Dreams, Fantasies and the ...

Title- Dreams, Fantasies, and the Unforgettable Reality
Author- Denise & Adi
E-mail - skydiver119@hotmail.com , dr_bev_crasher@hotmail.com

Category- Tag fic, Desperate Measures
Archive Heliopolis 2, anyone who wants it, just let us know
Season- 5
Spoilers – Desperate Measures, ITLOD, Divide and Conquer, Between Two Fires, Ascension, Jolinar's
Memories, 2001, TDYK, Singularity, The Curse, Double Jeopardy, Family, First Commandment
Rating- NC-17
Content Warning- Graphic Sex (just a bit), Language, Sexual Situations
Summary- Teal'c helps a friend out in her time of need
Disclaimer Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions,
Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for
entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The
original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted
elsewhere without the consent of the author.


Dreams, Fantasies and the Unforgettable Reality
By
Adi and Denise


Adi & Denise:
Great story!!! What a great epilog to Desperate Measures! Sam really had been through a lot for a week
and, as usual, the episode didn't go anywhere near any of that, making it look like she could just hop off
that gurney and go chase bad guys and be back to normal. Not!

You did a great Sam… not Super!Sam, just a very normal woman-type of person. And of course, T & S
had to get their signals crossed on the morning after so both figured they'd screwed up. I'm glad it
all came out right in the end!

You've done a great job of making T a well-rounded , um, being. Hey, the man can cook, he's a keeper!
(I'll bet he cleans house like nobody's business, too!!!)

Lots of wonderful images in it… T as a biker dude is great (and Jack's surprise at seeing him like that was
priceless!), but I'm holding out to see him in leathers… :oP~~~ And the afraid of heights thing…!!! Loved
it!

As usual, my comments/suggestions/fixes are in yellow. There's a few typos and some comma issues
(*every*body's got comma issues lately ), but nothing major. Certainly no plot holes or anything!

Thanks for the sneak peek at a great story!

Kate
_______________

In her dream she was back in the gateroom holding him in her arms, feeling his blood soaking through her
clothes. Jolinar was screaming her death scream in her mind and she screamed right along with her. Narim
had his hand on her left shoulder, it was cold and stiff and the grip was bruising. Orlin's presence hovered
close to her, a string of energy stroking her cheek, burning her skin. Joe stood in front of her, she could see
his shoes, but he didn't touch her. Instead his stare burned through her skull.

Dream knowledge told her that her team, her guys, were standing to the side whispering among
themselves. She wanted to cry out but her ghosts closed in from all sides, she was trapped.

"Help," she whispered, but only the dead heard. And then she was alone, which was even worse, and she
could tell that she was being watched. She turned and turned and turned but couldn't recognize the place
she was in . . . and the dark grew more and more and more suffocating.

She woke up with an inaudible gasp. She had learned to stifle her screams as a child after her mother died.
It was a skill that came in handy in recent years.

She took a deep breath and examined her surroundings. She was on a plane, tired, dehydrated and in
various stages of withdrawal. Her head was pounding and the back of her hand itched where an inept
physician's assistant had stuck in an IV before throwing her and Teal'c on a plane back to Cheyenne
Mountain. It made sense, neither she nor Teal'c could get an extensive attention by a doctor without the
proper security clearance. Still the fast paced changes were disorienting and Sam had to rely on Teal'c to
get her where she was going.

But he wasn't here right now, up talking to the pilot she guessed. He liked to do that, confer with pilots.
Maybe it was a Jaffa thing; maybe he just enjoyed it.

She glanced over to her right; Daniel was sitting beside the jury-rigged bed that the colonel was sleeping
on. Actually it looked like they were both asleep. She was oddly relieved; it saved them asking her
questions that she wasn't ready to deal with yet.

She absently took a sip of sports drink someone had pressed into her hand as she tried to remember the last
week. What day was it anyway? They'd grabbed her on Saturday morning, that much she knew. And it
wasn't likely that the guys noticed that she was gone until she was late Monday…But how much time had
elapsed since then? Long enough for them to fly to Seattle but…How long had they kept her? Oh God,
what if she'd been on a week's downtime? They'd have taken her and done their tests and likely have killed
her before they guys even noticed she was gone.

She felt her heart beat faster as her mind processed just how close she'd come to disappearing forever. In
an effort to calm herself she took another sip, the artificial sickly sweet grape taste exploding on her
tongue.

'Drink this.' A voice pulled her from the drug-induced stupor she was in. Not even Sokar's Blood had made
her feel this loopy. Forcing her eyes open she tried to focus upon the face swimming over her. Who was he?
Who cares, she was thirsty. Almost against her will she took the straw he stuck in her mouth and sucked in
the fluid. A sweet fruit flavor filled her mouth and flowed down her throat. It was warm and frankly
unappetizing, but she was too thirsty to care.

All too soon he took it away, leaving her wanting more. 'Don't want you making a mess now do we?' he
said as her mind cleared thanks to the sugar.

Tearing her gaze from his she looked around, seeing the green tile walls clean but covered with a fine layer
of dust. Where was she? The walls of the infirmary were concrete not…she tried to move and found that she
couldn't, her hands and feet restrained. "What's going on? Where am I?" She asked, her voice rusty and
thin, her tongue barely working to form the words.

With a smug look he turned and left the room, leaving her laying there, her mouth still full of the sweet
flavor.


Shaking herself from the flashback she stared at the plastic bottle in her hand. Were they drugging her
again? NO. It wt tht them, she was with the guys. Her stomach roiled and she knew what was coming.
Dropping the bottle she yanked the IV from her hand and made her way back to the restroom on spaghetti
legs. She barely made it to the toilet before she threw up the meager contents of her stomach, then heaved
some more until her abdomen ached with the effort.

Done, she splashed her face with shaking hands, her eyes straying to the mirror, not really believing who
she saw there. That was her, right? She was Samantha Carter…they hadn't switched her body, had they?
She couldn't remember. Was she still Sam Carter or was she just some big lab rat to be studied and
discarded?

Her mind too tired to work it out, she left the bathroom. Feeling distinctly light headed, she sat down on a
small bench seat before she fell down. Tired. She was so tired. And cold. She'd been so cold so long; it was
almost like the Antarctic, her body cold both inside and outside.

Spying a small lap blanket she pulled it from the cushions and wrapped it around her shivering shoulders. A
nap. That's what she needed, a nap. Lying on her side swaddled on the blanket she closed her eyes. It'd all
be better in the morning. That's what dad always said. Better in the morning. She'd just wait until then.

Teal'c left the cabin of the small jet fresh from relaying information to General Hammond and ascertaining
their time of arrival at Peterson Air Force Base. The general promised to have transportation waiting for
them on the tarmac so O'Neill and Major Carter could be conveyed to the infirmary with all efficiency.

