is right. I don’t know anymore, and I can’t do what you’re asking me to do, I just... I can’t!”

"I can't really win here either can I?" he replied, feeling a sense of irony in those words that O'Neill had just effectively used to banish him. “I mean if I tear down everything you think you know or believe, I’ve betrayed you, and if you’re right, well, then I guess I’ve betrayed you again, right?”

"Nope!" Adamant suddenly in his retort, O'Neill continued to walk back inside. “You can’t!”

"Jack, it’s not fair. You read my mind and you judge me?" Daniel charged, picking up the pace to draw level with the colonel. "Can't I at least figure these things out in my head, without you stepping in at the first thought and taking it the wrong way?"

O'Neill paused then, eyes focused anywhere but on the accusatory glare of his friend. "Okay, fine, I misjudged you, and I'm sorry!" he conceded, feeling that perhaps in his own confusion he had inadvertently blamed Jackson for the wrong reasons. He knew he was being unreasonable, knew that Jackson was right to question his apparent loyalty to a Goa’uld. That if there was some way, anyway, to eradicate the threat of the Goa'uld, then he should take it, but his judgment was far too clouded now to be reasonable.  Did he love Hathor? He didn’t suppose he did, but he needed her, and that he couldn’t ignore, or explain to himself, much less to Jackson.

"Well this is a Kodak moment," Daniel remarked, a wry grin crossing those trouble features, feeling as though he needed to relieve the building tension he perceived. "Another Jack O'Neill apology?" he added.

"What?" O'Neill spat, miffed at the insinuation. "Like I never apologise?"

"Um, no, actually you never do, I think this is about the fifth in as many years?" Daniel replied, trying to keep the dialogue open, conscious now not to let his thoughts become too apparent.

"Okay, so maybe it's the fifth, what's your point?" Jack demanded, slumping into one of the more comfortable chairs in the room.

"My point?" Jackson asked, dragging a chair across to sit opposite O'Neill, to maintain a level of contact he feared might be lost, if he showed any signs of concession. "My um, point," he mused once more. "Well, just that you're jumping to conclusions."

"Daniel for crying out loud!" Jack groaned, his hands thrown up in frustration once more, a gesture that seemed to go hand in hand with these conversations. "It's not like this is even a choice right?" he argued, leaning back into the seat. "I don't know what the hell they were talking about, and neither do you. Not really, or even if this stuff in here means anything, other than hearing you yapping in my head."

Jackson frowned, looking away, up at the ceiling, anywhere but at O'Neill who seemed now to possess some guarded apathy toward him.

"Okay, so we don't know what it is, but maybe there's an answer somewhere on that ship, or, um, the Seng'olians?  Why can't we at least try that?" he asked, keeping his tone deliberately even, unthreatening.

"Because!" Jack retorted, offering nothing else.

"Ah," Jackson muttered, "because you don't want to right? Because you're scared that it might break up the happy home?"

O'Neill's scowl was yet another indication that Jackson was pushing all the right buttons, showing the colonel things he didn't want to see.

"Checking it out won't hurt Jack!" he intoned. "Look at where you are, is this really where you want to be Jack? Or is there something else going on here you're not telling me about?"

O'Neill shot him a look. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"Jack." Jackson’s tone softer now. "I know you've been through a lot, and I'm probably guilty of being far too understanding of something I didn't get at all.  But this just isn't making sense anymore," Jackson insisted. "First Heru'ur, which I get, I think?  I mean he's saved your life and in all that malaise that must have been floating around in your mind, that made sense, but this? Hathor, the whole suddenly I'm so impressed?" Jackson shook his head now. "Damn it Jack, that's just not you!" 

O'Neill looked pensive, his gaze fixed on Jackson. "What part of that don't ya get Daniel?" he enquired.

"That you've fallen in love with a Goa'uld Jack, that part I just don't accept," he replied.

"Okay, first, I don't really give a damn what you accept! Face it Daniel, however all this came about, it's how I feel!" O'Neill intoned, a lie he chose to ignore.

"No, I don't have to listen to that, why is she being so affable? Having your child, don't you think that's just too much of an about face for a Goa'uld Jack?" the archaeologist demanded, an ironic smile crossing his face. "The worst part of all this is, I bought into it too!"

The colonel shook his head, absentmindedly fiddling with the ribbon device he had become accustomed to wearing.

"People change," he remarked glibly, dismissively.

