Into the Shadows

by Gen Varel

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).

STARGATE SG-1

INTO THE SHADOWS

By Gen Varel

Category: Drama/Action/Romance

Spoilers: For Seasons 8 and 9

Relevant Episodes: Beachhead, Heroes, Ex Deus Machina, Death Knell, Abyss, Fragile Balance, Cure

Relevant Reading: A MATTER OF SURVIVAL RELATIONSHIPS, Parts I, II & III (The Host, Decisions, Friends & Allies) SECOND CHANCES UNFULFILLED DREAMS by Gen Varel

Season: Nine(Alternate Reality Story Line)

Rating: R (M)

Pairings: Sam and Jack (married)

Warnings: References to rape, character death, sexual situations, some language.

Archive: SJD-yes, FanFiction.net, Jackfic.com, Carter O'Neill Obsession

Summary: Sam and Jack must face their darkest nightmares again, and deal with unexpected and soul wrenching consequences. Sequel to "Unfulfilled Dreams".

Author's Note: This story takes place in Gen's alternate universe, which we will call Reality No. 4. It follows a different story line starting in mid-season 8. I recommend the relevant reading listed above to fully understand the background of this story. All the stories are already posted in Fanfiction.net: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/907297/

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are not my property. I have written this story for the enjoyment of Stargate SG-1 fans all over the world. No copyright infringement is intended and no monetary gain is expected.

Chapter One

Sam happily hummed along with the tune in the radio. It was a happy beat, singing about love and its unfortunate side effects, and her fingers tapped the wheel as her head bobbed to the rhythm of the song and she drove towards her cozy home in the woods. She was in a happy mood. Her week was finally over! They had been able to stop the Ori incursion, for now, and she felt she had done her fair share to accomplish that, although she thought that the one that truly deserved credit was Vala. She was worried about her. Given what she'd seen of the alien woman, she believed Vala would land on her feet and that they'd be seeing her again. But she was still concerned, and felt a little guilty for not taking her a little more seriously.

She had liked Cameron Mitchell from the beginning. The man had saved her life, after all. Since then, they had gotten to know each other and had kept in touch despite her move to Nevada. When Jack had made it clear to her that she was needed back at the SGC, even though he was not happy about it, Cam had been thrilled. He had practically begged her to stay permanently since her return, and she had to admit that it was nice to be able to see Daniel and Teal'c every day. She had missed them so much! And although she did miss her work in Nevada, she was happy to be back at the SGC.

Her happy mood, however, was mostly due to personal reasons. She had not seen her husband for more than two weeks, but she was looking forward to finally seeing Jack tomorrow. And to top it all, today she was finding out whether they'd be having a boy or a girl! She smiled, remembering how Jack had complained that he didn't want to know the sex of the baby until it was born. But ever-practical Dr. Sam Carter had argued against it, wanting to prepare the nursery in the right color and having baby clothes ready in either pink or blue. Yes, she was boringly traditional. She liked pink or blue, not mint green, or ducky yellow, or sunrise peach.

Michelle had laughed at both of them, the whole time stuffing her face with Death by Chocolate, and warning them that once the baby was born, the least of their concerns would be the color of the nursery. "You'll be arguing about whose turn it is to get up at 0300 hours to feed the baby!" They had both laughed, and admitted that they couldn't wait.

"You'll be receiving some phone calls in the middle of the night, I hope you realize. This is my first time and I'm sure I'll be panicking every time the baby doesn't burp on cue," Sam had warned their beloved surrogate.

"Sweetie, you can call me any time. Sleep deprivation is my friend. I made peace with it long ago, and I won't be letting it go until Robby goes to college," she had answered in an even, no-nonsense tone, a spoonful of dessert again heading to her mouth. Robby was her youngest, a strapping boy of two. Michelle was blessed with a brood of three girls and a boy, and a handsome, burly husband twice her size that loved nothing more than taking care of his children. Robert was a former football player and a sports writer for a local newspaper, and was able to work from home most of the time.

Sam thanked her lucky stars, for the millionth time, for having found Michelle. Although, in reality, Michelle had found her. She and Jack had intended to place an ad in the local paper, searching for a willing surrogate to carry their embryos, but Robert Cunningham had intercepted the ad. He had found out about their search through a colleague at the paper and had told his wife about it, knowing that Michelle knew Dr. Samantha Carter.

Robert had seen Sam and Jack a number of times during some of SGC's Christmas parties. Michelle could not believe it when she heard that Jack O'Neill and Samantha Carter were seeking a surrogate. She had known them from work at the SGC, having been part of Doc Frasier's nursing staff, but she had quit right after the birth of her last child and had not seen them for a while. She had mentioned to her husband many times how she'd willingly be a surrogate for a couple in need, knowing how much her sister had suffered while going through infertility. Thankfully, Maggie had finally been able to get pregnant and have beautiful twins via in-vitro fertilization.

Michelle loved being pregnant, and was able to carry and pop out babies almost casually. She also knew, as well as anyone at the SGC, how much Jack and Sam had done for the planet, and jumped at the idea of helping them out. She had contacted Sam immediately and had offered to be their surrogate for no fee. Jack and Sam had been thrilled, remembering the petite nurse clearly, but had insisted on compensation, especially knowing that she was no longer working.

Dr. Janet Frasier had considered Lieutenant Michelle Cunningham to be her best nurse, and Sam remembered many instances of waking up in the infirmary after being injured in a mission and finding the warm, brown eyes of Nurse Cunningham gazing at her in concern. "Back to see me so soon, Major Carter?" she would tease, and her soft, caring little hands would ease Sam's discomfort in any way she could, stroking her hair, fluffing her pillows, or holding her head as she drank from a straw.

Nurse Cunningham was also very much aware of Sam's special circumstances with naquadah, and her familiarity with the SGC and her security clearance had made it convenient for them to be able to obtain treatment from the hospital at SGC. They were treated by an unfamiliar, but very knowledgeable doctor whom Michelle suspected was not from Earth. His name was Dr. Parnos, and he was eye-candy as far as she was concerned, which made her experience much more enjoyable. She had tried to get Sam to share more information about the delectable physician, but her friend had reminded her that "she did not need to know", and had advised her to enjoy flirting with the doctor and leave it at that. Michelle had had some fun doing just that, but she realized from the beginning that Dr. Parnos was hopelessly infatuated with Sam. She often wondered whether Sam realized the magnitude of her sex appeal, remembering the many men at the SGC that had had crushes on the beautiful officer. She and Janet used to joke about it sometimes.

Michelle had been fond of Janet, and the little nurse had wept bitter tears when Sam's best friend had gotten killed in the line of duty. The two women had been very similar in many ways. They were both strong-willed, down-to-earth individuals with an overabundance of caring and concern for their fellow human beings. They were both petite and dark, with large brown eyes, pretty faces, and a never-ending supply of energy. Therefore, Sam had become fast friends with Michelle, and she was enjoying her new friendship with her surrogate as much as she had enjoyed her friendship with Janet.

Sam's cell phone suddenly rang and she quickly picked up as she was already pulling into her driveway. It was Michelle.

"Are you ready, Sam? I'm about to leave the house, just as soon as Robby lets go of my leg. We have to be at the doctor's by 1800 hours," Michelle asked around a mouthful of crackers.

"Are you eating again? Michelle, you're too much! I told you I'd be taking you out for a big dinner!" Sam asked, not able to hold back a chuckle.

"Just crackers to hold me over! Are you ready or not?" she asked, trying to shake off her son, who was playing horsy with her leg. "Robert!!! Come get your little maniac off me! I gotta gooo!" she screamed in Sam's ear.

"I'll be ready by the time you get here! See ya!" Sam laughed and hung up, running up the steps to her front door and searching for her front door keys. Her garage opener was still busted, one of many little things she still had to fix before the baby arrived, she noted in exasperation.

Life had been hectic, to say the least, since her return to the SGC from Nevada. With Jack in DC and the latest problems with the Ori, they had not been able to spend enough time at their home. She had spent most nights at the base, and Jack was not due to arrive until the next morning, having been unsuccessful in leaving DC on time.

During the past few months, when Sam was in Colorado Springs for the fertility procedures, she and Michelle would sneak out for a movie and dinner together. Now they had decided that Friday nights were their girl nights if Jack wasn't in town, and Michelle looked forward to them. But tonight there would be no movie. Today they had baby business to attend to. Dr. Parnos had told them that Michelle was doing great and that he'd be referring her to an obstetrician for the remainder of the pregnancy. This Friday evening they were meeting with the new specialist for the first time. Michelle was four months pregnant, already big, and as Sam kept remarking, always hungry!

Sam stepped into the foyer and took a deep breath. She loved the smell of her home, Jack's and hers. Even when he wasn't there, she could smell him in their bedroom. She had missed spending time in their new home while living in the small apartment in Nevada, but now she was back. She glanced at her watch one more time and rushed into her bathroom, wanting to wash her face and put on a little make-up before she changed out of her jeans and white t-shirt. Tennis shoes would be changed for sandals, and she probably should wear her tan skirt and new teal-colored blouse, she decided absentmindedly as she scrubbed her face clean.

She had patted her skin dry and brushed her shoulder-length hair when she thought she heard something. Frowning, and doubting that Michelle could have arrived already, she stepped out of the bathroom and stood in the middle of her bedroom. There! She thought she heard a muffled sound coming from the hallway. She took one more step and peaked through her door, but saw nothing. Thinking that she had left her kitchen window open again, she headed down the hallway toward the kitchen. Half way there, her breath hitched and her eyes went wide when she suddenly faced a large, dark man standing just a few feet from her.

Alarmed, Sam instantly turned and started to run in the opposite direction, only to slam into a broad chest. A second man had sneaked behind her, and he quickly grabbed her in a bear hug, which she easily got out of by punching his stomach and stomping on his foot. With a loud huff, the man grunted and doubled over. She took advantage of his position to push him towards the first man, who had already been running after her. The two men fell in a heap as she leaped back into her bedroom and threw herself across her bed in the hope of reaching behind her nightstand, where she kept her handgun.

During the few seconds that it took for her to land flat on her bed and the men to scramble off the floor and go after her, her mind raced with questions. Who were these men? What did they want? Were they burglars or were they after her personally? Were they N.I.D.? Did they want to conduct experiments on her? Could she take them and subdue them before Michelle arrived? Her fear for her friend and the baby she carried became her number one concern as she grabbed and cocked the gun. But before she could turn over and lift it, a heavy body landed on her back and a huge hand grasped her wrist. "Oh, no, you don't!" the assailant growled in her ear as he brutally slammed her right arm against the nightstand. Sam felt something crack and she cried out in pain, letting go of the gun, which fell on the carpet by the bed. The man proceeded to twist her injured arm behind her back, eliciting another cry of pain, but Sam did not relent. With a supreme effort and fueled by rage and indignation, her left arm's elbow came up and connected awkwardly with the man's nose. He howled in response, and Sam knew that she had broken it; even before she felt warm liquid hit her cheek.

Despite his agony, the man did not move enough for her to free herself, but she did elbow him twice more in the ribs, and he let go of her aching wrist. She thought she'd be able to turn and defend herself better, but the second man was now on top of her as well. Between the two of them, they forcibly subdued her and held her face down against the bed.

"The bitch broke my nose!" the bleeding man complained, and flipped her over with the second man's help. While his partner dug into his jacked and carefully knelt on her left arm to keep her still, the injured man took the opportunity to slap her furiously. Sam tasted blood and felt it dribble down her chin, but she did not stop struggling.

"Stop it! We're not supposed to hurt her! Just hold her down!" the second man yelled at him, and pulled a syringe from his jacket's pocket.

Sam saw the syringe and screamed. "Nooo!" she shrieked as she renewed her struggles, desperately trying to extricate herself from the men's hands. The man with the broken nose took pleasure in twisting her right wrist as he knelt on her stomach and held her down by the neck, making her scream in fury. The second man, still kneeling on her left arm, pulled up her long sleeve, preparing the syringe as he smiled at her. "Easy, darling. You're just gonna sleep for a little while," he soothed as he injected Sam's arm. Within seconds, she lay senseless on the bed.

Chapter Two

Michelle saw the dark utility van leave Sam's street as she approached, and wondered what the vehicle could be doing there. The small road only led to Jack and Sam's house, deep in the woods. Maybe they had taken a wrong turn, she thought as she pulled into Sam's driveway and parked behind her friend's SUV.

She stuffed the last cracker in her mouth, chewing quickly and swallowing dry before she rang the doorbell. She waited, wishing for a bottle of water, and then rang again. Strange. Everything was very quiet inside. She tried the door and it opened easily, which Michelle thought was even weirder. Sam always locked her front door, and often yelled at Jack when he left it unlocked. "Sam?" she called, and stepped into the silent house.