Both of them required medical assistance. A physician at the military hospital in Seattle had treated O'Neill
and he knew that the man would recover fully. It was Major Carter that he was most concerned about. He'd
watched as the adrenaline from her rescue and search for the goa'uld had faded and the woman had seemed
to wilt, quietly drawing into herself.

Captivity was difficult upon a person, solitary captivity even worse. He knew that when the four of them
were incarcerated they drew upon each other for strength and comfort. She'd had none of that. He
continued through the cabin, stopping when he found her seat empty, and the IV efficiently pumping fluid
into the upholstery.

Fighting down the panic, where could she go in the small space, he searched for her, his eyes lighting upon
her curled up blanket shrouded form on one of the bench seats. Sighing he crossed to her and knelt at her
side.

She was asleep, her mouth slightly open. Worried he reached out a hand and wrapped it around her wrist,
checking her pulse. It was slower than normal but still acceptable he believed given that she was asleep
and undoubtedly still had sedatives in her system.

He looked back at the IV bag and knew that she should still have the device in her vein. However he did
not know how to re-insert the needle, neither did Daniel Jackson.

Recalling his conversation with the pilot he knew that they would be in Cheyenne Mountain in a couple of
hours. Taking off his long jacket he laid it over her then settled into a nearby chair. He would let her sleep
for now.


Sam slowly woke up, keeping her eyes closed as she listened to her surroundings. She was lying flat on her
back and the room was cool, uncomfortably cool. She fought the urge to roll over and curl up. She couldn't
let them know she was awake. Why not? She couldn't remember. She could hear low voices in the hall.
They echoed like the room was underground or empty. She could feel fear welling up in her chest, making
her heart pound. Correspondingly she could hear the rhythmic beep of a cardiac monitor speed up. Just like
before. When was before? She could remember listening to the beeping for hours, long boring hours while
she strained her ears to hear a sound, any other sound other than her own breathing over the beeping.

'It must have been an incredible experience.'

The greedy face of the 'doctor' wanting to hear all about Jolinar the same way Janet had pressed her for
details of the lunch she'd shared with Joe. His face anticipatory and eager for her to confide in him about
things she'd never talked to the guys about, much less some asshole that had her tied to a bed.


Oh God, was she still there? She heard the beeps come faster and faster as she tried to both still her
runaway heart and see if she could move. Ssshhh. They'd hear her, they'd know she was awake. She had to
get out of here. Discovering that her hands would move, she sat up, squinting aganst the light. She pulled
the leads off the sticky pads stuck to her chest and heard the annoying machine fall silent. Feeling a tug on
her left arm she looked and saw the needle and tubing taped, dumping God only knows what into her veins.
No more. They wouldn't drug her anymore. She reached for the IV, stuggling to make her numb fingers
pick at the layers of tape securing it to her skin. Get it out, she had to get it out. She had to get away before
they came back. She couldn't get under the tape, why weren't' her nails longer?

"Sam? What are you doing?" Two small hands settled over hers, stilling her frantic clumsy movements.
No. They were back! They'd stop her, do more tests. She tried to pull her arm away from the hands. She
had to get it out. "Sam!" One of the hands left her arm and grabbed her chin, making her look up. What?
Janet wasn't there? Was she hallucinating now? "Sam. It's ok. You're back at the SGC," her friend said.
"You're ok. They brought you back home, remember?"

"Janet?" It was real? They'd really come? It hadn't all been a dream?

"Yeah." The doctor smiled at her. "And I'd really rather you didn't yank that out, I think it's the last
uncorrupted vein I could find."

Sam stared stupidly dow her her arm noticing several bruises of various sizes and colors with the one on the
back of her hand the most livid. She had vague memories of IV's or needles, them giving her drugs or
taking blood like a warped pusher vampire. "What happened?" she whispered trying to get her bearings.
The plane. That's right, they'd been on the plane, she'd felt so sick.

Janet released her arm and stood back a bit now that the danger was apparently gone. Damnit, she hadn't
meant to leave her alone, she had a feeling that Sam's awakening was going to be a rough one. Actually,
she'd pretty much known it the moment she'd seen Teal'c carrying the semi-conscious body of their friend
into the infirmary. Only Colonel O'Neill's rivaled Sam's stubbornness when it came to being 'hauled
around'. All it took was a peek at her unfocused eyes and a quick listen to her low mutterings for Janet to
know that Sam was so far out of it she'd likely have little to no memories of the rescue and plane trip home.
And just like the colonel, Sam had a habit of waking up swinging, likely a defense mechanism from waking
up in too many alien places over the years.

Reaching out, she snagged a cup of water and handed it to Sam, who took it with shaking hands. "I think
you had a reaction to something they gave you. Teal'c went up to the cockpit and came back to find you
asleep on one of the benches. He didn't really think anything about it until they couldn't wake you when the
plane landed." She didn't tell her about the panicked call she'd received when her teammates realized she
wasn't asleep but unconscious, or about how she'd been carried into the base cradled in Teal'c's arms.
There'd be time for that later. Sam nodded, sipping the few ounces of water in the cup. When it was empty
she held it out and Janet poured some more in. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Sam said quickly. "Can you take this out?" She held up her IV encumbered left arm.

"You're not fine. And no, I'm not taking it out. You're dehydrated, hypo-glycemic and more than a bit
traumatized. Not to mention the fact that your muscles don't take kindly to being forcibly un-used for a
week then immediately put back into use. Plus, I have no idea what drugs those guys have been giving you
and how they'll react with the naquadah in your blood. I want to keep you in here for a bit until all that
stuff's out of your system."

Sam looked around the infirmary feeling panic well up in her chest. NO. She couldn't stay here. She shook
her head and let the cup slip from her fingers as her right hand again started to pick at the tape.

"Sam!" Janet reached quickly for Sam's hand.

"I can't, I…please Janet I gotta get out of here," she begged.

"Sam. What's wrong? I know you don't like the infirmary but…"

"It's just like where…." She trailed off and Janet stared at her friend in horror. Damn, why hadn't she put it
together before? Saint Christina's. Where better to experiment on a person than a hospital?

"It looked like this?"

Her eyes closed Sam nodded. "A gurney and …they used those restraints like you used on Teal'c…"
Her voice trailed off again and she drew up her legs to her chest and curled her body up.

"Sam…did they…hurt you?" She asked gently. Her exam hadn't shown any bruising in that area, and
neither had the exam, but she had to know for sure.

"What?" Sam asked puzzled. "No," she responded still staring off at the distance. Janet stared at her friend
pulling into herself, burying her emotions deep inside until she could build that wall of her reserve up to its
usual dizzying heights.

It was something she'd seen her friend do one too many times over the last five years. And each time she
rebuilt those walls, the foundations got a little shakier. It was time for a little mudjacking.