"People?" Daniel retorted immediately. "Yes, Goa'uld? I really think you need to open your eyes, listen to what the Ancients told you Jack, especially that part about bonding with the Goa'uld, there was something in that!"

"Maybe, but I'm just not gonna do it Daniel," he replied, his eyes closed a heavy protracted sigh. "I can't!"

The obvious vulnerability that Jackson felt pervading over O'Neill astounded him, but he was sure now, sure that this wasn't Jack O'Neill talking, how could he undermine what was happening though, without O'Neill knowing he was trying to do just that?

"Jack?" His tone was sombre.

"What Daniel?" The usual grimace from O'Neill. "Gonna tell me how I should be more noble? God and Country?"

"No actually," Jackson countered, "I was going to do the apology thing, haven't done that in a while myself, except for every other sentence a couple of months ago!"

O'Neill's face suddenly contorted to a smile, albeit one that he begrudged giving.

"You apologise too easily Daniel, it's one of those polite society, educational, college things you've been taught to do," Jack told him. "Funny thing is, you kinda mean it too!"

The familiar sight of that grimace on the colonel's face made Jackson offer him one of those long suffering glances he had, O'Neill had often reasoned, spent hours in front of a mirror perfecting.

"You know, I get that look a lot, give in way too easily to the dog when it looks at me like that," Jack told him.

Daniel's face screwed up at the perceived insult that he knew would be behind the carefully worded build up.

"You just don't have those cute little ears, and that fluffy disposition he has though, sorry!"

Jackson looked heavenward. "Well thanks for sharing!" he intoned, patting himself on the back for his anticipation.

"So, you going back to Earth?" Jack asked at length, his head inclined to the right, staring at Jackson, almost challenging him, the archaeologist thought.

"Earth isn't going to help me persuade you to change your mind," he replied, his arms resting on his knees as he leant forward, another well choreographed move to get the colonel's attention, prove that he meant business.  "I'll stay here, we're not done Jack, not by any stretch of the imagination!"

O'Neill's eyebrows climbed slowly, imitating Jackson's stance, leaning toward him a far more impressive figure.  He was portraying a cool confidence in those almost unreadable eyes now. "Fine by me." The riposte enough to make Jackson sit back, threatened, at this counter strike.

"Good!" he offered, sounding a lot less positive, folding his arms, in the increasing war of body language, to indicate his intent.

"Sweet." Jack's lips curled into a smirk. "You can have your old room back!"

*********

"Come," Hammond beckoned, looking up to see Makepeace and Teal'c standing in front of him.

"Sir, Teal'c has a theory which I think you should listen to!" Makepeace told him.

Hammond gestured for them to sit, putting the pen down, sitting back comfortably in his seat. "Okay," he agreed.

"General Hammond, for several weeks now I have been concerned about Colonel O'Neill's behaviour," the Jaffa stated. I have given this much thought, and I believe I know why he is behaving in such a way and clearly without thought for his actions."

"I'm listening Teal'c," Hammond encouraged. L the Jaffa, and Makepeace, Hammond had doubted that O'Neill was acting under his own volition, and hoped that there was some explanation. The thought of Jack O'Neill being so obviously affected by events of the past few months, as Jackson had asserted, making little sense to him.

"On a planet in the Syrilliattus Galaxy, Syliias, the inhabitants are able to control the minds of other species, creating in them an almost ecstatic state of well being, and thus controlling them," Teal'c explained. "In order to achieve servitude, they often enhance this state of mind with a drug, found in a mysterious plant that grows within the soil of planet."

"You're saying that Hathor is controlling Colonel O'Neill with some form of drug?"

Hammond questioned. "I thought we'd already ascertained that the colonel's exposure to the Ancients download prevented any such tampering?"

"Since this is a chemical, and not direct mind control, I believe that once this drug was administered, that the colonel may have unintentionally triggered it's effect by attempting to free himself of the more obvious way in which Hathor had controlled him initially," Teal'c continued.

"Sir what Teal'c's saying is that when Jack put all his effort into freeing his mind, the chemical snuck in the back door!" Makepeace asserted. "Without knowing it was happening sir, he'd have no way of guarding against it. I doubt the Ancients allowed for that, chemicals don’t exactly come under mind control!"

"Teal'c, why didn't you mention anything about this before?" Hammond asked.

"It did not come to me until last night General Hammond, I have been searching my mind for some time," the Jaffa replied.