Michelle frowned and walked down the hallway towards Sam's bedroom, wondering where her friend could be. "Sam, are you ready?" she called again, figuring that Sam was probably still in the bathroom. As she stepped into the master bedroom, she immediately noticed the rumpled bed, and stark red on the cream colored comforter, bloodstains jumped at her. She ran up to the bed and picked up the material, looking at the stains more closely. Fresh blood, and quite a lot of it! "Saaam!" she screamed, now panicking. As her eyes flew around the room, her toe kicked something under the bed. She stepped back and looked down. Her heart sank when she realized it was a gun.

She then remembered the dark utility van speeding out into the highway from Sam's road and she immediately ran to the telephone on the nightstand. She had memorized Jack's cell number long ago, and she didn't even breathe as she pressed the buttons, her heart racing. General O'Neill answered after the second ring.

"Jack! The took Sam!" she yelled into the phone the moment she heard him pick up.

"What?! Michelle, is that you?" Jack's bewildered voice answered.

Michelle closed her eyes and took one deep breath, willing herself to calm down. "Jack! Please listen! I'm at your house! Sam has been kidnapped! There's blood on the bed covers and I think I found Sam's gun on the floor under the bed! What do I do?" she finally said, tears coming to her eyes.

Jack took one moment to go into command mode. He then calmly asked, "Did you see anyone?" He was already planning on whom he'd call and what teams he would mobilize.

"No, just a dark blue utility van, maybe ten minutes ago. It was heading down the highway, heading south. Jack! We have to help her! There's blood! She must be hurt!"

Jack felt as if someone had punched him in the gut, but he serenely addressed the semi-hysterical woman. "Michelle, stay there until your husband comes to pick you up. I don't want you driving. I'll be there as soon as I can and I'm calling the SGC right now. Go drink some water and wait for them to arrive." He hung up, and immediately dialed Landry's extension at the SGC.

"The General already went home, Sir," a frazzled lieutenant responded.

"Connect me with Mitchell or Teal'c, whoever is there!" Jack almost screamed on the phone. He was already in his car, driving to the airfield. He had left in the middle of a meeting, not bothering to excuse himself, and leaving a contingent of concerned VIPs staring after him. His secretary would deal with the fallout later. He thanked all the saints and angels for following his instinct and answering the phone call despite him being in the crowded conference room. He had thought it was Sam, and had instantly been concerned at her unexpected call, knowing she was aware that he was tied up in an important meeting.

Within minutes, Jack had informed Cameron Mitchell of the emergency and SG-1 had been notified. A forensics team had been called, and other SGC teams were searching the highways. The police had been notified as well, and the hunt for the mysterious dark vehicle was on.

SG-1 and the forensics team convened at Jack's home barely twenty minutes after his call, where Michelle Cunningham was still waiting, now much calmer and sitting on the front steps with a bottle of water in her trembling hands. She directed them to the bedroom and pointed out the blood stains and the gun, explaining that Sam was supposed to be going to a medical appointment with her and that there was just no way she would have stood her up.

Captain Jennifer Haley calmly sat the nervous former lieutenant down again and took down all the information on the vehicle she had seen. Daniel, Teal'c and Cameron swept the house, looking for clues, but only found a broken window in the back of the house.

By the time Jack arrived in Colorado Springs later that night, tense and bedraggled, they had determined that most of the blood on the bed covers was not Sam's. However, some of it was, and his wife had disappeared into thin air.

Chapter Three

Sam awoke slowly, her head pounding and her mouth dry. She groaned in discomfort, trying to remember why she felt so wretched, but her mind was still foggy with vague memories and her body hurt in many different places. Her arm was throbbing painfully, and she finally blinked her eyes open to find that it had been tightly bandaged. She squinted and tried to focus on her surroundings. She was laying on a comfortable king sized bed, face down on a soft, black bedcover. And she knew it was not hers. In an instant, she remembered. She had been drugged and taken from her home.

She forced her brain to become alert and her hands pushed against the soft surface to lift her body just enough to look around. Wow! This was different! No dank, smelly dungeon. No cold, hard Goa'uld cell. This was a large, luxurious, even plush bedroom, full of sunlight. Sunlight meant windows. Windows meant escape! Sam quickly, if somewhat shakily, got to her feet and approached one of the large picture windows lining the walls, and her heart sank.

She was in what she suspected to be the penthouse of a high rise... in Los Angeles! What the heck! Who could have taken her from her home and transported her all the way to Los Angeles to wake up in a luxury apartment? And for what? They had left her alone and unrestrained, which could only mean that they were very sure that she could not escape. Sam peered at the only closed door and wondered whether they had bothered to lock her in. She took the few steps necessary to reach it, only to almost fall against the hard surface when a wave of nausea and dizziness overtook her.

Once it passed, she took a deep breath and tried the door handle. She was locked in! Well, no surprise there. She then heard voices approaching the door, one of them a female voice that sounded upset. She flattened her ear to the door crack and listened.

"I don't understand! Why is she here? What do you need her for?" the woman was asking in a demanding tone.

"You don't need to understand," Sam heard a male voice with a foreign accent reply patiently. "You just need to do as I say." Sam could detect the threat in his tone, but if the other woman did, she ignored it.

"How can I help you if you don't explain to me what you are planning to do?" she asked, almost shouting. But the next thing Sam heard was a choking sound, and a whimper of pain.

"I said, go find out if they have arrived. That's all you need to bother your little head with right now. Understood?" the male voice asked pleasantly, and so softly that Sam could barely hear it. She did not recognize the voice, but the accent was vaguely familiar. She heard the woman gasp again, and then steps rushing away from the proximity of the door. She listened carefully, and realized that the man was probably standing on the other side of the wooden barrier, also listening.

Sam's heart started to beat faster, trepidation invading her all of a sudden. She had no clue why she was here or who the person on the other side of the door was, but she did not look forward to finding out. He was evil, of that she was sure. She didn't know why she felt this so strongly, but she did, and she backed away from the door slowly, trying not to make a sound.

The door lock was disengaged abruptly, making her jump, and the door started to open. Sam held her breath, and looked around frantically for some kind of weapon. But before she could take a step, a man dressed almost completely in black stepped into the room, and Sam almost cried out in shock. Her blue eyes grew wider in terror, and she unconsciously backed away a few more steps, almost tumbling to the floor.

"Hello, my love. It has been too long," the man smiled at her pleasantly, walking towards her in measured steps. The black suit and equally dark t-shit he wore underneath looked impeccable and expensive. His menacing dark eyes devoured every inch of her as he slowly stalked her, and she could almost feel him already touching her, and hurting her, although he was still a few feet away.

Flashes of memory assaulted Sam as she involuntarily gasped for air, trying to catch her breath and restrain her runaway panic. She remembered his face looming over hers with a sneer of cruelty mixed with ecstasy, his hands and fingers touching her intimately and causing intense pain, his body pounding into hers as she bled and cried silently on a soft carpet. She continued to back away until her back met the window, and she swiftly looked out at the sky and wondered if she'd have enough time to pry it open and jump.

It had to be a nightmare! She must still be asleep, or drugged with some kind of hallucinogen substance! This was not possible! She had seen his dead body. She had seen Jano, his former First Prime, finally shoot him with a zat gun and disintegrate what was left of him. And that had been almost two years ago!

"There's no way out. And you don't have to look so scared, my love. I hold nothing but the best of intentions towards you. You know how special you are to me!" Ba'al said, sounding very human, but as malevolent as she remembered.

"Who... who are you?" Sam managed to ask. Ba'al's replica put a fist to his heart as if pained, and grimaced at Sam.

"Oh, you wound me! Does this mean you don't remember me?" he mocked.

"You're not Ba'al! He's dead. I saw him die. I saw his body disintegrate before my eyes!" she argued, and with mounting dismay she saw him take a couple more steps towards her. Sam wanted nothing more than to be able to melt into the wall or fly out the window, but she was trapped.

"Yes, I heard of my brother's unfortunate end. And I heard that it was O'Neill the one responsible," he added with another grimace of hate. "But thankfully, I am still here for you. I have all our memories up to about the time of my brother's demise. So I hold you as dear to my heart as he did, do not fear," he smiled at her sweetly, and took another step.

"Stay where you are!" Sam snapped, knowing how pathetic her warning was. "What are you?" she asked, hoping to keep him talking and away from her. The possibilities flew through her mind: cloning, alternate reality, a Ba'al from the past brought into the future. They were all equally appalling.

"I am what I have always been. I am a superior species, yes, but I'm also a being with needs, just like any other. I need power..." he continued, and took another step. "I need resources," and his final step took him within inches of Sam, "and I need companionship," he finally said, as his hand came up slowly to touch her cheek.

"No!" Sam cried, and swatted at the approaching hand. She tried to duck away and run, but steely hands that she remembered all too well grabbed her arms and slammed her back against the hard surface of the window.

"It has always been you, Samantha Carter. Ever since I tasted you, and felt your body succumb to mine, I've wanted no one else but you," he whispered against her hair, his body flat against hers and holding her captive. She could feel his fingers digging into the soft flesh of her arms and she knew there'd be bruises later. But her anguish and fear escalated even more as she felt his arousal against her thigh, and she tried again to escape, only to be hurt further.

"This can't be! Ba'al died! You can't be him!" she argued, trying frantically to wake up from the horrible nightmare. She had dreamt this before! She had had to face Ba'al many, many times in her dreams. Ever since her ordeal in his fortress, she had struggled with the dark memories. But she had succeeded. They had been buried deep within her psyche long ago, and Jack had helped her keep them there, where they could no longer hurt her. She had even faced Ba'al once again in his ship, when Jano had abducted her to become host to the System Lord's new queen. She had handled herself well. She had been prepared to face him then. But she had not been prepared to face him now.

"I will live forever, my love. And you can too, by my side, as my consort," he insisted, his mouth now following a trail along her neck, and his body pressing into hers.

Sam thought she would die of loathing and terror. A sob escaped her, and she felt ashamed of her own weakness. "Come on, Carter! Save your own butt!" she heard Jack shout in her mind, and she clenched her teeth in rage. With a supreme effort, she brought up a knee, aiming for her torturer's genitals, but she found only his leg, hard as stone, and he laughed at her puny efforts with delight.

"Aaah! Just as spirited as I remember. You are the strongest, most alluring woman I've ever had the pleasure to experience, my dear. That's why you're destined to be mine!" His right hand suddenly captured her face and his mouth plundered hers with a brutal, passionate kiss that made her moan in pain and revulsion.

Sam wanted to scream in frustration, hate, and horror. But she could barely breathe with the Goa'uld's mouth covering hers, his tongue roaming her mouth while his fingers dug painfully between her jaws to keep her mouth open and vulnerable to his intrusion. "Oh, God! Jack, help me, please!" her mind begged. Her fists uselessly pounded on his back and shoulders, her fingers gripping his expensive black suit and trying to pull him off her, all to no avail.

"Ba'al!" Sam heard a woman's voice call, fury clear in her tone, and the beast abruptly pulled away. But instead of leaving her against the wall, he grasped her arm and brought her up against him as he turned to the open doorway, where a beautiful, longhaired young blonde stood, dressed in an expensive gray suit and high-heeled shoes. The woman's pretty features revealed her contempt for Sam, as she looked her up and down, then she switched her gaze back to Ba'al. "They have arrived."

"Excellent! I wonder what took them so long!" he replied with a smile. "Prepare for our departure, and then come and get us. Not too soon..." he instructed with a sidelong glance at his shaking captive. Sam unwillingly met his eyes, knowing what he was capable of, and still hoping fiercely that she was in the middle of a nightmare.

"Leave us," he ordered the blonde without taking his eyes off his captive, "and shut the door." Sam thought she would die of repugnance, and the long buried memories returned again to choke her. She felt again Ba'al's body invading hers, hurting her, humiliating her in the worst way possible. Her eyes flew to the other woman in despair, silently begging. The blonde ignored her and started to obey, but her resentment was more powerful than her fear, and she turned to Ba'al again. "Don't you see that she hates your guts? She's sickened by your touch! What do you need her for? I'm here for you!"

"Do not question me again! Shut the door and leave us! Now!" He turned furious eyes on the blonde and took a menacing step toward her, letting go of Sam, and she helplessly crumbled to the floor. She had not realized how much he had been holding her up, and her legs had failed her as he released her.

"Ba'al! Please! You promised me!" the young woman pleaded, still not willing to give up her turf. "You promised that I'd be the one by your side. She's old! She despises you! And I'd do anything for you!" She cringed as he approached her, no doubt realizing that she had gone too far. But another voice unexpectedly intruded, and Ba'al stopped in his tracks, a growl of frustration deep in his throat.

"Were you starting without us?" Sam heard from inside the bedroom, and her eyes grew even larger as she recognized the other voice. It had the same accent, the same threatening and malevolent tone as Ba'al's. It was exactly the same voice. The blonde straightened and turned to meet the newcomers, and her fear receded. She stepped aside as another man approached, and Sam realized that her worst fears were true. Another Ba'al had just entered the bedroom, and was staring at her as if she was a tasty morsel to be sampled. Sam dragged herself backwards as another, then another, and yet another Ba'al followed. She stopped backing away only when her back hit the side of the bed. There were five of them!