"Come on," she said, lowering the bed rail and reaching for the bag hanging from the pole. Sam shot her a
startled look. "Come on," Janet repeated holding out a steadying hand. Sam took it and got carefully to her
feet. Janet led her friend into her office. "The stupid thing may be old but it's comfortable," she said,
referring to the ugly green couch residing against one wall. "I'll make you a deal. You get the couch and
when that IV is done in a couple of hours I'll take it out, if you make an effort to eat what I bring down here
in a while," Janet bargained knowing she'd made the right call when she saw Sam relax.

"Deal," she agreed sitting down on the couch. It took a couple of minutes to get her situated and bedding
dragged from a closet. Within minutes she was asleep and after disabling the ringer on the telephone Janet
slipped out, quietly closing the door behind her with a sigh.

Now what? Sam sleeping in her office was a stop gap measure at best. She needed time and space to get
over what had happened. Oh well, she had a couple of hours to come up with something.

Teal'c walked into the infirmary fresh from briefing the general on the events in Seattle. He knew the man
had more questions, namely who could have shot O'Neill, however those questions would have to wait until
the general could speak with the colonel since he was not just the victim, he was the only witness to the act.
"O'Neill," he said, seeing the man sitting up his left hand scrubbing his face.

"Teal'c. What's up?" Jack asked, banishing the last bit of sleep from his brain. Man did Fraiser's happy juice
pack a punch.

"I have just come from briefing General Hammond. He desires to hear your accounting of the events as
soon as you feel able to relate them," Teal'c said, coming to stand by his friend's bedside.

"It was dark, Conrad's eyes glowed, Maybourne shot me, what more is there to tell?" Jack complained,
shifting a bit and wincing as the bruised muscles in his back complained, loudly. "The next time I see that
slimy, smarmy son of a …"

"Colonel, glad to see you're awake," Janet said exiting her office, quietly shutting the door behind her.
"And would you keep your voice down please?" She asked, crossing over to his bed. "People are trying to
sleep."

Jack shot a glance over at the bed half hidden by a curtain. "How is she?"

"Actually she's asleep in my office," Janet said. "Colonel, it would help if you could tell me anything about
what happened."

Jack sighed. "I don't know for sure. They had a goa'uld which those two bone head doctors put in Conrad to
heal his….whatever. Since she's the only person on earth that's been an ex-host they thought that she had
some way to get the snake outta him once he was healed. I don't know for sure what happened, we didn't
have time to really talk," Jack said.

"So you have no idea what drugs they may have given her?"

Jack shook his head. "No. Right when we got in there they were about to give her something but I didn't
pay any attention," Jack answered flashing back to those frantic moments, how his and Harry's steps had
quickened when they heard the distinctive sounds of a struggle, the way his heart had stopped when he'd
seen the white coat clad goon hovering over her, needle at the ready.

"It was this," Teal'c said, drawing a bottle out of his pocket. "I retrieved it and the other drugs before the
local police secured the scene."

"I'm going to want to run some tests on those, Teal'c." Janet took the bottle from him. "Potassium
Chloride?" she asked in horror.

"Doc?"

"It's lethal within minutes," she reported, blanching a bit. No wonder her friend had been so rattled. She had
to have known, or at least suspected.

"Damn," Jack muttered. "One more stoplight," he said, remembering his impatience at how long their drive
from the airfield to the abandoned hospital was taking.

"Colonel, do you think Daniel would mind having a roommate for a few days?" Janet asked.

"Doc?"

"Sam wants out of here. And given what happened, I can understand why but…"

"You do not think she should be alone," Teal'c interjected.

"Normally, I'd say that she's a big girl, but after what's happened in the last few months…" Janet paused.
"She's told me that she's been thinking about selling her house and I know she's not comfortable there
anymore. I'd have her over, but Cassie's having some friends over this weekend and I'm going to be up to
my ears in teenage girls for three days."

"I know Daniel wouldn't mind, but he's leaving for Chicago tomorrow. The police are closing the books on
Sarah's disappearance and they need to talk to him," Jack said. "Maybe he could put it off for a couple of
days, or she could go with him."

"There is no need for that," Teal'c said.

"Teal'c?"

"I can go to her home with Major Carter and stay with her," he offered.

"Aah, Teal'c. I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"Why not, O'Neill?"

"We can't be totally sure we got all the bad guys. And if they loved getting their hands on her, they'd have a
field day with you," Jack said imagining the feathers that could fly if the NID's two most wanted lab rats
were conveniently located in the same unsecured place.

"What if we got the general to authorize a security team to stay outside and keep an eye on them? Then if
anyone tried anything there would be help handy?" Janet suggested.

Jack thought about it a minute. Actually, it wasn't a bad idea. He was sure Hammond would go for it, the
general had a soft spot about the size of Colorado for Carter. He also knew that the Jaffa would protect
their friend with his life if need be. It was something Carter knew as well. "It just might work," he said,
looking at Janet.

"I'll call the general," she offered eagerly. "She should be awake in a couple of hours, Teal'c."

He nodded. "I shall prepare and return at that time." He said and left the room.


A tugging sensation pulled Sam from her sleep and she opened her eyes. Janet was leaning over her, the
spent IV in her hands. "Perfect timing," she said. "Ed just brought this up." She reached behind her for the
tray that had just been delivered from the commissary.

"Already?" Sam slowly sat up; pushing the blanket to one side while Janet set the tray down on the other
side. The doctor picked up the cover revealing some scrambled eggs and toast.

Sam instinctively sniffed and felt her mouth water. She literally couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten.
Picking up the fork she concentrated on eating.

"Have I got a deal for you?" Janet rolled her office chair next to Sam.

"What?" Sam asked around a bit of toast.

"You can go home, once I get one last blood sample. And you have a week off…as long as Teal'c stays
with you."

Sam shot Janet a startled look. "The general would never go for it."

"He's already signed off on it."

"Janet. I don't need a baby sitter. I'm fine," Sam protested.

"Maybe you don't need a baby sitter but maybe they need to be one. Sam. They were worried, really, really
worried. The Colorado Springs PD probably hates the sight of Daniel by now, General Hammond called in
more than a few favors and the colonel used his own connections to try and find something out. They
weren't going to stop until they found you. You may have to make some allowances for them when they
start acting all clingy."

"Clingy?" Sam asked skeptically. Clingy was not a word she usually associated with the guys.

"Ssh. Don't tell them I said anything. It'll ruin their macho image," she said impishly.

Sam sighed. "I really hadn't been looking forward to going home alone," she admitted quietly.

"Then it's a deal. You finish eating. I'll go get you some clothes. I do think the general wants a quick word
with you, then you're on vacation for the next week."