"And you've come to the conclusion that, despite all of Colonel O'Neill's assertions, and those of Dr. Jackson, that this drug is responsible?" Hammond responded.

"Indeed," Teal'c replied. "Having had the opportunity to observe Colonel O'Neill's behaviour around the Goa'uld, Hathor, I noticed that his reasoning had not been entirely affected, yet when in her presence he became acquiescent."

Hammond regarded the Jaffa, looking up at Makepeace for a second, the colonel nodded.

"Teal'c are you sure?"

"No." The Jaffa's answer an honest one. "However is it not far more likely that O'Neill's actions are better explained with vicissitude, than the theory that he has truly allied himself with the Goa'uld?"

Hammond considered that for a moment, nodding slowly. "Thank you Teal'c, I agree. The question is, how can we know that for sure, and what can be done about it?" he asked cautiously.

"General Hammond, any attempt to convince Colonel O'Neill that he has indeed been subjugated to Hathor's trickery would be met with heavy resistance, I therefore believe that we must attempt to obtain the cure for this chemical," Teal'c told him.

"Okay, how do we do that? You know where this planet is?"

"Indeed," Teal'c responded.

Makepeace looked apprehensively toward his commanding officer then. "Just one problem sir," he stated.

"Colonel?"

"Well according to Teal'c, the last recce of that planet ended in thousands of Jaffa becoming slaves to the natives!"

Hammond leant forward, his elbows resting on his desk. "That's an unacceptable risk Colonel," he intoned.

"We knew you'd say that sir, but we may just have come up with an answer to that particular problem!"

"And that is?"

"It won't work on women sir!" Colonel Makepeace imparted, his eyebrows knitting down into a frown. "So we could probably send a team consisting solely of female SGC members, and they'd be completely immune!"

"Are you serious?" Hammond exclaimed.

"As bizarre as that sounds sir," Makepeace concurred, "deadly!"

"General Hammond, there is a risk that if discovered, they will be attacked; there are no women on this planet," Teal'c stated.

"But," Makepeace added quickly, "we've got two special forces trained SF's of the female persuasion sir, and they'd not have to go that far from the gate."

"I see, so there is some risk involved?" Hammond asked. "Teal'c?"

"If I thought these women incapable, I would not have suggested it," he imparted.

"Well colonel, let's hope we can find enough women on the base!" Hammond stated.

"How many airmen on this base are women?" Teal'c enquired, drawing bemused expressions from both senior officers.

"Teal'c, we really have to work on your gender classification!" Makepeace opined.

********

"Our Pharaoh is pleased?" Hathor asked Jack as she wandered up behind him, standing over the crib in which his daughter nestled happily in her sleep.

"What can I say?" he told her softly, turning and taking her into his arms. "Wish I'd been here!"

"We were most unhappy with those that interfered," Hathor replied. "We are a goddess, such contact with slaves is forbidden!"

Jack closed his eyes, resting his cheek on her head. "Big responsibility, having a kid.

Means staying home, no wild parties, no killing people," he told her.

"We are noting a hint of accusation in our beloved’s voice?" she retorted, backing away from him. "Is he so easily distracted from the gift that we have presented him with?"

"No, of course not. It's just a little thing called humanity that's gonna keep cropping up every time you decide to plaster someone's head all over the place!" Jack asserted. "Not a real good influence on the kid!"

"Since we are the child's mother, we shall be the judge of what is best," she argued, turning sharply to face him once more. "We grow tired of this constant display of impudence!"

Jack's eyes narrowed then. "Impudence?" he repeated. "And that would be me?"

Hathor pulled back, realising she was perhaps pushing a little too far.  Moving toward him, a smile sweeping across her face, gracious in cession. "We are sorry that we challenged our beloved, perhaps our excuse must be the experience, new to us after so many millennia, of having given birth to our first child," she confided, resting her hands softly on his chest.

"Yeah." O'Neill once more engulfed her in his arms. "Guess that would make you a little cranky!"

She nestled her face into his neck, closing her eyes. "We are tired our beloved," she whispered.

Jack swept her up into his arms, carrying her to their bed. "Pretty tired myself actually," he told her, a glance back toward the crib, a smile sweeping across his face.

**********

"I have no idea!" Carter stated, as she, Dr. Fraiser, and five other women were summoned to General Hammond's office.

Janet's shrug of the shoulders indicating that she too was in the dark.

General Hammond finally appeared, with Colonel Makepeace and Teal'c flanking him. The women all stood to attention.