"I see you were successful in retrieving her," one of the Ba'als remarked. "Good work!" The five replicas of their worst enemy were staring at her at the same time, and Sam wanted, for the third time in less than ten minutes, to die.

The blond woman looked at the first Ba'al in satisfaction, knowing that he could not proceed with his previous plans, and smiled slyly at him. He ignored her and addressed his fellow clones in anger. "You were supposed to wait for us in the ship! What are you doing here?"

"Selene said you called a meeting," one of the other Ba'als responded, watching the young blonde with amusement.

"I said you might want to discuss some of the open issues before we evacuated," Selene clarified, standing cool and collected by the doorway, and under the scrutiny of the five men.

"Yes," the first Ba'al said dangerously. "One of them being what do we do with you now," he smiled, and Selene's smugness evaporated instantaneously. She looked at the other Ba'als in sudden fear, and took a step back, out of the bedroom.

"Ba'al! I've been by your side since you came here! I've helped you! Without me, you wouldn't have known how to deal with any of the issues you've dealt with here on Earth," she stammered, taking another fearful step back. "Every asset you have on Earth is because of me. You know that!"

"Yes, and we're grateful, Selene. You've been most helpful, and... accommodating," another Ba'al answered, and took the few steps necessary to reach her. He gently grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. Placing a chaste kiss on her cheek, he added, "But we won't be needing your services any longer."

Sam jumped at the sound of a gun going off, and she saw the young blonde collapse with a red stain under her ribs. The Ba'al that had shot her then faced the rest and calmly put away the small handgun he had used, ignoring the young, bleeding body on the floor. "Shall we go?" he asked nonchalantly.

"We might as well," the first Ba'al agreed reluctantly. Sam was still staring at the broken and unmoving form of young Selene, wondering if the woman had ever had any inkling of what she had let herself into. Now it was too late for her. She gasped when she felt the steely fingers of her captor dig into her arm and pull her up from the floor easily. "You, we are keeping, of course," he chuckled as she struggled uselessly against him.

"Nooo, damn you! Let me go!" she cried, but she was dragged relentlessly out of the bedroom, to the amused pleasure of five pairs of dark eyes.

Chapter Four

At 0800 hours, the morning after Sam's abduction, Jack sat on Landry's chair, his head in his hands, trying to think of something they had failed to do. He had not slept for more than twenty four hours, had not eaten since lunch the previous day, and refused to take any time to even change out of his dress blues. He had just discarded his jacket and tie, and continued to make phone calls.

Landry had graciously ceded his office and worked as hard as the rest of the SGC members in trying to track down their missing Dr. Carter. "Jack, they found the owner of the blood on the covers!" he suddenly called from the briefing room, where he and Daniel were sitting. "Where?" he asked the person at the other end of the line. "Los Angeles!" he yelled at Jack, who was already hovering.

"Los Angeles?" Daniel repeated in bafflement. "What the hell do they want with Sam in L.A.?" Jack just stared at him, his mind flying. What, indeed, was in L.A.? Just as Landry set the phone down after listening to more details on the recovered body of one of the abductors, Mitchell and Haley ran into the room.

"We got a lead! A woman called only a minute ago! She says Sam is with Ba'al! She was calling from L.A. I know that sounds crazy, but she said he had been here for months, hiding amongst us, and that he had just shot her. We sent emergency services to check it out. She's supposed to be bleeding to death in a penthouse, in the middle of downtown."

"That matches up with what I got. The dead man was found, along with another man's body, in an abandoned blue van in an alley in downtown L.A. They had both been executed. They're checking the van for prints as we speak."

"Ba'al is dead!" Jack said, not wanting to even consider the possibility of Sam being in the beast's hands again.

"I know; that's why we're checking it out. But Sir, this woman knew things she shouldn't have known. She asked to talk to the head of SG-1. She said that they had taken Sam with them, and that they were leaving Earth as we speak."

"Who is 'they'?" Jack asked in exasperation.

"Five clones of Ba'al," Cameron replied, bracing himself for Jack's response. Deathly silence surrounded them for a few seconds, and then all hell broke loose.

"Walter!!!" Jack screamed. "Contact Thor! Now! And contact the Prometheus! There's got to be a ship in orbit or somewhere close by. Find it! Daniel and Haley, go see what you can find out in L.A.! Mitchell, Teal'c, you're with me!"

Landry smiled at the retreating back of his friend, happy to see him so energized. He had received no orders, but he guessed he was supposed to stay put and coordinate things. It had been some lousy fourteen hours, but things were finally heading somewhere!

Chapter Five

Sam lingered, like a prisoner waiting for the executioner, miserably huddled against the wall on top of the luxurious bed provided for her comfort. She had been dragged to this room, deposited on the bed by two very determined Ba'als, and told to relax. Relax! She would have laughed if she hadn't been so terrified.

Oh, horror of all horrors! She had been faced with kull warriors as she had been transported to the ha'tak in orbit. The only missing part of her nightmares was also here to torment her. Watching the huge monsters in the corridors of the ship had brought back all the horrific memories from her Alpha site ordeal, where she had spent endless hours running for her life.

The Ba'als had left her alone, and thankfully unmolested, for the last two hours. She had heard them mention a rendezvous with someone or somewhere, so she assumed they were busy going there and had decided not to bother with her just yet. But she knew her reprieve would end, and she also knew exactly how. She closed her eyes and summoned valor for the hundredth time since her arrival in the ship. She would fight. They'd have to kill her this time. She would not give in until she was dead! And she just hoped that these Ba'als did not possess a sarcophagus.

She had had enough of abuse and fear in the few hours since she'd discovered who had abducted her. She was now armed with all the strength and determination she was capable of, and she waited, ready to do battle. In the meantime, in the bridge of the ship, the five Ba'als argued over her.

"She will not be touched until we all can have her!" Marpah'a argued, pacing the room like a panther.

"We have waited this long, we can wait some more. It will only be a matter of days before we have four replicas of Samantha Carter. Then we can all go our separate ways and proceed with our plans without distractions," Kaneph agreed in a bored tone.

"We could all have a small taste," Moganim suggested with a sinful smile, reclining comfortably on the throne chair in the middle of the bridge.

"She would not survive. We need her to be healthy for the procedure. Loki warned us not to hurt her," Shamim quickly responded.

"I know. I was just daydreaming," Moganim chuckled, and the others laughed with him.

"Did Loki finish cloning Anat?" Adir asked from another seat, a dark scowl on his face. He had been the one about to sample Samantha Carter before he had been so rudely interrupted, and he was still bristling.

Shamim was the one to respond. "The five mature symbiotes are ready and waiting in Tsapan. And one of them, Anatanta, has been busy producing enough symbiotes for the kull warriors. All five are ready and eager to be implanted," he informed. He had been the one in charge of that part of their operation, the cloning of their beloved queen.

"What about the kull warriors. Do we have enough for the first part of our plan?" Adir asked Kaneph.

His replica answered concisely, but proudly. "We have enough to man the fortress and the two ships we have so far. Nerus assures me that we'll have enough when we need them. How are we doing in procuring more ships?" he addressed Moganim.

"I was able to obtain a few more cargo ships, but ha'taks are not readily available. Many of them were destroyed during our confrontation with the replicators, and the rest are in jaffa hands. But there is a possibility of one or two, if we are able to obtain enough metals to buy them with." His eyes drifted to Marpah'a, the question in his eyes.

"The mines are producing very slowly. We haven't been able to obtain enough workers. Many worlds are allied with either the Tau'ri or the jaffas. They are being protected, and we are trying to keep a low profile. It has been difficult. Maybe we could clone enough kull warriors for working the mines as well."

"Not possible! We don't have the time or the resources. And we have to be careful. We can't let the Tau'ri know that we are still around," Kaneph replied.

An exasperated sigh was heard, and everyone turned to Adir. "I don't know about you, my brothers, but I am ready for some rest. Let me know when we arrive at Tsapan." With this parting request, he abruptly exited the room. The other four Ba'als stared at his retreating back, and then looked at each other, knowing full well that his chambers were not his destination.

Chapter Six

"Sir! You are being hailed!" Major Gant informed Jack, who stood restlessly next to Colonel Ronson. "It's Thor, Sir."

"Put him through," Colonel Ronson instructed.

"It was about time!" Jack mumbled. Mitchell, standing equally restless next to him, could not suppress a smile, while Teal'c just straightened further in response to the new arrival.

"O'Neill," Thor greeted through the view screen.

"Thor," Jack responded tiredly. "It's been a while."

"I have missed you too, O'Neill. I came as soon as I was able. How can we assist you?" the little gray alien asked, blinking slowly and bobbing his head, as usual.

"We need some information, and some assistance tracking a Goa'uld ship. It must have been within transportation range from Earth within the last twenty-four hours, but The Prometheus is not equipped to trace a ship that is no longer here. Can you help?"

"Certainly, but you must realize that the ship can only be tracked up to the point when it went into hyperspace. I will determine their trajectory up to that point and transmit the necessary information within a few minutes. What other information do you require?"

"We need to know how Ba'al may have obtained cloning technology. I know you're the experts, but I doubt that you would have collaborated with him, so maybe you know who did."

Thor hesitated for a few moments, and Jack, already strung out and out of patience, prodded him. "Thor?"

"I'm afraid we may be to blame, O'Neill," Thor responded.

"Whaat?" Jack let out, trying his best not to lose his cool.

"More than two of your years ago, Loki disappeared," Thor started.

"You misplaced Loki, of all people?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"We did not misplace him, O'Neill. We believe he was taken from the planet he had been exiled to. His equipment was also taken. Up to this moment, we had no idea who was the culprit. Now it seems that Ba'al was the one to blame."

"Does this mean that, maybe, Ba'al got himself cloned before we got to kill him?" Jack asked, dreading the answer and hating the fact that his worst suspicions were true.

"It seems likely, O'Neill. Has he resurfaced?"

"He took Sam. That's why we need to find his ship. We need to get her back like... now!"

"I am sorry to hear that, my friend."

"Not your fault, buddy. But we got to go."

"I will accompany you, O'Neill. The recovery of your consort is important to us as well. We owe both of you a great debt of gratitude."

"Thanks, Thor. I won't turn down the help. We don't know what we'll be facing, and I want her back before they... hurt her."

"Understood. I have determined that a ha'tak vessel left your solar system a few hours ago. Although I cannot tell where it was headed when it went into hyperspace, I believe it is safe to assume that it is headed towards Ba'al's former territory. We will search for it once we are there. The coordinates have been transmitted, O'Neill. I will follow." With this, the connection was broken.

"Let's go, Colonel. No time to waste!" Jack instructed Colonel Ronson, who immediately gave the necessary orders, and they were on their way.

Chapter Seven

Sam had not been able to relax, not even for a second. To begin with, she knew that one of those monstrous kull warriors was standing at her door. Second, she knew that there was not one, but five Ba'als she had to worry about now. And she doubted that they would forget about her for long. Third, she was beside herself wondering whether anyone on Earth could have figured out who had taken her and where she was headed. She doubted it. Therefore, her probabilities for rescue were slim to none. And lastly, she worried about Jack. She knew him well enough to know that he was probably living on pure adrenaline since she had been taken, and he was not a spring chicken anymore. She hoped someone was keeping an eye on him.

Suddenly, the door opened and worry number two materialized. The same Ba'al that had accosted her in L.A., which she could identify because he had not bothered to change clothes, silently entered her chamber, like a prowling predator. Sam jumped out of the bed and stood in the spot she had already determined offered her the most room to maneuver inside the room.

"Hello, my love," he greeted sweetly, his slow steps undeterred by her defiant stance.

"What do you want?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Just your company, of course. I didn't want you to feel neglected," he answered evenly, still approaching her.

"Feel free to make me feel neglected. I don't mind." Sam was proud of herself. Despite the terror inside her, she sounded unafraid.

"Ah! Your spirit is alive and well, I see. I'm glad. That is probably the trait I enjoy the most about you! And I must say that I love your new appearance. You look even more beautiful with longer hair."

"How flattering!" she replied sarcastically.

"I do remember how much your spirited defiance added to our loving encounter all those years ago. It has been too long since then, don't you think?" he asked, tilting his head mockingly. Sam felt like gutting him, remembering the abuse and utter helplessness she had experienced at his hands, but trying to keep her dread from showing.

"Loving is not the word I would use to describe it. And loving is not what you'll get from me this time either. You're going to have to kill me, Ba'al. That's a promise!"