Sam sat in the passenger seat of the staff car watching the scenery flash by. It was surreal, almost as though
the last week had been a bad dream. For the most part she felt the same, just a few sore spots and a
lingering headache left as physical reminders of what had happened. And add to that she only had enough
real memories to fill a day, perhaps two of her captivity, and it seemed even more like a dream.

But it wasn't. It had really happened. Yet another legacy of Jolinar. Not only did she have different
physiology, random memory flashes and the ability to use goa'uld technology, but now she was a lab rat,
not for the goa'uld, but for her own kind. The very people she was supposed to be able to trust.

That was the part about this whole thing that scared her the most, she'd lost her last safe haven.

"Ma'am." The voice of the driver pulled her from her thoughts. They were parked in front of her house and
the Sargent was staring at her expectedly.

"Ooh. Thank you Sargent," She said, opening her door as Teal'c did the same, unfolding his large frame
from the back seat. They both slammed their doors shut and the Sargent drove off, leaving the pair
standing on the front walk.

"Keys," Sam said suddenly.

"Major Carter?"

"My house keys. I had them…I…we can't get in," she said feeling frustration well up. Damnit, those ass
holes had stolen a week of her life and now they'd robbed her of the simple right of getting into her own
home.

"Gaining access will not be a problem," he said, pulling out her keys from the large bag he was carrying
and handing them to her.

"Where did you find these?"

"While insuring that no classified material remained at the hospital, we discovered a box containing your
possessions and took custody of them," he said.

"Thanks," she grinned. "I wasn't looking forward to canceling all my credit cards and getting a new driver's
license." She opened the door and he followed her into the dim interior. It looked pretty much like it had
when she'd left last Saturday morning with the exception of the pile of mail on the hall table and the blinds
being down. "Make yourself at home," she said tossing her keys on the table, pointedly ignoring the
teetering pile of mail. She'd deal with it later. "I think I'm going to take a bath."

"Major Carter." He reached into his bag and drew out a bottle, which he handed to her.

"Calgon?" she asked, reading the label on the pink bottle.

"Have you not expressed your preference for bubble baths?"

She laughed, for what felt like the first time in weeks. "This is perfect. I'm gonna go…"

"I shall make myself at home," he said, a knowing look on his dark face. She disappeared down the hall,
her mind going no further than gallons and gallons of steaming water and millions of bubbles.

Sam slowly slid into the steaming water reminded again exactly why she'd bought the house. True it was in
a good quiet neighborhood, except for when she had aliens visiting that is, it wasn't too far away from
work, and there was a lovely park right across the street. But the one thing that sold her on the house was
the bathtub. As stupid as it was, she'd fallen in love with the cast iron tub the second she'd laid eyes on it.
It was an antique claw footed monstrosity that was capable of holding untold gallons of water, the kind of
bathtub that screamed 'soak in me' in a loud voice.

She laid back, almost totally submerged in bubbles, and let the warmth of the water sink into her muscles.
She'd dreamed of her bathtub, literally. While not sparing a dime in aringring a goa'uld and keeping the
creature happy, Conrad's people had apparently decided that heating was optional on their hospital. She'd
been uncomfortably cold the first time she'd awoke and the chill just seemed to get worse with each
successive awakening. By the time the colonel showed up, she'd felt warmer in the Antarctic.

As she soaked, she let her mind wander. Bits and pieces of the memories of the last few days swirled in her
brain. She remembered the goons grabbing her out of the parking lot, her instinctive reaction to fight them,
then waiting for someone to yell stop, cut, or something because it just couldn't be real. It had to be some
sort of warped training exercise or something. She'd held onto that frail hope right until she felt the needle
plunge into her thigh.

She remembered waking up the first time thinking for a minute that something had happened off world
again like when she'd passed out from the radiation.

Perversely enough, it had been a sort of relief to realize that whoever the bad guys were it had something to
do with the SGC. At least they weren't interested in her per se, rather what she was. She honestly didn't
know if she could handle it if they'd raped her. Although if that one had his way….

"Major Carter?" Teal'c's voice pulled her out of her dark thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"You have been quiet for quite some time. I wished to ascertain that you were well."

She sat up realizing that the water had cooled significantly. "I'm fine. I'll be out in a bit." She reached down
and turned on the hot tap to warm the bath water up. Running her hands over her stubbly legs she reached
for her razor. No wonder she'd been so itchy. Finished with her legs, she turned off the water and laid back,
this time ducking her head under the water so she could wash her hair. To hell with last week. It was
history. She and Teal'c had a week off and she wasn't going to spend it moping around her house.

Hearing the bathroom door open Teal'c looked up to see Sam padding down the hall wearing sweats and a
T-shirt. Her hair was damp and her cheeks glowed from the heat of the wat"Wha"What are you watching?"
she asked sitting on the couch.

"I believe it is a game show." He got to his feet and walked into the kitchen handing her the remote on the
way.

"That's right, it is the middle of the day. There's probably nothing on but soaps, talk shows and game
shows." He heard the sound of channels changing and knew that she was 'surfing'.

He walked back into the living room carrying two large mugs of hot chocolate. While his team mate had
been asleep on Doctor Fraiser's couch he'd spoken with the healer about what he should look out for and
what he could do to help her recover.

He owed Doctor Fraiser a great debt for her allowing him to 'baby-sit' his friend. It had been many years
since he'd felt as helpless as he had while she'd been missing. Daniel Jackson, O'Neill and General
Hammond had all had roles to play in trying to find Major Carter, yet he had been able to do nothing until
the time had come to search the hospital. Feeling so useless and extraneous was a foreign feeling for him.

She looked up at he held out the mug to her. "Thanks," she said accepting it. "You're not here to wait on
me, you know?" She sniffed the cocoa appreciatively.

He didn't respond, settling for merely raising his eyebrow. One of Doctor Fraiser's suggestions had been to
ply the major with a multitude of small snacks whenever he could. To that end he'd spoken with the cook at
the SGC and sought the man's advice on which foods he could prepare for his friend. He knew she was a
capable warrior, however it made him feel better to do even a small thing for her, like making a cup of
cocoa.

"What would you like to do?"

"Major Carter?"

"We have a week off, Teal'c. And I don't really want to spend all of it here. What would you like to do? We
could go to Denver, or maybe Cripple Creek if you want to gamble."

"I do not know. What activities would you like participate in this week?"

She sipped her cocoa. "You know, I have no idea." She stopped and started to laugh causing him to look at
her in concern.

"Major Carter?"

"You know, the last time I has a week off I had an alien in my living room then, too," she said. "Ok.
Whatever we do we can't involve the SWAT team. My neighbors already think I'm a drug dealer or
something."

"Since I lack the knowledge to construct a stargate from kitchen appliances, we should commit no acts
requiring their assistance," he said gaining a roll of her eyes. "We should spend the rest of today at rest,
perhaps obtaining food from an outside source, then decide upon a recreational activity for tomorrow."