"At ease, Major Carter, Dr. Fraiser," he greeted. "I don't know the rest of you, but since time is of the essence, I'll have to be blunt!  We have a situation that you are all uniquely qualified to deal with. Colonel Makepeace?"

"Yes sir, thank you," Makepeace said, looking at the happy faces of those women who felt Hammond had just given them the ultimate sanction. "You're all aware of the situation with Colonel O'Neill," he began, unable to resist the thought of explaining the quality sooner rather than later. "We believe that Hathor is using some rare chemical to influence the Colonel emotionally. As women, you're in a position to help him!"

Hammond shook his head, the marine colonel obviously putting a dampener on this sense of achievement he'd created in the female contingent.

"Sir, exactly how are we, as women, in a position to help him?" Carter asked, making the point of Makepeace's assertion back at him.

"The alien race in question use some chemical derived from a plant major, women are immune, so you've all just volunteered to go out there, find the antidote and bring it back here!" Makepeace concluded.

"I'm sorry sir, how do we know this?" Janet asked curiously.

"Teal'c thought of it," Makepeace responded.

"But, it's just a theory right?" Carter pointed out. "Nothing substantiated?"

"Major, it's a stretch, I agree, but right now I'd be willing to bet that's exactly what's happening… unless you think Jack's really in love with Hathor that is?" Makepeace retorted.

"No sir, I don't!" Carter countered. "And I think I speak to for everyone here sir, in saying that if there's some way to get Hathor out of the picture, I'd like to try it!"

"Teal'c will brief you on what to expect, right now, unless there are any abstentions, or objections, I'd like all of you to prepare to ship out at 20:00" Hammond ordered.

Carter looked rightly justified now, she'd argued all along that O'Neill wouldn't, under normal circumstances, find himself besotted with a Goa'uld, much less leave the SGC to set up home with one.

Janet smiled at her. "My first off world mission, and I get to find a cure for something that keeps men under your thumb," she lamented. "Boy my luck just gets better and better!"

"Hey, look on the bright side," Carter remarked, as the two women walked toward the locker room.

"There's a bright side?" Fraiser asked.

"Sure, maybe General Hammond will let you give Colonel O'Neill the antidote, and watch his face when you tell him what he's been doing," Carter chimed.

A devilishly wicked grin permeated on the faces of both women, as they disappeared into the locker room.

*********

"Daniel can we not do this, I just woke up," Jack protested, as the archaeologist strode purposefully toward him.

"Sorry?" Jackson asked, taken quite by surprise. "I was just going to tell you, I've decided to go back to Earth," he imparted

Jack looked at him sharply. "You have?"

"Yep!" Daniel replied, "I figure you're not going to listen to anything I say, so I'm just wasting my time here."

O'Neill looked slightly confused by this about turn. "Daniel, are you trying to use reverse psychology on me?" he asked curiously, a bemused expression sweeping across his lopsided features.

"If I thought that would work, I'd try it," the archaeologist admitted. "But I don't think that I'm qualified to get past whatever dark forces are at work here, so I give up, I give in, and you can stay here and make happy with Hathor!"

"What?" Jack's amazed expression fell on Jackson roundly.

"I've got more important things to do," Daniel told him, his tone distracted. "Where did your people put my stuff?"

The grimace on the colonel’s face now contorted into a frown. "Your stuff?"

"Um, yes, my kit," Jackson told him. "How’s Iceni?"

O'Neill looked completely confused by the continuing change of topic.  "Fine," he replied bemused.

"Great, so look, I'll drop by every once in a while," Jackson said, holding out his hand toward the dubious looking colonel. "It's been, well you know!" Daniel added.

Jack reached out and shook his hand. "You're not joking right? This isn't some elaborate Daniel Jackson joke... you're actually going?"

"Yes, Jack I am," Jackson confirmed, turning away from O'Neill and heading out of the palace.

"Fine!" Jack snapped to himself, looking completely surprised by the whole conversation. Shaking his head, he turned and headed back to Hathor.

********

Carter stared at the Jaffa in disbelief. "No women on the planet at all?" she asked incredulously.

Teal'c raised his eyebrows. "Women cannot be controlled Major Carter, therefore they are banished or killed," he imparted.

"Killed?" Janet exclaimed. "Colonel Makepeace left that little gem out of the briefing!"

"Since you will only be briefly on this planet, and the Stargate is a great distance from the settlement, I doubt there will be any danger to you," Teal'c offered.