"You may call me Adir," he replied carelessly, ignoring her rebelliousness. "I do consider myself apart and different from my brothers. We are all Ba'als, but we have different forms of our name to avoid confusion." He continued to approach her, and Sam backed away. She stopped short of reaching the wall, leaving enough room to maneuver and bracing a heel against the hard surface.

"I also consider it my right to be the one to reacquaint myself with you first, given that I was the one that found you. It wasn't that easy. Security in Nevada thwarted a couple of attempts. But once you got back to Colorado Springs and the comfort of your isolated home, all we had to do was wait for the moment of our departure from Earth. Interesting place, your planet... we will enjoy subjugating it in the near future." Adir stopped within touching distance, and gazed at her with leering desire written clearly on his face.

"You wish!"

"Oh, we do! And we will. It is just a matter of time. There are five of us now," he said, reaching out to touch her. He laughed when she hit his hand, hard. "Come, Samantha! You know it is inevitable. There is no one here to rescue you. And as much as I would enjoy another vigorous encounter with you, I must admit I am curious. I'd like to see what a sweet, loving Samantha would taste like."

As prepared as she thought she was to defend herself, Sam was not ready for the lightning fast hand that suddenly gripped her neck and brought her crashing against a hard chest. Her fists came up instantly, and just as quickly, his hands moved, and both of her wrists were trapped. Her knee immediately lifted, only to be blocked by his leg, just as before, and Sam whimpered in pain as Adir lowered her slowly to her knees. She thought her right wrist would snap, already injured, and tears of pain filled her eyes involuntarily. This was how it had started last time, and she almost choked on bile remembering. Memories of pain and degradation flashed through her mind again, and her spirit revolted against her impending fate.

"Last chance, Samantha. Make love to me willingly, or you'll love me as you did last time," he entreated with a sultry voice and an arrogant, evil smile.

"Go to hell!" she screamed in his face, pain and hatred fueling her voice, and she prepared to fight him to her last breath. But instead of further pain, Sam heard a loud staff blast, and felt his hands slacken. She then could smell charred flesh. Slowly, Adir toppled on top of her, trapping her against the floor. She wasted no time in pushing him off her and jumping to her feet, her eyes flying to the open doorway, only to be faced with the same insufferable face. Soon, there were four of them crowding the entrance, and Sam closed her eyes in dismay. Would this torment ever end?

"It is not time yet, my love. But soon, don't despair," the one with the staff weapon in his hands said. He then chuckled good-naturedly. The other three laughed along, and then filed out of her room behind him. A kull warrior then stepped in, and Sam mindlessly ran to the other side of the chamber. He was, however, not interested in her. He bent over and picked up the now dead Adir and carried him easily outside. Then the door closed behind him, and Sam slowly sank to the floor, shaking in the aftermath of her recurring nightmare, and giving in to tears of frustration and despair.

Chapter Eight

"She said there are five Ba'als. One of them was left on Earth with the purpose of securing assets and... taking Sam. She did not know this until now, but she now realizes that that was one of their objectives all along. Jack, we found a total of nine bodies between the van and the penthouse. Everyone working for Ba'al seems to have been discarded, like trash."

"If they were working for him, they were trash," Jack commented coldly.

Daniel winced, but then he continued. "She says Ba'al has a stronghold in a planet called Tsapan, which makes sense," Daniel stated logically.

"How so?" Jack asked, and immediately was sorry he did.

"It is the ancient name for Ba'al's mythological home on Earth, The Mountain Divine Tsapan..."

"OK! Fine! Go on!" he interrupted, not willing to waste time with a mythology lesson over the radio.

"All right... let's see. She says that they are rebuilding. They still have control of a handful of planets and they are mining naquadah, gold and other metals. They only have two ha'taks so far, that she knows of. They are still using cloning technology, but she didn't know where it came from."

"Loki is working for Ba'al. Probably under duress, but we're not sure," Jack explained.

"Oh! I see. Ok, you'll love this! Nerus is working for him... uh, them. He is producing kull warriors in Tsapan, since they can no longer rely on jaffa. You realize this means they have access to a queen Goa'uld, don't you?"

"Great!" Jack mumbled to himself. "I knew I should have killed the pig when I had the chance!" Nerus was the fat, hedonistic Goa'uld that had helped them rig the stargates when they were fighting the replicators. At the time, they thought he was a fairly harmless Goa'uld. They knew that he had served Ba'al, but he had been captured when the jaffa army had liberated one of the planets in Ba'al's territory that had ended up in Yu's hands. He had been completely powerless and willing to do anything to secure his own survival. Jack had negotiated with him and obtained the technical information Sam needed in exchange for his freedom. Now he was back to pester them again. They should have known better, but they had been pressed for time. Jack sighed, but then proceeded to ask, "Did she say where this San Pant planet is?"

"Nope. She didn't know. She does know it has a stargate, though, right inside the fortress. Jennifer is already working on trying to figure out which one it is. She's trying to find out what planets may still be unaccounted for in Ba'al's territory. And the tracking devise you attached to Nerus' gold armband before you let him go might be helpful, if you can get close enough."

"We'd still need to locate the planet first, Daniel. Is the woman going to recover?" Daniel hated hearing the weary tone in his friend's voice, but refrained to comment and answered his question.

"She's still in serious condition, but they expect her to live. She lost a lot of blood, but she insisted in telling us everything she could. I hardly had to ask any questions."

"Good! I want her to live to face charges of treason!" Jack said, biting the words.

"Ummm... she was eager but not stupid. She insisted on immunity before she talked. I didn't think you'd mind, under the circumstances."

"Ok, fine! We'll make her pay some other way," Jack promised.

"Jack, we'll find her," Daniel stated encouragingly.

"You're damned right we will! Thanks, Daniel. Let me know the moment you have any new information," he asked resignedly. He disconnected the communication link and his fingers came up to rub his eyes.

"You need to rest, O'Neill. I will wake you if necessary. But you must take this opportunity to restore your energy," Teal'c spoke calmly from behind his seat. "And you must eat a meal before you do."

"Yes, Mom," Jack growled, but admitted to himself that his friend was right. He had ordered Mitchell to bed a while ago, and he knew that Teal'c would not do so until he saw him go down first. "Let's go grab something to eat and then hit the sack. Colonel Ronson will let us know when we find something."

Teal'c relaxed visibly, and followed Jack to the mess hall, thankful that Jack was not putting up a fight. He figured that his friend, despite his endless energy, had to be on the brink of collapse, both physically and emotionally.

Two hours later, Jack was still tossing and turning on his cot, unable to sleep. The food he'd eaten sat like lead in his stomach, and he finally got up to grab a water bottle and drink thirstily. He couldn't get rid of the images in his mind, images that he had not recalled for a long, long time. Sam's broken, violated body bleeding in his arms as they escaped Ba'al's fortress. Sam looking pale, weak and worn-out, unraveled by her ordeal, and screaming her head off against his shoulder. Sam, crying as if her world had ended, and hanging on to him for sanity. Sam passing out on top of him on her couch, out of exhaustion and misery. He had not been able to offer her all he should have offered then. At the time, they were still bound by regulations, and he had not been free to give her his love as openly as he had felt she needed it. But whatever measure of love and support he had been able to give, had been enough to help her recover and become Sam Carter, kick-ass soldier, again. It had been a close call then. It would probably kill her this time.

Sam was no longer the tough, hardened soldier of years ago. Giving up the field, marrying him, and thinking of babies and a future of happy domesticity had softened her. And while the changes this had brought were welcome in all other aspects of their lives together, he was afraid that it would leave her vulnerable to what Ba'al might be putting her through.

Sam had struggled for years to forget her rape and degradation at the hands of that beast. Seeing him dead had finally helped her get over it completely. Now she was being thrown into the pit again, and she had to face her darkest memories alone, and try to maintain her sanity under the most horrible of circumstances, being at the mercy of her worst enemy. And he happened to be Jack's worst enemy as well.

Killing him once had hardly given Jack the satisfaction and revenge he had needed, both for his own endless torture and for Ba'al's abuse of Sam. He had hated that one particular System Lord like he had hated no one else ever. Maybe now he'd have the opportunity to set things right, killing him many times over, like the beast had killed him repeatedly years ago. But he still thought it would never be enough.

Chapter Nine

Sam had finally fallen asleep after her tears had dried up. She had curled up on the large bed, her back against the wall, and had floated in a world of anguish and despair, her dreams no better than her current reality. The moment the door opened again, she snapped awake, and in an instant she was standing, ready to do battle.

When she realized that the only one to enter was a tall and slender young woman with a tray in her hands and dressed in a long, dark brown gown, Sam let out a breath she had not realized she had been holding, and her stance relaxed. Still wary, she watched as the woman approached the low table set in the middle of the room to place the tray on top. She was very pretty, with large hazel eyes and long, thick chestnut hair that hung in a braid above one shoulder. The woman turned to her shyly, and addressed her in a soft voice. "I was ordered to make you eat. I tried to pick the best that was available."

Sam took a few steps towards the table and spied the dishes set on the tray. There was fruit, a bowl of what looked like steamed vegetables, some bread and pastries, and some kind of stew. There was also a pitcher or water and another one that she guessed was probably some kind of wine from the looks of it. Sam was starving, but she was even thirstier, so she did not hesitate and filled a cup with water, watching the woman the whole time. She smelled the water suspiciously, but then drank up quickly. When she finished drinking, she set the cup down and asked the woman in the same soft tone. "Who are you?"

"My name is Marla, Samantha Carter. I'm Lord Ba'al's personal slave."

"To which one?" Sam asked sarcastically.

"To all of them," she replied simply. At Sam's skeptical look, she added, "There are others like me."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked suspiciously.

"I have been cloned, just as Lord Ba'al has. There are six other versions of me."

Understanding came to Sam's still groggy brain. With Ba'al's limited resources, he probably did not have a large pool of humans to choose from. She knew that all the planets in his domain had been liberated, and that the humans there were now under the protection of the Jaffa Nation, the Tok'Ra, or Earth. He must have resorted to cloning humans as needed. As comprehension dawned, a dark suspicion grew in her heart. "He means to clone me too, doesn't he?"

"I believe he does. He has been waiting a long time for you, even before there were five of them. I'm sure they all feel the same."

"Why is he cloning himself like this? I never thought of him as the sharing type."

"Ba'al does not possess a sarcophagus any longer. And he is intent on his survival. When the original Lord Ba'al was killed, he had already duplicated himself. His clone was working on administering the planets in his territory, and building a secret fortress in Tsapan, the world we are headed to. When he found out that the original Ba'al had been killed, he decided to clone himself again."

Sam reached for a piece of bread and smelled it for foreign substances. Finding none, she started eating, giving in to her hunger as her thoughts raced. Although she was happy to know that there was no sarcophagus to revive her, she realized that they could keep her alive by just cloning her repeatedly, and her appetite fled. She dropped the piece of bread back on the tray and stared at the young woman in despair.

"How long have you been his slave?" Sam finally asked, hoping to engage the young woman in friendly conversation and maybe gain an ally that would help her escape.

"Ever since he lost the last one, Shayla. It has been years. I lost count long ago." Sam's heart went out to her. The large, clear eyes spoke of abuse and suffering at the hands of her lord, and Sam knew what she and her clones had probably suffered throughout those years.

"I'm sorry," she said with sincerity.

"I have survived," Marla replied proudly. "Well, most of us have," she added, dropping her gaze. "Two of us perished. But I am the original, so I feel like I have survived intact."

"Do you all share the same memories and feelings? How is this possible?" Sam asked, her intellect now engaged in the science involved.

"Yes. They are duplicated, just as the body is. From what I understand, that is the easy part."

"Where did he obtain this technology? The Goa'uld had no cloning technology at their disposal."

"They captured an Asgard. His name is Loki, and he is being kept in Tsapan. Ba'al's last stronghold is there, kept secret inside a mountain."

"Loki! I should have known!" The same delinquent Asgard that had cloned Jack years ago and left them with a fifteen-year-old Jon O'Neill problem in their hands was now responsible for perpetuating evil. Sam vaguely wondered how Jon was doing. Jack had kept in touch with his clone, and last she had heard, he had graduated early from high school and was going to college in UCLA. He must be about eighteen now.

"Please... eat." Marla served a generous plate of food and offered it to Sam, begging her with her eyes. Not wanting to get the young woman in trouble, Sam distractedly took it and began to eat silently.

"Ba'al is planning to retake his territory once he has a strong enough army and more ships. He only has two ha'tak vessels at his disposal. He wants to have at least four, one for each of them. He is on his way to achieving this, but it will still be some time."

Sam watched the young woman thoughtfully as she ate, and wondered why the slave was so forthcoming with information. "You are very willing to give me information. Why?"

"I haven't been told not to talk to you. You might not be able to do anything with this information right now, but we are arriving at Tsapan within the hour, and then you will be cloned. The more you know about your situation before they duplicate you, the better for you and your clones."