She shrugged and laid back with a sigh. "I can do couch potato for a day." He sat back and watched her flip
through the channels for the next several minutes her body relaxing and her eyes slowly closing.


He watched her sleep for about an hour, then guessing that she would be more comfortable in her bed
rather than on the sofa, he carefully plucked the remote from her nerveless fingers, picked her up in his
arms and carried her into her bedroom.


After tucking her in, he slipped out the back door of her house and sat down on her back stoop. As he
absently watched the gathering clouds of a typical afternoon thunderstorm he thought and planned their
activities for the next day.

She couldn't sit up! She couldn't see! She couldn't feel! Sounds, unintelligible and otherwise, left her
mouth but she couldn't hear them. They stole it! They stole her senses like they wanted to steal he life. A
great flash of light illuminated her surroundings. An empty hospital room, a metal tray with gleaming
instruments, her mother's quilt at the foot of the bed, tinted windows close to the ceiling . . . her mother's
quilt?

Slowly, so slowly, her panic receded. She couldn't sit up because she was already sitting up, she couldn't
see because the lights were off, the only illumination an occasional brilliant flash of lightening. She
couldn't hear herself because her hands covered her mouth, silencing her. Lighting lit up the room follow clo closely by rolling thunder. She was home, she was . . . safe? No, not safe, not here, not for awhile, maybe
never again.

She slipped off the bed and padded toward the kitchen. She needed a drink, something that would warm
her whole body and burn on the way down. Her currently rampant paranoia, along with the drugs still in her
system, made getting drunk a very bad idea, but she wanted, no needed, escape and for some reason was
slightly hesitant about leaving her house.

"Getting sarcastic in my old age." Her voice was loud even through the thunder. It was comforting and
disturbing at the same time. On one hand it proved that she was there, that she was alive, on the other hand
silence, her silence, had been the one thing she was able to control while strapped to the bed and pumped
full of drugs.

The light was off in the kitchen, she didn't think much of it until she flicked the switch and nothing
happened.

"Great," she muttered to herself. "Storm must've knocked the power out." She briefly contemplated
making a fire but decided that she really didn't have the energy. Resting her head on the cool wall, Sam
pictured in her mind's eye where she had left the bottle of rum, and the obstacles in her way.

And then there was someone touching her. She lashed out with fists and feet and teeth and even after she
recognized her "attacker", she kept fighting. She couldn't stop, they had kept her from fighting back and
the one chance she had had she had lowered the gun. She was a soldier, she was trained to defend herself,
and they barely given her room to struggle.

"MajorCarter." Teal'c tried to reassure the thrashing woman. "It is I. Teal'c." Her frantic movements
didn't lessen.

"I know damn it! I know!" He allowed her to hit him, only blocking the more potentially painful or
dangerous attacks. Eventually she slumped against him, spent. "I'm sorry," she gasped/sobbed into his
chest. "I'm sorry."

He wrapped his arms around her and impulsively kissed the top of her head. "It is alright, MajorCarter.
You are safe now."

At that Sam stiffened and pulled away. "Yeah sure, safe." She moved away from him, once more intent on
getting a drink. Ignoring the presence behind her, her fingers grabbed the bottle off the cabinet. Feeling
suddenly claustrophobic, she shunned the couch and instead went to the back door. Her fingers worked the
lock easily even in the dark and she slipped outside, pausing for a moment to breathe deeply of the damp
air.

Not caring that the surface was damp she sat on the edge of the stoop, unscrewing the lid and taking a large
slug of the alcohol. She could feel it burn its way down to her stomach, warming her from the inside. Times
like this she wished she smoked, she thought, desperately needing the stress relief. She took another drink,
wiping her mouth off on the back of her hand as she studied the clouds. The lightening was lessening in
intensity and the storm was moving away. Between the faint rumbles of thunder, she could hear the whish
of car tires on the asphalt and the rhythmic clicking of a train passing miles away.

She drank again and closed her eyes, unconsciously pulling her knees up to her chest. She didn't know how
long she sat there, lost in her thoughts and the tiny buzz of the potent drink, but it was long enough for the
thunder to start up again as another cell moved over her house. Dispassionately, she listened to it grow
louder and louder. "The calm before the storm," she whispered as the first drops began to fall.

She sat there, letting it rain on her. Maybe it'd make her clean, wash away all those tiny things that made
her different. Maybe it'd make the haunted feeling go away? Maybe it'd cleanse her of the feeling of that
slimy jerk's…A handher her shoulder startled her, making her scream and shy away, falling awkwardly off
the stoop, her bottle of alcohol slipping from her grasp.

"Major Carter. I did not mean to startle you," Teal'c said, standing back. He offered her his hand but she
ignored it, scrambling to her feet without his help.

"Damn it, Teal'c! Don't ever do that!" She yelled, pushing past him. He ruined it, he had to go and ruin it.

"Major Carter…"

"NO! Just leave me the hell alone!" she screamed at him running into the house and into her bedroom,
slamming the door behind her. God, why wouldn't they leave her alone, she needed to be alone. She
couldn't do this in front of anyone. Her hands shaking. she crawled back under the covers pulling them up
over her . Sh. She curled herself up into a ball trying to get warm. Nothing happened, she told herself. It's
not the first time some guy's eyed you or coped a feel. Just forget about it.

She felt Teal'c enter the room almost before she heard the door open and silently she sighed. Persistent little
bugger.

"Major Carter, should I call Doctor Fraiser?" He asked, carefully keeping his distance.

She shook her head, and then realizing he couldn't see it answered aloud. "No."

"Perhaps if there is something that is upsetting you, if you tell me I can fix ite sue suggested.

"You can't change the past."

"Something happened that upsets you."

With a sigh, she pushed back the covers, her eyes barely able to see him in the dim light coming in through
the windows. "Some asshole kidnapped me and tied me to a bed for a week. Good way to ruin your day,"
she quipped cringing as she heard herself. She had been hanging around the colonel too long.

"No. There is more. Something else happened that you have not told us."

"Nothing."

"Major Carter, in five years this is the first time you have told me a falsehood. I believe there is a saying, 'a
burden shared is a burden halved'?"

"It's…nothing really happened," she confessed. "It's…one of the guys, he…he'd look at me…funny. He
thought having a symbiote was neat. He was thrilled to meet me, like I was some celebrity or something. I'd
wake up sometimes and he'd be standing over me…looking at me."

"Did he violate you?"

"No. There was a few times when I'd wake up and my hand would feel warm or maybe my leg like he'd
been touching me or something, but he never DID anything. It's just…if he wanted to, there wasn't a damn
thing I could have done," she said, unfelt tears falling from her eyes. "Hell, as drugged up as they kept me,
I would have slept right through it." She felt a presence sit on the bed, pulling her into his arms. This time
she didn't resist but melted into it, wrapping her arms around him and drawing from his strength. Silently,
she cried as he rocked her like he would a child.