"You doubt?" Janet echoed. "That’s very reassuring, I'm sure!"

"So how come we get to go?" Lieutenant Laura Brice asked.

"The plants have blossom. The effect of their pollen is as harmful to men, as the effects from the root!" Teal'c informed her, a curious expression on his face. "Are the women of Earth not capable warriors?"

"Yeah, okay, thanks Teal'c!" Carter remarked.

"Off world activation!" the Tannoys announced. "Incoming wormhole, unauthorised activation!"

*********

Daniel, finally allowed to cross back to the SGC, emerged through the event horizon; the sight of the SF's a familiar one, the six women dressed in combats less so.

"Hi Sam," he greeted, descending the ramp. "Um, what's going on?"

"Daniel," Carter replied. "What's going on?"

"I just asked the same thing, but if you mean why am I back?" Jackson enquired, looking slightly dejected.  "I've given up hope of convincing Jack to use his powers against the Goa'uld. Sam, he's just not listening to me anymore!"

"Yeah, that would be the drug Hathor's using on him," Carter responded, that ‘I told you so’ persona, almost slapping Jackson in the face.

"Drug?" Jackson asked, his eyebrows dancing into his forehead. "What drug?"

"It's a long story, we're just going to ship out and try to find the plant that Teal'c thinks is responsible," Carter informed him.

"Um, hence the combats, why are you all going?" Jackson was now totally confused by this, the idea that a drug was being used easing the doubt he’d felt about O'Neill's actions and attitude, yet unable to process the information quickly enough in his mind.

"Because it has an adverse effect on men," Janet told him. "So us ladies get to go out there and play hero for a change!"

"Alone? Shouldn't you have at least some back up?" Jackson enquired.

"Daniel!" Carter exclaimed, amazed at hearing that coming from Jackson's lips. "That's sexist, we’re every bit as capable of carrying out a mission on our own, as you are!"

"Wait, I'll come with you," he offered.

"Can't do that I'm afraid," Carter replied, beginning to walk with the archaeologist from the embarkation room.

"Why?" he asked, pausing at the large fortified steel door.

"Because Dr. Jackson, last time I looked, you were a man?" Carter implied, a smile on her face.

"Yes, I know that, what's going on here?" Daniel's bemused expression caused her to broaden that smile.

"I'll let Teal'c explain," Sam told him.

"I really wish someone would!" Jackson commented.

*******

"Major are you all ready to ship out?" Hammond enquired, standing in the control room looking down at the team of women, all heavily armed.

"Yes sir!" Carter told him.

"Send the MALP!" Hammond ordered, watching the device creep slowly up the ramp, his eyes focusing on the screen.  The tropical looking planet revealed dense jungle, and little else. "Major, you have a go, we'll keep the wormhole established this end for communication, good luck!"

Carter regarded Janet a dubious expression crossing her features. "Let's go harvest the local plant life!" she remarked.

Janet nodded. "Well shouldn't be too hard to find, since it's in bloom right?" she agreed.

"I guess, otherwise we'll be picking a lot of flowers!" Carter replied, shaking her head at the prospect. “Oh that sucks!” she said pointedly.

“What?” Janet enquired.

“We get to go on a flower picking assignment, how apt is that, considering all the testosterone floating about here!” Carter complained.

“Well, it does a certain irony to it!” Janet agreed, a smile sweeping across her face. “Of course, you could look at it another way?”

Carter’s eyes filled with interest now, regarding Fraiser, wondering what gem she might present. “And that is?”

“Well, it takes a woman to go pick flowers, since it’s way too dangerous for the men!” she suggested.

“Oh, now that I can live with!” Carter agreed.

Daniel watched the monitors, Makepeace standing beside him. "I sure hope Teal'c's right, it would explain an awful lot!" he opined.

Makepeace nodded slowly. Like Jackson now did, he had harboured serious doubt as to the validity of O'Neill's feeling toward a Goa'uld.

His eyes fixed on the monitors, watching the unit disappear into the jungle.

********

"Daniel left a couple of hours ago," Jack responded, when Hathor seemed insistent on learning of his whereabouts.

"We are beginning to believe that he and the Tau'ri will seek to undermine us," she told O'Neill, her intense blue eyes staring at him coldly.

"Why would Daniel do that?" Jack replied, shaking his head, lifting Iceni from the crib and smiling at her.

"We have decided that our former home is far better a place for us, since the Tau'ri do not know the coordinates," Hathor insisted, crossing the room to gain O'Neill's attention from the child.