"Thank you... I think," Sam responded, then realized that Marla looked slightly blurry. "What...?" she started to ask as she brought up a weak hand to her head, then the whole room tilted and the plate she had been holding clattered to the floor. She tried to stand up, and just fell on her butt, knocking the cup of water as she fell. "You... you drugged me!" she accused Marla as she finished sinking to the floor. During the few seconds of lucidity she had left, she realized why the woman had been so forthcoming with information. She had lured Sam into trusting her to eat and drink. The deceiving bitch!

"I'm sorry," were the last words she heard before everything faded.

Chapter Ten

Almost a day after Sam succumbed to the drugged food, The Prometheus was close to finding her. "There are only two more possibilities in this sector, O'Neill. There is a planet in the next solar system that has a stargate, but that is uninhabited. There is also a moon with a stargate in a different solar system close by." Thor's calm voice coming through the radio was somehow soothing to Jack, reminding him to stay calm despite the growing hopelessness in his gut.

"Well, we've checked three planets so far. Let's take care of these two and see if we get lucky." Jack had finally been able to sleep for a few hours, but he was still bone tired. "You go on to the moon. We'll check this one. Stay in touch."

"Agreed, O'Neill," Thor responded. Then his ship disappeared.

"Colonel, scan the surface and let me know what you find. Major, please establish communication with the SGC. I want to talk to Captain Haley." Jack's instructions were given in a firm, flat tone that negated his inner feelings. Within seconds, he was talking to Haley.

"Sorry, General. We haven't come up with any other possibilities. If Tsapan is not in one of the last two worlds, then it might be outside Ba'al's former territory, and that would be bad. It may take us months to find it."

"We did find mining operations in two of the worlds we checked, but no fortress, and no Nerus. They have to be nearby. I can feel it in my gut." Jack was almost talking to himself. At Mitchell's concerned look, he snapped out of it and added, "Has Landry planned missions to liberate those mining worlds already?"

"He is briefing SG-3 and SG-12 as we speak, Sir. They will be gating shortly and gathering intelligence for the rescue missions."

"Good. We'll let you know what we find. O'Neill out." Jack stood staring at the view screen intently, as if willing a fortress to appear in plain sight. If they didn't find Tsapan in one of the last two possible worlds, Sam might be lost to him. By the time they found her, she wouldn't be his Sam any longer.

"Sir! We are detecting something inside one of the mountain ranges in the main continent," Major Gant suddenly said, excitement in her normally flat voice.

"What is it?" Jack asked.

"Energy readings. It is Nerus' beacon, Sir. There is some kind of facility there, but it is not visible from orbit. It must be underground," she responded eagerly.

"Contact Thor. We found them!" Jack said, and he exchanged relieved looks with Teal'c.

Chapter Eleven

Sam slowly awakened, her senses gradually coming to attention. She first felt the dampness and warmth of her surroundings. Her breathing deepened, and she coughed, overwhelmed by the fumes surrounding her. She could hear only a low humming sound, and she realized that she was lying flat on her back on a hard surface. She tried to open her eyes, but when she finally managed, she was in almost complete darkness. Her hands moved from her sides and felt around. Her fingers came in contact with a warm surface on each side, and she tentatively followed the walls until they stopped, roughly two feet up. "Oh, my God!" she thought. Her breathing accelerated, fright suddenly taking hold of her. She was inside a box. She felt for the top, inches away from her face, and her palms flattened on it, pushing up. There was no give. When she moved her body to try to push harder, she realized that she was completely naked and wet, her hair dripping onto the surface she was lying on.

"Let me out!" she screamed, her voice high-pitched with panic. "Open this up! Let me out!" She banged on the hard surface with her fists, fighting claustrophobia, and her hands started to hurt. She could barely move her body inside the confined space, but she started to kick the sides as hard as she could. "Heeelp! Let me out!"

As if in response to her pleas, the coffin-like box started to vibrate, and the lid moved slightly upward under her palms. Sam's breathing started to calm down the moment she realized the box was opening, but her heart was still racing inside her chest. When she saw enough space above her open up, she hurriedly sat up, her arms hugging her naked breasts. She looked around frantically, and realized that she was in a laboratory, surrounded by four versions on her nemesis, a portly, smiling older man that she immediately recognized as Nerus, the Goa'uld she had worked with not too long ago, and a small and gray alien being, an Asgard.

"Welcome home, my love," Shamim greeted her with a smile. The other three Ba'als bore similar countenances, obviously happy to see her. She cringed when the one that had spoken approached her.

"Don't you touch me!" she demanded, and his hand dropped. Her legs came up and she crouched against one corner of the metal coffin she had been lying in, trying to cover herself as best as she could.

"Excellent results!" Kaneph commented, a broad smile on his face.

"Yes," Marpah'a agreed. "Congratulations, Loki. I hope you continue to be as successful with the rest. Moganim, we have to go back to the ha'taks." At this, one of the other Ba'als nodded regretfully and joined him as he left the room in a hurry.

The small Asgard just blinked his large, dark eyes at Sam. Despite the fact that facial expressions were limited in his species, Sam thought he looked sad.

"What have you done?" she asked the Asgard, shaking with shock.

"I am sorry, Samantha Carter. I have done what I must," was his cryptic answer. But Sam did not have much time to wonder about it, because seconds later, a warm blanket was wrapped around her from behind. She gasped in surprise, but then swallowed a scream of terror as long, strong arms enveloped her. A kull warrior effortlessly picked her up and held her against his chest like a baby. Sam was shaking uncontrollably, and she couldn't understand why. She was hot and cold at the same time, and still dripping wet. As much as she wanted to, she felt extremely weak and was unable to struggle.

"Take her to Marla. She will take care of her," Shamim ordered the warrior, who just turned and started to leave the room with the naked blonde in his arms. Loki watched the first clone of Sam Carter leave the room in the arms of the huge monster, and regretfully returned his attention to another large box, sitting only feet away from the now empty one. There lay the original Sam Carter, also naked inside the now open box.

"How is she doing?" asked Shamim, stepping close and touching her cheek almost lovingly.

"She is well. She will awaken shortly, and I have no further need of her. Her pattern is within the system, and it is only a matter of time before we can generate another copy. You may take her and do as you wish. Just remember that we need to examine the new copy in a few hours to ensure that the cloning will not degenerate."

The small alien was not happy to be collaborating with the Goa'uld, but he had little choice. He was also angry with his fellow Asgards, and felt no sense of obligation to either his own species or the humans. He only meant to survive. He had been exiled and condemned to live out his life in his current body and in total isolation in a small planet on the fringes of their galaxy. And without the help of his own, he would never be able to clone himself. Not even Nerus could do it. Cloning kull warriors and humans was simple compared to cloning an Asgard. Handling the transfer of consciousness was a complicated if not impossible procedure for outsiders. And copying it, like he did for humans, was impossible. Working for Ba'al had actually been... interesting, compared to the boredom he had faced in his remote prison.

"The results never cease to amaze me!" the large Goa'uld standing beside him suddenly chuckled. His mirth ceased when the four Ba'als in the room just stared at him contemptuously.

"Prepare the first Anat symbiote for implantation. Let us know when everything is ready," Shamim ordered Nerus. Then he and Kaneph, the other Ba'al remaining in the room, left, both dressed in black, and both emanating malevolence and disdain.

Chapter Twelve

The monster from her nightmares had silently carried Sam to her new chambers and deposited her gently on the large bed. She held on to the warm blanket with shaking, white fingers and huddled up on the soft surface, trying desperately to regain control over her body. She nervously scooted away from the kull warrior and leaned heavily on the mattress as she watched him leave, then she closed her eyes, relieved at being alone and willing her trembling to go away. She took deep breaths and swallowed convulsively, her whole body weak and off kilt. She knew they were no longer in the ship, and that they must have arrived at their destination while she had been unconscious.

Sam only opened her eyes when she heard the door open again. Marla appeared, again carrying a food tray and now dressed in a royal blue robe. Her hair was also different. Sam thought that, either this was one of her clones or she had been unconscious longer than she had imagined. The young woman ignored her, readying some clothes and filling up the large tub in a corner alcove. When the tub was full, she approached Sam and slowly tried to reach her.

"Leave me alone," Sam complained weakly, remembering her earlier deceit, but Marla insisted, pulling her to a standing position.

"You do not wish to be naked and weak when my lord comes to see you, Samantha Carter. You must let me take care of you," she coaxed.

"Like you did earlier?" Sam complained, but let the girl help her to the waiting bath. She could barely stand, much less walk on her own.

"That was not I. But I also would have had to do as I was told, just like my sister did. We must all obey, or face the consequences." The young woman spoke matter-of-factly, not really caring whether Sam understood or not.

Sam sank into the warm water and instantly felt better. Her shaking subsided, and she closed her eyes as the girl lathered her hair with an aromatic soap and gently massaged her scalp. "They will leave you alone for a few hours. You must use this time to eat and rest. You will be stronger when you awaken," she assured her.

"Why do I feel so badly?" Sam asked, closing her eyes as Marla rinsed her long hair.

"It is normal. Do not concern yourself. You will be all right in a few days," she answered evasively.

"I have never felt so weak in my life. What did they do to me?" Sam asked, almost fading into sleep. She was not even strong enough to take a bath! Then the thought occurred to her. "They cloned me already, didn't they?"

"Some of the weakness will pass after you eat and sleep. Let me help you," Marla insisted evasively. She assisted Sam out of the bath and patted her dry with a large towel as the long-legged blonde stood shakily on her feet. She then sat her back down on the bed and proceeded to towel-dry her hair. Sam took the opportunity to explore the room with her eyes, and realized that the clothes sitting in a pile next to her were not her own.

"Where are my clothes?" she asked petulantly.

"They are next to you," Marla calmly replied, now brushing her hair.

"I'm not wearing that. I want the clothes I was wearing before," Sam argued, angry with the woman, and she brusquely took the brush from her hand and stabbed her with icy blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, Samantha Carter. Your old clothes are not available. And my lord instructed me to dress you in these. If I disobey, he will hurt me. And he will hurt you too," she warned patiently.

"He will hurt me anyway, and I don't care what he does to you! You're a liar," Sam responded coldly.

"Everything my sister told you was probably the truth. We do not lie. We are just trying to survive. And if you prefer to wait for my lord naked, that is your choice." Marla then calmly left the room.

Sam felt like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum, but she felt so weak and sick, that she didn't really care. She eyed the black silk of the garment lying next to her and decided that some clothes were better than none. She slowly, without getting up, pulled the long gown over her head. The soft piece did not do such a good job of covering her, leaving her chest and back enticingly open, put it provided some warmth. It felt like a sleeping gown, thin and soft, with slits down the sides that revealed her long legs up to her hips. But it had long, flowing sleeves that covered her arms.

She looked at the tray, only a few feet from the bed, sitting on top of the table. But she knew she could not reach it without falling flat on her face. Marla said she had a few hours. She needed her strength back. But first things first. Exhausted, Sam pulled the blanket over her body again, and fell back onto the bed, asleep almost before she finished curling up on the soft surface.

Chapter Thirteen

"Samantha Carter, wake up!" Sam heard from far, far away. She moaned softly, wondering who was waking her up at such an ungodly hour, and mumbled a curse under her breath. A soft chuckle made her frown and wonder whose voice it was. It was not familiar.

"Wake up, my dear. They will be here soon, and I do believe they want you awake for this momentous occasion," the voice insisted. It sounded more familiar now, and Sam blinked her eyes open, only to be blinded by the bright lights of the room she was in. When she opened her eyes again, she realized that she was staring at Nerus, the repugnant Goa'uld she had had to collaborate with when fighting the replicators.

"I should have been able to recognize your stench nearby, Nerus," she said nastily, and tried to move off the bed she was lying on, only to find that she was bound, hand and foot. She also realized that she was stark naked, and that they were not in the ship any longer. The walls were made of stone and the atmosphere felt slightly damp.

"Ohhh, and I had so enjoyed our time together! I'm sorry to realize the feeling is not mutual," the fat man leered. "I have missed you, my dear."

"Go to hell!" she spat at him, hating his guts for participating in her ordeal. "What do you want now?"

"We have been waiting for this a long, long time, my love," she heard as a response from one of the Ba'als entering the large room they were in, and her skin crawled with dread. She realized that they were in a luxurious bedroom, decorated similarly to the one in the penthouse, and she knew that she was out of time.

"Welcome to Tsapan! You've been here for almost a day now, but you've been sleeping." Sam did not respond, but her heart rate picked up in consternation, and she wondered which Ba'al this one was and where the others were. As if reading her thoughts, Ba'al added, "You can call me Shamim. My three brothers are busy elsewhere, but I'll take care of you, so there is not need to worry."

Sam still did not respond. She refused to play mouse to the gloating cat. Instead, she closed her eyes and tried to regain control and slow down her heart. She did not want him to realize that she was terrified. She remembered that Marla had made her eat in the ship, and that she had been drugged. She really had no idea how long ago that had been, but she figured Ba'al was probably telling her the truth. There was no reason for him to lie. She swallowed regret, realizing that there was probably no impending rescue yet, and that she was about to face the inevitable.