Finally the tears stopped and she still laid there, knowing that she should move yet not wanting to. Just on
the edge of sleep she felt him shift, preparing to get up and leave her. "Stay," she said, tightening her hold.

"Major Carter?"

"I…there's plenty of room," she invited, releasing him and throwing back the covers. With a slight nod he
joined her, lying on his back next to her. She curled up next to him and pulled the quilt back up, cocooning
both of them in its warmth. Calmed by his quiet breathing, she was asleep in minutes.


Sam awoke to the unfamiliar but not unwelcome feeling of someone sleeping in her bed with her. She
didn't need to open her eyes to know it was 6'3" of Jaffa she was spooned up to. The real question was
why? The breeze coming in the open window was cool but not hypothermia inducing cold. Maybe Jaffas
are afraid of the dark? She smothered a giggle at the incongruous thought.

"Major Carter, you are awake?" her companion rumbled quietly in her ear.

"Mmm. What time is it?" she asked, still not opening her eyes. He must have had a good reason to crawl
into bed with her. And it certainly didn't feel bad to have a nice warm body nestled against hers.

"Three in the morning. You have slept for several hours. Would you like something to eat?"

She shook her head. "Not hungry. You?"

"I do not require sustenance at the present time."

"Teal'c, not that I mind but…"

"Why am I asleep in your bed?"

"Yeah."

"You insisted that I not leave you," he reminded softly.

"Oh. Right. I'm sorry I…"

"There is no need to apologize," he reassured.

"It's silly. I haven't been afraid of the dark…."

"Since you were two," he finished. She could hear the smile in his voice.

"Yeah."

"When I was a young child a large predatory creature lived in the forests surrounding our home. It is very
similar to your wolf. As the sun would set these animals would call to each other in a most haunting voice.
For many years I would fear the coming of night and the creature's call."

"What happened?" She asked after he stopped. She could feel him sigh, his chest rising against her back.

"My father was murdered and we fled to Chulak. There are no such creatures there. Oddly enough, I find
myself missing the wails of the animals."

Hearing the sadness in his voice, she caressed his arm that was lying over her stomach. "It must be hard for
you, being so far away from home."

"I do miss my home. However, even now with the death of Heru'ur, it is not safe. I do not know who has
taken possession of the planet. Drey'ac and Ry'ac are safer on the Land of Light."

"I had a friend, she lived in Israel. People kept fighting…still do, over who owns what. There's so much
that we take for granted that was precious to her."

"What happened to your friend?"

"I'm not sure, we lost contact. Every time I hear that something's happened over there, I think of her."
They laid there for several more minutes, her eyes watching the filmy curtain billow slightly in the breeze,
her hand absently caressing his arm as she felt his fingers run through her hair. Oddly enough, she wasn't
uncomfortable lying so intimately with her teammate. It felt pleasingly reassuring.

"We…I was most concerned when your disappearance was discovered," he said quietly, his voice sounding
loud in the stillness of the room.

"When did you know?" she asked, grateful that she was lying with her back to his front, the lack of eye
contact making it easier to talk somehow.

"That Monday morning. When you did not arrive at the appointed time for our debriefing for the next
mission, we grew concerned. O'Neill called, then traveled to your home thinking perhaps that you were ill.
It took several hours to determine that your absence was not a voluntary one."

"That's what I thought. I mean you guys have no reason to call me on the weekend, and even if you did
you'd probably think I was out or something," she said remembering the sinking feeling that in the nearly
forty eight hours that they'd held her before her disappearance had been discovereat sat she could have
been taken almost anywhere in the world. That simple fact had scared her above all others. Disappearing
was bad enough, disappearing and having no one notice was worse.

"Do you recall much of your capture?"

She shook her head, stilling his fingers. "Just bits and pieces. I'd wake up and they'd give me more drugs,
then when I'd wake up again I never knew if it'd been a few minutes or hours. It wasn't until they needed
me conscious enough to answer some questions that I could stay awake for any length of time. I almost
made it out," she confessed.

"How did this happen?" He asked, not only out of a desire to know but also sensing that she needed to tell
someone.

"I got a hold of a scalpel and cut through the restraints. I actually made it to the exit but it was locked and
then Conrad was there." She shrugged. "Maybe I should have shot him? I don't know if his guards would
have shot me."

"But you did not fire?" He asked picturing the mental image of his teammate strapped to the bed, spending
hours cutting through the heavy leather restraints. It spoke of her desperation, also of her determination.

"I thought maybe I could talk my way out. I mean I had no idea where I was, what was beyond that door.
Maybe I made a mistake."

"You made a tactical decision. Had the environment outside been a hostile one, you would not have
survived long."

"So instead I calmly let them handcuff me to a bed," she said bitterly.

"If prophetic fore-sight were common, there is much we could have avoided," he responded.

She chuckled, letting his sage advice lift her from her dark mood. He was right, if she'd have killed Conrad
then they'd have had no reason to keep her alive as long as they did. As it was, it had been a close thing.

She'd read the label on the bottle. A couple more minutes and she'd be lying on a slab right now instead of
in her teammate's arms. If her brain hadn't have been still foggy from the drugs, she'd have kissed the
colonel when he'd burst into the room with the fine sense of timing usually only found in TV movies. If she
was a romantic at heart, she'd be having fantasies about silver haired colonels on white steeds. God, to be
the fem fatale. How completely and utterly embarrassing.

A perverse part of her was grateful that he'd been hurt. While he was fussing and grousing in the infirmary,
folks could just forget about her part in the whole thing.

She sighed and shifted her position a bit, unconsciously snuggling closer to him. She froze, feeling the
unmistakable poking of an erection against her backside.

"Aah, Teal'c…" she felt herself flush in embarrassment. This was something she'd never dealt with, not
from a teammate anyway.

"Yes."

"Umm…Do you want me to move?" She asked, looking for an easy way out.

"That is not necessary unless it disturbs you."

"Umm…well. Disturb might be the wrong word."

"You feel embarrassment."

"Let's just say this is a side of you I'm not used to," she laughed.

His hand moved across her stomach, his fingertipsessiessing the skin through the fabric of her T-shirt.
Almost despite herself, she felt her heartbeat quicken.

"I do not see why. You are a very beautiful woman," he said softly, his other hand again fiddling with her
hair. "The prospect of your companionship is a much talked about part of the SGC informal
communications network."

She smiled then gasped as his hand slid under her shirt to brush over her bare stomach. She could feel his
calluses rough against her skin, one of his fingers dipping into her belly button. He tickled her, sending
shafts of desire down to mostmost secret place. She brought her right hand down to cover his, stilling his
explorations.