"Hey!" he complained, as she took Iceni from him, placing her into the arms of a slave girl. "What the hell are you doing?"

"We are leaving this world," she told him, her eyes beginning to emanate with the familiar light of the symbiote.

"Just hold on a minute, aren't you being just a little bit jumpy over nothing?" Jack asked, watching the slave take the child from the room, half wanting to go after her, yet knowing he'd need to clear up whatever problem Hathor perceived existed.

"We do not ask this, O'Neill," she spoke with the tone of the Goa'uld. "We demand it, the safety of our beloved, and our new child depend upon us."

Jack regarded her face closely. "What?" The colonel was obviously confused by the assertion, but he knew, deep down he knew this was coming.

"Have you not enjoyed the time we have spent together in one another's arms, our beloved, craved our pleasure?" she asked, her fingers tracing the lines of his lips.

His eyes fixed upon hers, the passion within, burning more intensely as she continued to caress his face, a sigh, breathless almost at her touch.

"Does not your body crave us?" she continued. "Almost as if your life depended upon it, like a drug?"

"Yes," he answered, lost in the embrace of her eyes.

"We shall feel so much happier, if our Pharaoh would grant us the safety we desire,"

Hathor said, knowing she had him, feeling his acquiescence.

"Okay, if it makes you happy," he agreed, his body tense, almost shaking under her delicate fingertips.

"We depart immediately," she said, taking his hand in hers and leading him to the rings, transporting him aboard the mothership.  "We have such plans for you," she cooed softly.

The colonel felt strangely desperate, almost light-headed at the thought of being with her, unable to clear his mind of the desire that permeated his senses. 

"We shall be safe with the knowledge, that where we take our beloved, there is no Stargate," she informed him.

Something told Jack he shouldn't allow this, that he was losing control of himself, of the situation, her hand felt small, delicate wrapped within his fingers, he couldn't focus clearly on anything. Her touch sent flame of desire coursing through him, his breath increasing as his heart rate soared out of control.

“I want you,” he whispered, completely intoxicated by her caress.

"Jaffa, kree!" Hathor ordered. "Take this vessel to Thebes."

Kalim regarded her, looking toward his master, he could sense now that she had control, his head bowed. 

"Where's that?" Jack asked, finally able to fight a way through his own desire.

"The home world of our father, and our dead husband, there we shall find the secrets to rule as we once did, and you and the system lords will serve us!" she told him.

Jack half smiled. "I see the golden oldies have come back to haunt us!" he remarked, a shake of the head. "That's not about to happen!" he insisted

"Our beloved is unwise to believe it so," she responded, a smile crossing her face, her eyes widening. "For we have power beyond even that of our beloved, we have the power of his life in our hands!"

Jack looked a little more guardedly toward her now, a feeling of déjà vu beginning to sweep over him. "Really? And what gave us that idea?" he replied, the monotone sarcasm lacing his tone once more, even with the raging inferno coursing through his body, the desperation to possess her once more, he knew he had to stop, to fight it.

"Did our Pharaoh really believe that we would be powerless against him?  Even now does he not crave the pleasures of our body?" Hathor teased provocatively, her hand across his chest.

"Are you trying to tell me something?" he demanded. "’Cause if you are, it’s kinda too subtle right now, so is there a point to it anytime in the near future?"

"Without us, our Pharaoh will die, that which he has taken from our lips, from our body, he will need forever more, or he will perish. To us, our beloved, you are addicted!" she told him.

O'Neill grabbed her wrist, anger flashing in his eyes. "What the hell are you talking about?" The realisation that the fire was beginning to become obsession, inflaming him even more.

"Perhaps," Hathor told him, bringing her body against his. "We should keep that which our Pharaoh needs, and show him how he can no longer live without that which we have placed in his body,"

Jack let go of her, moving back, feeling his whole body tremble as he did so, his eyes moved around the room, the realisation of what he already knew to be true sank in slowly. Feeling the horror rising inside him, his eyes closed as he tried to find an answer, something that might free him from her grasp.

Hathor took his hand. "Come our beloved, you need us!" she said.

The colonel felt a sense of delirium once more. The moment she touched him, his whole body burned with the desire, he wanted her, somewhere that voice inside him was screaming again, but this time he didn't want to listen.

Beyond Part 4 ends....continue to Beyond Part 5.

The End.

© Jaclyn 2001

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