"Open your eyes, my love," Shamim coaxed. "See your destiny," he added in a smug tone of voice that pricked Sam's curiosity. She opened her eyes, and was horrified by what she saw. Nerus had rolled over a large table upon which a large water tank sat. Inside, a queen Goa'uld floated menacingly. "This is Anat," Shamim presented, stroking the glass of the tank lovingly. "Or I should say, this one is Antit. There are actually five clones of Anat. Just as we did, she has chosen different forms of her ancient name to distinguish her sisters. Antit is destined for you."

Sam could not resist the impulse to struggle out of her restraints, and only succeeded in amusing the two Goa'ulds. "Relax, Samantha Carter, and feel free to have a few parting thoughts of your General O'Neill. They will be the last you have. My only regret is that he is not here to witness your blending. It would have been a great beginning to my revenge."

"Revenge?" Sam argued, trying to stall for time. "You are the one that has been preying on humans for thousands of years, enslaving and brutalizing innocent people, and passing yourself off as a god, when you are nothing but a disgusting lower life form." If Sam had intended to enrage Shamim, she succeeded only too well. His face was within inches of hers in an instant, his hand pulling on her long blond hair painfully when he responded.

"O'Neill has been a thorn in my side ever since we met. And you have always been the best weapon against him. Knowing that his lovely wife is his no more, but now mine, will be the first blow. Destroying Earth will be the final one. But I look forward to many others in between." He then kissed her brutally, sinking hid teeth and biting her lips until he tasted her blood and heard her cry out in pain. His large hand covered a warm breast and squeezed cruelly. "I am tempted to have you one last time before you are blended, just to see you suffer for a while longer. But we are pressed for time. My brothers are looking forward to having consorts ready so that we can move on with our plans. But you will be mine."

Shamim stepped away, and Sam's eyes flew around the room, desperately looking for escape, some aid, anything that would free her from this nightmare. But she only found the smug face of Nerus as he approached with the queen Goa'uld cradled gently in his large hands. "Noooo! Don't!" she screamed uselessly. But the last she ever saw as Samantha Carter was the grinning face of Ba'al, her greatest enemy, as she screamed in agony at the queen's invasion.

Chapter Fourteen

"Mitchell, you'll lead the team that will secure the stargate in the south side of the fortress. When it is, let us know so that Landry can send in the troops. Captain Haley is waiting on the other side. Teal'c, you'll lead your team towards the east side of the complex. Major Wright will lead his west. I'll take the north area. We will all be transporting close to the stargate, where Thor detected a weakness in the shield. We all need to return to the same spot to return to the ships. Remember, there are two goals. One is to rescue Dr. Carter. The second one is to blow the place to kingdom come. So feel free to use as much C-4 as you can. Once we have evacuated, we'll pull the trigger. Any questions?" Jack looked at the blank faces of the nineteen men surrounding him and saw only grim determination.

The complex was shielded with new technology. Thor had been unable to determine how many kull warriors they may be facing or where Sam was located, but they had decided to attack before they were detected. They had determined that there were two ha'taks in orbit, but Thor had been able to keep the two allied vessels from being spotted by the Goa'uld ships. Colonel Ronson and Thor would be engaging the ships as soon as the ground troops were deployed.

"All right, Mitchell, you have a go," he finalized.

"Yes, Sir," the younger man readily responded and disappeared in a flash of light. Within three minutes, they heard the go ahead for the rest of the teams and Jack notified Colonel Ronson to contact SGC. Jack's team was the last one to be transported to the surface, and he was glad to see that the only dead bodies surrounding him were those of kull warriors. The teams were all armed with Sam's "kull blasters", as Jack had named the technology that she had developed with Selmak at the old Alpha Site. They had taken them by surprise, but the alarms were now blaring.

The stargate suddenly came alive and in short order, twenty more troops from the SGC poured into the complex. They split up evenly amongst the four teams and stood poised for action. Daniel and Haley joined Jack's team.

"OK, let's go! Everyone ready to evacuate in fifteen minutes!" were Jack's parting instructions, and everyone scattered in different directions.

Chapter Fifteen

Antit admired herself in a full-length mirror, circling and stroking her body through the rich cloth of her black gown with a satisfied smile on her face. Her shimmery dress was long and form fitting, with long, snug sleeves and a deep V-neck that revealed her generous cleavage. Platinum jewelry adorned her neck, wrists and fingers, and she reached up to adjust the jeweled circlet adorning her head. She fingered the jewels hanging from the expensive piece. They got lost in her golden hair, and she decided she probably should put it up so that they could show better. A sudden frown marred her beautiful features and her eyes suddenly filled with concern.

"Aren't you pleased, my love?" Shamim asked her, and she turned to him with a provocative smile.

"Are you?" she recovered quickly and asked in response, coming to stand close enough to him for them to smell each other's scent, but not quite touching him.

"Very! But I asked you first," he insisted, having a hard time resisting her. He wanted to grab her and make mad love to her, but he remembered too well how they had dealt with Adir when he had deviated from the agreed upon plans.

Antit's beautiful nose wrinkled in annoyance and turned away to walk towards the mirror again. She stared deeply into her own eyes for a few moments, but then she responded. "I can't read her thoughts yet," she admitted, her pride in obvious discomfort.

"What?!" Shamim asked, perturbed. His face was now very serious. This was completely unexpected.

"Don't concern yourself. Her barriers cannot withstand me for long. It is just a matter of time. Samantha Carter is strong willed, and has Jolinar's memories to use against me. She has retreated behind these barriers thinking she can remain there. You and I know better."

Shamim observed his new mate with a speculative gaze, wondering whether she really felt so confident. But there was nothing to be done at the moment, so he remained quiet on the subject.

As Antit continued to stare at her reflection in the mirror, Sam mocked her and taunted her, making it difficult for her to remain impassive under Shamim's scrutiny. "You will never invade my thoughts, and you will be trapped inside this body, always wondering whether you really have control over it. Let me show you." Antit's hand suddenly came up and tore the platinum circlet from her head, flinging it across the room. Her involuntary look of surprise warned Shamim that something was very wrong.

"What's the matter? Why did you do that?" he asked in consternation, watching her facial expressions carefully.

"Nothing!" she immediately responded. "I just... It was uncomfortable, that's all!" she added, trying to regain control of her hand. Sam allowed it, not wanting to reveal too much to Shamim just yet. He watched her in discomfort, wondering what was really happening. But he was not able to put his concern into words. The alarms of the fortress suddenly started shrieking, and they both turned to each other.

"Stay here!" Shamim ordered, and turned to leave. But Antit grasped his arm, preventing him from taking another step.

"I belong with you!" Her eyes were angry and challenging, and he just nodded. They both rushed out of the room and headed towards the laboratories, intent on protecting the other symbiotes.

In the meantime, the four Tau'ri teams were sweeping the fortress. They slowly but surely checked every square inch of the place, eliminating any opposition and planting C-4 as they advanced. Teal'c's team jogged down a hallway, approaching a set of doors guarded by two kull warriors. The two monsters did not move to approach them, but stood firmly by the doors, as if guarding a treasure, and Teal'c suspected he might have found Doctor Carter. He strategically placed his team in the hallway and besieged the two guards.

Inside, Sam struggled weakly against a determined Ba'al. She had no idea which one it was, and she did not care. She scratched at his face and bit his shoulder as he dragged her out of the bed and carried her forcibly towards the room's door. Screaming in outrage, she dared to hope that the alarms that had awakened her only moments before this monster had grabbed her were a sign of rescue. She was still miserably weak, and could not fight him off successfully. His strong arms encircled her waist and lifted her, while she kicked and screamed uselessly.

Teal'c heard Sam's screams, and was relieved at having found her despite his worry about why she was screaming. The door of the room opened and the kull warriors gathered together, still shooting at the Tau'ri team, and shielding a struggling couple as they moved down the hallway, away from his team in the opposite direction.

"Doctor Carter!" he shouted, hoping that Sam was all right.

"Teal'c! Help me!" she shouted back, now exhausted and hanging like a rag doll from Ba'al's arms. The Goa'uld ran down towards another hallway, and Teal'c realized that he was probably trying to reach transportation rings. He directed half his team to try to block their way by sending them in another direction as he followed them, still trying to shoot the kull warriors protecting Ba'al's retreat.

"My Lord, this way!" Ba'al heard a feminine voice call to him as he approached the ring room. Marla was standing there, beckoning him. He smiled and ran in, still holding an almost unconscious Samantha Carter in his left arm. He saw one of his protectors fall under Tau'ri fire, and he knew he was running out of time. He had to ring up to one of the ships as soon as possible. He turned to press the controls on the wall, but before he could do so, he felt a stabbing pain in the middle of his back. He choked in shock and turned incredulous eyes to the woman that had just attacked him. A long dagger was wedged between his shoulder blades, almost in his neck. Marla's hate emanated in waves from her eyes, and she smiled at him in triumph.

Despite his agony, he dropped Sam's now unconscious body on the floor and took quick steps to reach Marla, who now backed away warily. She was confused. She was sure she had stabbed him in a vulnerable spot. The symbiote must be dying! "No!" she screamed in fright as he reached for her neck. She had nowhere to go, flat against the wall, and she saw his face twist in a grimace of rage as he lifted his fist to deliver a fatal blow with his right hand as he held her against the hard surface with his left. She closed her eyes and braced herself, but the fist never fell. She heard the sound of a blast hit close by, and she opened her eyes to watch as Ba'al collapsed at her feet, dead.

Teal'c had taken in the scene before him in fractions of a second and had reacted without thinking. He had killed the Goa'uld who was about to kill the helpless woman that he assumed was Dr. Carter, and had seen him fall to the ground. He was momentarily confused when he realized that he was left staring at a scared, pretty brunette who was most definitely not his former teammate. He then scanned the room and spotted the still form of his friend on the floor. As one, Marla and Teal'c kneeled by Sam and the jaffa scooped her up, checking her pulse.

"She needs nourishment and liquids. If she doesn't get them soon, she will die," Marla informed him seriously, and Teal'c decided to act and leave questions for later.

"Follow me," he ordered in a deep voice, and the woman nodded. The rest of his team waited, guarding the door and keeping the hallway clear of threats. "Head back to the gate on the double!" he ordered, and they started to run back, Teal'c carrying Sam Carter's limp body effortlessly.

Chapter Sixteen

Jack was losing hope. They had found only kull warriors in their sweep of the facility, and they were running out of time. He had not been able to check on the other teams' progress, and just hoped they were about to head back to the stargate to be transported back to the ships. The same technology that had shielded the facility was preventing them from communicating with each other via radio.

He led his team to what looked like laboratories facilities, and as they attempted to enter one of the rooms, he saw the face of his wife staring back at him. A few blasts on the wall beside his head made him retreat and warned him of other occupants inside. Kull warriors were defending the entrance to the room, but he was suddenly elated at having found Sam. He signaled Haley and Daniel to stay behind him and the rest of his team to take positions surrounding the area. They promptly started to plant C-4 as they waited for his instructions.

"Jaaack!" he suddenly heard from inside, the sound of his wife's desperate voice tearing into him and filling him with hope at the same time. A sudden explosion rocked the building, and moments later, his radio came alive. It was Mitchell.

"Sir! We found the shield generator. We just blew it, and I'm done with my sweep. I'm sorry, but we did not find Dr. Carter!"

"All teams can get out of here! I found Sam! We'll join you soon!" He then smirked at Daniel, who just stared at him, wondering what he was planning to do, and Jack proceeded to contact Thor.

Inside the laboratory containing the other four queen Goa'ulds, Shamim turned to Antit in rage and backhanded her brutally, sending her flying against a wall. "What do you think you are doing?" he snarled in rage.

"I'm sorry! It was Samantha Carter! She made me do it!" she defended herself, trying to stand up and wiping blood from her mouth with her sleeve. She was desperately battling Sam inside her head. She could feel herself losing, and she despaired, trembling with the effort.

"Control her or I'll have to kill you!" he warned as he gathered the symbiotes together, hoping for his brothers to ring him out of the fortress. He was growing desperate. He had signaled the ha'tak ships twice already, and had gotten no response. They knew that they had to save the symbiotes and the cloning equipment. What was taking them so long?

"What about her?" Antit pointed at the body lying inside the metal coffin at the other side of the room. Sam's second clone was barely starting to take shape inside, and they could see it in a monitor screen as muscle tissue slowly formed on bones.

"She will not survive. The process is not yet complete, and we will have to interrupt it," the calm voice of the little Asgard responded from his spot next to the box, regret in his voice. Nerus stood beside him nervously, almost jumping out of his skin every time he heard blasts noises coming from outside the room.