"Major…" he stopped as she guided his hand lower, sliding under the elastic waistband of her sweats. His
fingers wormed their way into her panties and through the soft mat of hair guarding the tender folds of her
sex. She moaned as his fingers found their target, caressing and tickling along the way. Shifting her legs a
bit to give him easier access, she stretched out her left arm, her fingers tangling with his as he abandoned
her hair.

His right thumb found her clitoris as his fingers probed her opening, teasing her by lingering at the
threshold but not going further.

Grasping his right hand with her own she urged him on, guiding his fingers into her. "Patience," he
whispered, slipping only one finger into the damp channel, as his thumb brushed her clitoris again and
again, each stroke pushing her higher and higher.

"No," she whispered, desperate to feel him inside her. She pushed with her right hand again, now rocking
her hips in time with his thrusts.

"Yes," he insisted, moving away a bit so he could roll her to her back. With his right hand still buried
between her thighs he untangled the fingers of their left hands. Reaching down and pulling her T-shirt up
he leaned over giving her right breast a wet lick as now two of his fingers plumbed her depths.

"God," she gasped, her left hand grasping the pillow under her head as he took the other nipple in his
mouth, sucking gently.

Nipping the erect tip lightly with his teeth he left it and took the other one between his lips, paying it
exquisite lip service. Pulling her right hand out of her pants she reached over, fumbling for him. Her
questing fingers found their goal and she caressed the hard length through the coarse material of his pants.

"Not yet," he growled, pulling his lips form her breast and kissing his way up her throat as his fingers
continued their exploration, delving deeper and deeper into her. He took her mouth with his as a third
finger slid into her, stretching the delicate tissue. Surrendering to the sensations, she kissed him back, her
tongue dueling with his. She felt the wave building higher and higher as her right hand caressed his rock
hard chest, pinching and tweaking his small nipples.

His thumb massaged her clitoris as his fingers swept in and out, caressing and tickling her internally. She
closed her eyes and let herself ride the wave higher and higher until it broke onto the shore. She lay still;
enjoying the feeling of her muscles contracting around his fingers which wriggled inside her.

"Wow," she gasped after a few minutes.

"Indeed," was all he replied, resting his head in the crook of her neck.

Her hand strayed down again, brushing the hot bulge in his pants. "What about you?" She rubbed against
him, feeling it buck under her touch.

"I want…"

"What?" She asked when he broke off.

He pulled his right hand from inside her and stood up. She watched him unzip and slide off his pants and T-
shirt, revealing all of his Adonis like body to her gaze. Eyeing the proud erection straining skyward she
pulled off her T-shirt and lifted her hips a bit to slip out of her sweat pants. Tossing them aside she pushed
all thoughts about the appropriateness and repercussions of what they were about to do out of her mind. To
hell with the future, she wanted now.

She laid back and beckoned him, smiling as his warm strength covered her. He lowered his lips and kissed
her mouth, propping most of his weight on his forearms. She opened her mouth, letting their tongues dance
and enjoying the simple taste of him. Her hands explored his back, tracing up and down the line of his
spine, lingering at the tiny depression at the base of his back. She could feel the turgid weight of his
erection pressing against her abdomen and her legs slid open, subconsciously inviting him in.

Silently, he shifted his weight and she felt the tip of his shaft at the crux of her thighs. Wrapping her legs
around him, she urged him on, breaking the kiss as he slowly slid into her, stretching and filling the void.
Pulling out a bit, he slid back in, repeating the movement until he could go no further.

He fought his instincts, staying still within her. He opened his eyes and looked at his lover. Her eyes were
still closed, her mind lost in the sensations. Studying her face he was glad to see none of the pain or
sesseessed fear, only pleasure.

Raising himself up a bit, he trailed kissed down her chin and neck, pausing to lick the tiny drops of sweat
from the base of her throat. Gritting his teeth against his body's instinctive need to thrust, he shifted his
weight to his left elbow, freeing his right hand to fondle her breast. She gasped as his palm covered her, the
erect nipple poking his palm. He took it between his thumb and forefinger, pinching it slightly and making
her moan.

Her eyes opened and met his. "God. What are you waiting for?" she gasped, her hands going to his butt,
clutching his cheeks to urge him on.

"Tell me what you want."

"What?"

"You are in control. Tell me what you want," he said, ruthlessly quashing his desires. She needed this, he
sensed. For a week she'd been submissive to another's wishes. It was time for her to take that control .
.
"I will do whatever you want. If you want me to thrust I will, if you want me to kiss you, I will. If you
simply wish me to pleasure myself while you watch, I will. You control me, MajorCarter."

Sam stared at the dark, enigmatic face hovering above her. Was he telling the truth? Submissive to her?
Teal'c? The ex-first prime who used to conquer planets for a living. The granter of her every wish. It was a
fantasy of half the women on the base. Her mind raced,gingging every dirty joke she'd ever heard. Gazing
into his eyes, she closed hers, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Call me Sam," she smiled. "And make
love to me," she whispered, unerringly kissing his lips.

He groaned softly into her mouth and she felt his hips, he nibbled his way to her ear, nipping her earlobe as
her hands again clutched his butt, digging into the firm muscle. This time he responded, speeding up his
efforts, his breath quickening.

Surrendering to the delicious feelings delivered to her by the alien, she felt her breathing come into
harmony with his as they both reached the pinnacle.

Teal'c awoke late the next morning, something that was not usual for him, yet understandable given the
strenuous activities he and …Sam had engaged in last night and well into the morning.

Easing out of bed, he pulled the quilt over his slumbering companion, resisting the urge to wake her. For a
moment he felt a bit of guilt. He was sure what they had done was not what Doctor Fraiser had been
imaging when she'd suggested that he keep the major in bed.

In fact, if the woman had a true idea of their activities throughout the night she would be most incensed
with him. They'd made love a second time, then again in the shower about 5am. It was after that time that
Teal'c suggested that they dress and simply sleep. He was charged with caring for the woman, not driving
her into exhaustion.

Padding out to the kitchen, he set to exploring the cabinets. Not surprised to find a lack of food, he
contented himself with eggs and toast with a loaf of bread kept in the freezer. That would be one thing for
them to do today, travel to a market and purchase some foodstuff. The phone rang and he answered it
quickly before the sound could awaken Sam. "Major Carter's residence."

"Teal'c? It's Doctor Fraiser."

"Yes, Doctor Fraiser."

"Is everything OK there?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes, Doctor Fraiser, all is well."

"Has Sam been acting ok?"

"Major Carter's behavior has been as expected," he reported, keeping the events of the past several hours a
secret. He knew most humans preferred discretion in such matters. "Is there a reason to be concerned?"

"I hope not. We just go the final results back on Sam's blood work and some of the drugs seized at Saint
Christina's. From what we can determine one of them reacts with the protein in her blood. We're not totally
sure of the effects. It may simply make her act a little silly, or it may go as far as blocking out her
memory." Teal'c felt his heart drop as the implications sank in. Could the events of last night have
happened because his friend was under the influence of a drug, not because she wanted it to happen?

Finishing his conversation with the doctor and promising to contact her should anything happen, he set his
mind to searching for what to do next.

Sam sighed and rolled over, stretching out under the covers. She couldn't remember the last time she'd
awakened with such a feeling of contentment. She hugged the pillow under her head, stubbornly keeping
her eyes closed, as if ignoring the coming day would stay its arrival.

As she laid there, she heard sounds coming from the kitchen then the single ring of the phone. Who? That's
right, she thought upon hearing the mellow timbre of Teal'c's voice. He'd stayed last night.

Random memories flitted through her head, waking in his arms, whispered confidences, warm naked skin
next to her own, gentle hands caressing her, warm lips kissing her bruises to make them better. Oh my
God! Had they…she sat up, a twinge of soreness answering her question. They had.

She stared at the far wall. She…he…they…what had possessed her to sleep with…no not totally sleep
with, have sex with Teal'c? He was her teammate, her friend. Why the hell had she let her hormones do the
talking?

"Major Carter?" The object of her consternation peered around the door. "Breakfast will be ready in a few
moments if you wish to freshen up beforehand," he said casually. He sure wasn't acting like a man who'd
just gotten laid. Had it really happened or were her memories some random but incredibly erotic dream?
"Major Carter? Are you all right?" he asked, coming near but not too near her. Noting his behavior she
wondered. What if her memories were not from THEM doing something but from her coming onto him?
What if she'd done that, harassed him? Teal'c wouldn't say anything, she knew that. He was way too much
the gentleman.

Making her decision in an instant she flashed him a small smile. "Just let me brush my teeth and I'll be right
out," she said in what she hoped was a normal voice. She couldn't embarrass him like that. She'd just take
her cues from him. If he said anything, she'd go along with it but if he just wanted to pretend last night
never happened, she'd live with that too.

Hearing the bathroom door open Teal'c pushed the lever on the toaster and poured the eggs into the pan.

"Hey, Teal'c." Sam stood just inside the kitchen door, her hands clutched nervously in front of her. "Do you
need any help?"

"I do not require assistance." He waved the spatula towards her small table. "The food will be ready shortly.
What ever you wish to do today, we should plan a trip to a market."

"Ooh right. I was going to hit the store on the way home from the gym, but…" her voice trailed off.

With a skill she hadn't known he possessed, he slid some scrambled eggs to her plate just as the toast
popped up.

Reaching over, he handed her the bread, then took a seat, his own plate of eggs and toast in front of him.
He peeked at the woman across from him, seeing no sign of the passionate person he'd slept with. She
stared at her plate, eating her food with studious precision. She was not comfortable around him. Either she
did not remember last night or she regretted it. Silently sighing, he made a decision, last night never
happened.

Sam ate her eggs fighting the urge to stare at her companion. She could almost feel the waves of discomfort
radiating off him. She'd made him uncomfortable somehow, likely by coming onto him. How could she
have been so stupid? God, was a roll in the hay worth messing up the team? She took a deep breath. He
obviously didn't want to talk about it or she knew they would be talking about it right now. It never
happened, she told herself. That's how you act, like it never happened.

Her eyes scanned the kitchen, skittering over Teal'c's face, and settled upon the calendar hanging on the
refrigerator. It was the one she'd gotten from her bank and consisted of pictures of the landmarks and
natural wonders of the Colorado Springs area. The picture of the month was of the Royal Gorge Bridge and
she grabbed at the idea like a drowning man grabs a life raft. "Hey, you've never been sight seeing around
here have you?" She asked abruptly. She knew the colonel occasionally took Teal'c out, so did Daniel for
that matter, but she'd never heard of any of them tag abg about taking him to the more touristy areas.

"DanielJackson and I have went for walks and jogs around the Garden of the Gods, but I have not seen
other places," he said, finishing his eggs.

"Perfect," she said, forcing a bright smile on her face. "We've both been cooped up too long. What would
you say to a visit to the Royal Gorge Bridge?" She got up and pulled the calendar off the refrigerator,
handing it to him.

Teal'c took it, staring at the picture of the suspension bridge over a deep chasm. While he didn't totally
understand the Tau'ri fascination with ruining their natural wonders to make them more cniennient, he
could appreciate the skill involved for such a primitive society to make such a structure. And if
Sam…Major Carter could derive pleasure from visiting such a place, so could he. "This looks like a most
interesting place. I have heard others speak of it but have never seen it," he said, handing the calendar back
to her.

"Then it's settled," she said, taking it and laying the over sized glossy paper on the counter. "Why don't we
get dressed? It'll tak abo about an hour to get there, we can see the bridge, maybe get some lunch and then
go from there," she said, picking up his empty plate and putting it in the dishwasher.

Sam steered her motorcycle up the steep twisting roads reveling in the feeling of freedom. This felt so
good, getting out on the road with no schedule, no timetable to restrain her. She grinned widely, speeding
up a bit, perversely enjoying the way Teal'c's hands tightened a bit at her waist. She hadn't missed his
dubious look when she'd announced her plans to ride her bike to Canon City and the Royal Gorge. It
seemed he felt the same way about motorcycles as he had about skydiving.

Noting that the traffic was getting heavier, she slowed up a bit. Teal'c may have junior but if she wrecked
her bike, she'd find herself back under Janet's tender loving care. And at this precise moment in time, she'd
rather lie by the side of the road and bleed out rather end end up in another hospital bed.

They crested the summit and she found a parking space. She turned off the engine and pulled off her
helmet, running her fingers thh heh her hair. "You ok?" she asked, when Teal'c made no move to dismount.

"I can see the appeal of this vehicle," he said as she swung her leg over the machine.

"I got it years ago. I was laid up for a bit after the Gulf and bored out of my skull. One day this delivery
guy showed up on my doorstep. Seems my dad found this baby on an auction, all beat up. So he bought it
for me, along with subscriptions to a couple of magazines. It's taken me years to track down all the parts."
She ran her fingertips over the handlebars. "Best gift he's ever gotten me."

Teal'c dismounted, pulling off his helmet, careful not to dislodge the baseball cap he wore to conceal his
tattoo. Given its history, he could understand her fondness for the machine.

"Are you ready?" she asked, taking his helmet and hanging it by hers. He nodded and they made their way
across the large parking lot, dodging a few cars along the way. It was a beautiful early summer's day, a
warm sun shining out between a few scattered, billowy white clouds.

In places the ground was still damp from the previous day's rain and Sam had a good idea that it would rain
again that evening. It was a weather pattern they lived with during the summer in the mountains.

Reaching the gate she drew out her wallet and purchased tickets for both of them. "We could have driven
across, I guess," she said, handing him his. "But I like to walk