"Come and stand here. We will be transported as soon as the ships are in range," Shamim ordered them, and everyone except Antit obeyed. "I said come here!" he shouted at her, his eyes throwing sparks.

"I... I can't," she admitted, her eyes wide in alarm. "I can't move!"

Shamim strode to her angrily and roughly picked her up, holding her against his body. Before he could turn to join the others, he heard a voice ordering him in an almost growl, "Put her down and step away."

Shamim put her down, but kept her close, and turned to face his nemesis. Jack O'Neill stood only feet away from him, his zat gun aimed at his face and a menacing look in his eyes. Before Jack could react, he quickly pressed his wrist and his personal shield came up. He then smiled smugly at the three people that had just been transported inside the room and grasped Antit's wrist behind him. Jack's eyes hardened, and he continued to point the weapon at him.

"You're not getting out of here, Ba'al. Shield or not, this is over for you. Let her go."

"She's not yours anymore, O'Neill. She is mine now," he taunted Jack, pulling Antit against him and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She snuggled willingly against him and threw Jack a sultry look, a foreign smile curving her lips. Jack's heart sank, realizing what must have happened.

"We'll remove the snake, don't you worry. And then we'll just kill it. We'll do the same with you," Jack threatened, sounding more confident than he felt. His eyes moved to his wife's face, and he silently begged her to fight the monster inside her. He had heard her scream his name, and from personal experience, he knew fighting the Goa'uld was possible. As he stared at her, willing her to succeed, Sam's beautiful eyes suddenly softened and widened in new awareness. Her hands shot out and grabbed Ba'al's wrist, pressing down on the shield control, and the barrier flickered and died. Ba'al reacted almost immediately and pushed her away roughly, throwing her on the ground, but Jack did not miss a beat and shot him. He then stepped close and shot him again, and finally a third time. The body shimmered and disappeared, and a shriek of distress and indignation came out of Sam's throat, her wide eyes staring blankly at the spot where the Goa'uld had been lying a second earlier.

Sam's body collapsed further on the floor, her shrieking becoming hysterical. "Sam!" Daniel shouted, and rushed to her side, but her arm came up and shoved him away with unnatural force, sending him flying against the metal coffin on the other side of the room. Nerus and Loki still stood frozen close by, and did not dare to move. The doors finally opened and a group of SGC soldiers streamed into the room, having vanquished the kull warriors outside.

"Clear, Sir! We're ready to go!" a young officer informed. Jack was still standing close to the shaking body of his wife, not sure of what to do. He slowly nodded and shifted his gaze to Captain Haley. "Move out, Captain. Return to the ships, and take these two with you. Lock them up." He had pointed towards Loki and Nerus over his shoulders, not taking his eyes off Sam's shaking body.

"Yes, Sir!" Jennifer Haley immediately responded and contacted The Prometheus. Within seconds, only Jack, Daniel and the possessed body of Sam Carter remained in the room. Daniel stared at something in a screen as the woman cowering on the floor shook uncontrollably.

"Jack! Come see this!" Daniel called, watching in fascination as a new body took shape on screen. But Jack did not move. He, instead, stepped closer to the shaking body of his wife and knelt next to it.

"Sam, I know you are there. Fight her! Don't let her win. I know you can do it. Just take my hand and let's get the hell out of here. Let's go home," he coaxed. His throat constricted when blue eyes full of hate glared at him.

"I will kill her before I let her go back to you! You killed my mate, and I will kill yours!" Antit snarled, and she leaped at him, clawing nails reaching for his face. Daniel reacted and ran to assist Jack, who struggled on the floor with a wild woman intent on killing him. Between the two of them, they subdued her and held her against the floor as her body contorted in rage, desperately trying to escape.

"Sam! Please! Fight!" Jack screamed in her face, and her body suddenly stopped struggling. Her face slackened and her eyes went blank for a second. Jack and Daniel looked at each other, wondering what was going on, and then they heard Sam's clear voice.

"Jack," she said softly, and her eyes sought his.

"Babe, is that you?" he asked gently, and one of his hands left her arm and stroked her cheek. She smiled sweetly at him, and he started to respond. But her smile suddenly turned into a grimace of pain, and she screamed again in agony.

"Aaaagh! Oh, God!" Sam's body tensed up again and her head slammed against the floor as she screamed again in distress. "Jaaaack!"

"Babe! What is it? Sam!" Jack shouted, shaking her shoulders as her body convulsed.

"The symbiote is killing her, Jack! We have to get her to Thor's ship!" Daniel screamed into his face, and Jack pressed his communicator to signal his alien friend.

Chapter Seventeen

The Tau'ri troops had returned to the ships. Some had returned to Earth through the stargate. Teal'c's team had been the first one to return to The Prometheus, before the shield had been destroyed. He had been eager to seek medical attention for Dr. Carter. Now he hovered close by as the medical personnel worked to revive his friend. Sam Carter was pale and still unconscious, but they had assured him that her vital signs were stable and that she was just dehydrated. An IV had been hooked up and she was resting comfortably.

Colonel Ronson had sent word that one of the Goa'uld ships had escaped, but that the other one had been destroyed. Thor was in pursuit after having recovered General O'Neill and Daniel. Landry had ordered them to detonate the C-4 and remain until the facility could be confirmed as destroyed while Thor and Jack followed the other ship.

A number of survivors had been rescued during the sweep of the facility. Four different Marlas were being checked out in the medical facilities, proof that extensive cloning had been taking place at the fortress. Other humans had been rescued, but only a handful. Teal'c approached the woman dressed in blue, the one that had attempted to kill Ba'al and saved Sam in the process.

"We are in your debt," he said softly, bowing his head to her. "If not for you, we might have been too late in preventing Ba'al's escape with Dr. Carter."

Marla looked at Teal'c pensively, and exchanged uncomfortable looks with her clones, which just shook their heads and looked away.

"What is your concern?" Teal'c asked, detecting the undercurrent of discomfort between the women.

"You must know that this is not the original Samantha Carter. This one is a clone, like we are, but no less real than the original," Marla attempted to explain. Teal'c's eyes widened in alarm, realizing that the original Sam Carter was probably still trapped in the fortress. Without a word, he ran to the communicator on the wall and hailed Colonel Ronson. "Colonel Ronson! Do not detonate the C-4 yet! There are still survivors on the surface!"

The Colonel's excited voice immediately responded. "It's too late, Teal'c! We just blew up the place! What survivors are you talking about?" He was almost screaming.

Teal'c eyes closed, and he leaned his forehead against the wall in regret. Then his eyes drifted to the clone lying on the hospital bed and wondered what would happen when O'Neill realized their blunder.

Chapter Eighteen

Jack dejectedly sat on the cold floor in Thor's ship, his arms cradling the dead body of his wife, and his tears falling slowly on her delicate face. Blood stained her lips and face, and she was so pale that she looked almost translucent. But he still thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen as he gazed at her sleeping face, stroking her cheek tenderly.

Daniel also sat on the floor a few steps away and wept, his head hanging in sorrow. He did not dare to approach Jack. He did not dare to say a word. He just stole glances at his friend's stricken face, and continued to cry.

Thor had left them a few minutes ago. Their ship was now in pursuit of the Goa'uld ship that had escaped, and he had been unable to come up with words to console his human friends. By the time Jack and Daniel had been transported to The Teal'c, holding between them the still convulsing body of Samantha Carter, it had been too late. The damage had been too extensive. The queen Goa'uld had brutally detached from Sam's brain and was no longer connected to her former host, already dying inside her body. This had caused too much trauma, and toxins had been intentionally released into her system, seeping into her vital organs. Thor had been unable to help her.

Jack had called to her, begging her to hang on, but he had watched her fade helplessly, her breathing becoming labored and blood escaping her mouth, ears and nose. He had kissed her face, her eyes, her hair, and had stroked her soothingly, trying to ease her pain. "Please, don't leave me, babe. Please!" he had whispered to her, imploring her in anguish. She had only been able to look at him, desperately trying to convey her love without words. Her hand had reached his cheek, and had given him a parting caress. "Take care of our baby," had been her only words, barely audible as her eyes held his beloved face. She had then closed them for the last time and stopped breathing.

"Noooo!" Jack had howled against her neck, holding her impossibly close. He had pulled her body free of the device Thor had used in trying to save her and walked away with her in his arms, seeking solitude. Daniel had turned to Thor in desperation.

"There's got to be something we can do!" he had cried, tears already falling from his eyes.

"I am sorry, Dr. Jackson. I wish I could do something, but I can not," had been the alien's calm, but regretful reply. Then Colonel Ronson had requested that they pursue the escaping Goa'uld ship, and Thor had turned away, leaving his human friends to their grief.

But now he returned, happy to deliver good news. Although the Goa'uld ship had jumped into hyperspace before he could follow, he had talked to Colonel Ronson and had found out that Samantha Carter's clone had survived.

"O'Neill, Dr. Jackson, I have happy news," he said as he approached the two men on the floor. Jack did not seem to hear and continued to gaze at his lost love's peaceful face. Daniel just lifted his head to stare at him in stupefaction.

"What could possibly be happy news right now, Thor? Leave us alone!" he snapped at the little alien guy, wanting to strike him.

"You do not understand, Dr. Jackson. Samantha Carter has survived," Thor attempted to explain. When Jack still did not react and Daniel looked like he was about to explode, he added, "Her clone is very much alive in The Prometheus."

At this, Daniel jumped to his feet. He looked at Jack, but his friend had not reacted in any way. He was just staring at his dead wife's face, and his mind was far away. His tears had stopped, but he looked gray and defeated, and more dead than alive as he held her and stroked her cheek with his thumb absentmindedly. Daniel approached him quietly, and knelt in front of him. He carefully put his hand on his friend's shoulder and called his name.

"Jack, can you hear me?" When he got no response, he shook Jack's shoulder gently. "Jack. Listen to me. This is important."

Jack's eyes reluctantly left Sam's face and drifted slowly to Daniel's. He wasn't sure he was really listening, but Daniel tried anyway. "Jack. Sam was cloned. Her clone is alive and well. She is still alive, Jack."

Daniel was about to repeat himself when Jack opened his mouth to respond. In a croak, his reply was, "My wife is dead."

Chapter Nineteen

Sam woke up to the sound of hushed voices arguing close by. She blinked her eyes open, trying to focus on her surroundings and realized that she was in the infirmary at the SGC. It had been a while since she had been there as a patient, but she had been there enough times during the past decade to know where she was for certain. She weakly turned her head towards the voices she could hear, and spied her two best friends standing by the door, engaged in an animated discussion. Well, Daniel was animated. Teal'c just listened and replied quietly here and there.

"Hey!" she called in a hoarse voice. Her two friends heard her, and immediately approached.

"Sam!" Daniel smiled, taking her hand and holding it tightly.

"Dr. Carter. Are you well?" Teal'c asked gently, standing next to Daniel and looking down on her with concern.

"I think so. I don't hurt anywhere. Just a little bit of a headache, and I feel weak," she responded, taking mental inventory of every part of her body. She vaguely wondered why her arm did not hurt anymore, and it did not seem to be bandaged. Daniel and Teal'c looked at each other and she could tell something was wrong.

"What's the matter? Am I dying or something?" she asked with apprehension.

"No! Of course not!" Daniel instantly responded. "God, Sam! I'm sorry. That's not it at all."

"Then what is it? Where's Jack?" she asked, looking past them to the door and hoping to see her husband.

"Sam, what's the last thing you remember?" Daniel asked instead of answering.

"The last I remember? I guess... Teal'c. I remember Ba'al dragging me down a hallway and Teal'c calling my name. I yelled back. I don't remember anything after that."

"And before that?" Daniel pressed. Sam looked at him with unease, but tried to answer anyway.

"I remember waking up inside a metal box, wet and naked. The four Ba'al clones were there. So were Nerus and Loki. Then a kull warrior picked me up and took me to an empty room. Marla, Ba'al's personal slave, came in and helped me bathe. Then I fell asleep. Next time I woke, Ba'al was grabbing me. That's when he dragged me out and we met Teal'c."

"What about before that?" Daniel insisted, and Sam's temper flared.

"What's going on, Daniel? Why are you asking me all these questions? Where is Jack? I want to see him!" she demanded.

"That... may not be possible for a while, Sam," Daniel answered hesitantly.

"What? What do you mean? Where is he?" Sam asked, her anxiety increasing by the second.

"He... he is kind of busy. I'm sorry. You know, Washington business," Daniel attempted to lie lamely.

"Daniel! Tell me what's going on right now!" she suddenly shouted. Then her hand came up to her head as she grimaced in pain.

"Take it easy, Sam. I don't want to upset you, really. It's just that... well, what I have to say is not going to be easy for you to take in right now." Daniel looked so lost and uncomfortable that Sam's brain could only imagine the worst.

"Oh, my God! Jack! Something happened to Jack!" she cried, trying now to sit up and falling weakly against the pillow again. Tears came to her eyes, and her hand suddenly pulled at her IV, tearing it off. She tried to get off the bed, but strong hands prevented her from doing so. "I want to see him! Daniel, please...!"

"No, darling, no! Nothing is wrong with Jack! I swear! He is OK!" her friend responded vehemently, trying to hold her arms and force her to lie back down. Teal'c was more successful and pressed her shoulders to the mattress gently.

"You must not get up, Dr. Carter. You are still in need of care. Please remain still," he coaxed. A nurse quickly came to Sam's side and replaced the IV. She then turned to another nurse and asked her to call Dr. Lam.

"Is he OK, really?" she sobbed dejectedly, still not believing them. "Why isn't he here? Tell me, please!"

Daniel could tell that she did not believe him, so he decided he had to tell her the truth. Looking at Teal'c, who silently nodded his agreement, he started to explain.

"Sam. At the fortress... well, they cloned you." He waited for her response, but she just looked at him, as if trying to remember.

"I had suspected. Is there another me here?" she finally replied, looking around uncomfortably, thinking that maybe other beds were occupied.

"No, Sam. There was another one, but she did not survive."

"Oh!" Sam was puzzled. She still did not understand why Jack was not by her side.

"No, you don't understand yet. Sam..." Daniel winced.

"What, Daniel? Please tell me!" She was now scared.

"You are the clone. Our original Sam died in Jack's arms back in Thor's ship, and Jack is having a hard time dealing with it."

Sam stared at Daniel in shock. She did not react. She just continued to lie still and breathe. She then slowly lifted her left arm and looked at it. Then she lifted her right wrist and stared at it for the longest moments, as if looking for something. Her wrist fell back on the bed and she looked at Daniel, then at Teal'c. "They're not there. You're right. The scars are gone. It's not my old body. But..." Sam did not finish. She just stared at the ceiling, as if trying to figure something out.

"What is it, Sam? What are you thinking?" Daniel asked her in concern over her reaction. He had expected something different. He did not know what, but he had definitely not expected this calm, almost eerie approach to such mind-blowing news.

"I'm still me. I know I am. I remember everything about my life. I feel the same. I'm still me." She sounded dejected and lost, and Daniel's heart went out to her.

"Of course you are you, darling," he assured her with a smile. Sam just turned to look at him again. With tears in her eyes, she then asked brokenly.

"Then why isn't he here?"

Chapter Twenty

Jack looked into the glass of amber liquid and wondered, for the tenth time during the last hour, when the damned thing was going to take effect. He had been steadily drinking since he had arrived at home, and was still hoping to reach that state of blessed numbness that invariably followed the excessive intake of booze.

Although he felt lethargic, his mind was still full of thoughts. His heart was still heavy with grief. And his body refused to relax. With sudden fury, he hurled the glass against the wall and the vessel shattered, sending shards of glass flying everywhere.

Amber liquid stained the beige paint of the living room. Jack contemplated the mess and thought, "Sam is gonna be pissed at me!" Then he remembered, and his face sank into his hands. He was drunk after all. Just not drunk enough! The doorbell then rang, and he cursed, hoping that whoever it was would just go away. The bell kept ringing, and by the steady persistence of the caller, whom he tried to ignore for the next five minutes, he knew it would be Daniel.

When Jack finally opened the door, Daniel had sat himself comfortably on one of the chairs in the front deck. "I was wondering if you had passed out on the couch," he commented without looking at his half-drunk friend, who just stood by the door silently.

"What do you want, Daniel?" he asked patiently.

"We need to talk, Jack," Daniel responded. "Why don't you come out and get comfortable?" Jack decided that, the sooner he pretended to listen, the sooner the archeologist would leave. So he took the seat next to Daniel and waited. "She's doing slightly better today. Her strength is coming back, and I managed to make her eat something," Daniel said, then waited for a response. There was none. "She asked about you again, of course. I told her you were still being Jack O'Neill. She actually smiled!"

At Jack's lack of response, Daniel continued. "It's been three days, Jack. Dr. Lam is seriously concerned about her. When are you going to see her?"

"Never," Jack replied softly.

"Come on, Jack!" Daniel stood up abruptly, angrier than Jack had ever seen him. "Stop being such a colossal ass and go see your wife! She is your wife!" he added with emphasis.

"My wife died! I felt her die! She asked me to take care of our child!" Jack had screamed at Daniel, armed with pain and anguish. He was standing now, nose to nose with his friend with a broken, miserable look on his face. Why couldn't Daniel understand? How could he go and pretend that the copy lying in that hospital bed was his wife when he had felt life leave her body while still in his arms? How could he believe it was she, when he could still go to the SGC morgue and touch his Sam?

"Why is it so hard for you to assimilate this? Why is it that you can understand how Thor can continue to be Thor, no matter what body he is in, and not understand this? How can you accept that a Jon O'Neill is out there, living another life, and not accept this gift? It is a gift, Jack. Sam died, but she is reborn. She is still with us!"

Jack just stared at Daniel and said nothing. How could he not understand? Heck! Thor was just Thor! He was an alien being. He was an alien being whose consciousness or soul, whatever you called it, could be transferred from one place to another. And Jon O'Neill was a different person as far as he was concerned. He wasn't Jack O'Neill, although, intellectually, he knew that Jon might disagree with him on that one.

But Sam... Sam had been his life. Sam had been the only person in the universe he had truly, fully allowed into his soul. She had been his other half, his complement. She had been reason to his instinct, logic to his lunacy, and compassion to his nastiness. Individually, they had been two wounded, flawed individuals forever seeking completion. Together, they had been a force to be reckoned with, even during all those years when they had had to deny their feelings for each other.

Their spirits had joined together long ago, and had sustained each other during incredible and soul wrenching experiences. Hers had been the only one capable of healing his, and he had helplessly watched as that wonderfully unique spirit had slipped away, and had left him utterly and unbearably alone. How could it still exist in some other body that, although physically a copy, had been drawing breath in The Prometheus while his wife passed away? He just couldn't understand!

Jack was a shell of a person now. He was alive because he had a baby on the way. He had a responsibility to that baby, to Sam's baby. And he was going to do the best job he could to make their child happy. But he knew he'd never be happy again. Never. Not without his wife. Never without Sam.

"Jack!" Daniel tried to catch his wandering attention again. He was deeply concerned about Sam. She had sunk into a deep depression, and her friends were not being too successful at making her talk about her situation. But he was just as concerned about Jack. He was acting irrationally, and walked around like a zombie, visiting the morgue repeatedly, and not making any decisions on how to dispose of Sam's original body. No one else dared to even suggest what to do. After all, Sam Carter was still alive in the infirmary. She had a right to her life, and therefore a dead Sam Carter could not exist at the same time. What a mess!

"She's going to sicken and die if you don't go see her, Jack. I don't think she wants to live if she can't have her life back. She wants you back, and she wants her child. Do you really expect her to just forget about all that and to give everything up? Are you such a selfish bastard that you can't see beyond your own feelings and give her a chance?"

Daniel thought he saw a reaction to his words. Jack's eyes widened slightly, then the shutters came down again. "Think about it, Jack. Imagine having to see her die again, just because you couldn't wrap your brain around the fact that she is still alive and waiting for you."

With these parting words, Daniel left, planning to return the next day, and the next, and the next, until Jack either decided to go see Sam, or shot him.

What Daniel did not realize was that he had already accomplished his goal. The thought of Sam dying again, and somehow it being his fault, shocked Jack into the realization that he had to do something. He did not know what yet, but he was going to figure it out.

Chapter Twenty-One

The day after Daniel's visit to Jack, Sam sat like a lump in a comfortable chair. Dr. MacKenzie had finished interviewing her for the second time. The first time she had answered questions for two hours until she had stood up in exasperation and promptly passed out. Dr. Lam had been furious at the psychiatrist. She had not allowed another interview until two days later, and only with the understanding that it would last no longer than one hour.

"Are we done?" she asked softly.

"Yes, Dr. Carter. You can go now. I'll call for the wheelchair," Dr. MacKenzie responded good-naturedly. He opened the door of his office and beckoned a young nurse, who quickly came in and helped Sam into the wheel chair.

"I hope you can still feel you can come to me any time you need to talk," the doctor said as Sam was wheeled out. He thought he heard her snort, but then decided it had been a noise from the wheelchair.

Back in the infirmary, Dr. Lam waited impatiently for her favorite patient. "Finally!" she said when she saw Sam, and quickly helped her into her bed. "Are you tired?"

"Yes," Sam responded softly.

"Do you want something to eat? I brought you some ice cream. Daniel said it's your favorite flavor," Dr. Lam enticed her.

"No, thanks. I think I'll just sleep," Sam mechanically responded and turned over. Dr. Lam watched the sad blond woman listlessly lay on the bed, staring at the blank wall. She was concerned for her and wished she could do something. Her body was in decent enough shape. Although still weak, she thought it was mostly due to the fact that she had been unable to rest properly and had eaten very little. Her emotional state, however, was another matter.

"All right. If you change your mind, just tell the nurse. The ice cream is in the freezer," Dr. Lam sighed. She then turned to face an unexpected apparition. General Jack O'Neill stood there, dressed in blues, looking dashing but forbidding.

"General!" She couldn't help herself, then wished she had not said it so loudly. She turned to Sam's bed and realized that Sam was staring at her husband, transfixed. "I'll leave you two alone." Dr. Lam departed and closed the door behind her, leaving Sam and Jack alone in the infirmary.

Jack approached the bed slowly, looking tense and uncomfortable. Sam realized that he did not want to be there, but she was glad he was anyway. Her heart raced and her eyes filled up, but she was unable to say a word. He stood by her side, his hands in his pockets, and just looked at her, as if trying to figure out what to say. He finally spoke. "I'm sorry I've been such an ass. You know me. I'm good at that sometimes." He was ill at ease, but it was a start, he thought. He had just come from the morgue where the body of his wife still lie in a cold storage drawer. It was just not possible for him to accept yet that this living, breathing Samantha Carter was the same person he had felt slip through his fingers only days ago. This was the best he could manage. "I wanted to let you know that I have to go back to DC, and that I'll be back in a week or so. Daniel tells me that Dr. Lam wants you to go back home, to familiar surroundings, and that you can leave tomorrow if you want."

Sam's tears were flowing now. He was leaving her. She would be going back to an empty house. There was no warmth, no emotion in those dark eyes. There was only awkwardness. He wasn't even looking at her any more. He was looking at her hands, not her face. A sob escaped her, and his eyes finally met hers. Something happened. He took one more step and actually lifted his hand. She thought he was going to touch her, but then he didn't. "I came to say goodbye, and to let you know that I bought groceries. I got your favorite jell-o and yogurt. There's milk, eggs and fruits. You should have everything you need. And Michelle promised to stop by and spend time with you every day until I come back. She's doing great, by the way." He was staring at her hands again.

Sam sniffed, then responded, "I know. I've talked to her. She refuses to tell me whether we're having a boy or a girl. She said she'd tell us when we are together." Sam desperately grasped for straws. Maybe the mention of their child would make him look at her and accept that she was still the mother of his baby. Jack's eyes came back to her face and she thought he'd break. She thought, for a moment, that he would reach for her and engulf her in his arms. But she watched as he swallowed hard and suppressed the impulse. He nodded and stepped back, intending to depart.

"Jack!" Sam begged, another sob escaping her. "Please!"

"I... I can't yet. I'm sorry. Just give me some time." Jack was taking backward steps, putting more distance between his body and hers, and she thought her heart would break.

"Jack, I love you! Don't go, please!" Sam beseeched him, her arm reaching for him as she sat up in bed. She couldn't bear to see him go. And she couldn't bear to see the pain and confusion in his face.

Jack's face crumbled for a second. Then he closed his eyes, shook his head and turned to open the door. For a moment, he had believed that this was his Sam. But then he had noticed the differences. Her skin was smoother and firmer on her cheekbones. The familiar little scar on her eyebrow was no longer there. And the fine laugh lines at the corner of her eyes had disappeared. Then the image of his wife, dead in his arms, had overwhelmed him. He had felt her last breath on his face again. And now he felt the need to run. He pulled the door open and escaped, feeling like a miserable eel as he heard the woman in the room weep brokenly.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Jack had been in DC for five days. It had taken a while for him to catch up with accumulated work, but now he was up to date. His meetings were done for the day, and he decided to go home and try to get some sleep. Rest had been difficult if not impossible. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he would fall into an agitated doze filled with dreams of his dying wife. He would wake only a couple of hours later with a racing heart and a scream stuck in his throat.

Jack was used to nightmares. They were part of who he was. The nightmares that had followed Charlie's death had been no better, and they had lasted for years. So he had just learned to take his rest when and as he could, not expecting the deep, restful slumber that he had enjoyed during the brief years of happiness with Sara, and then with Sam.

Thoughts of his wife and the clone waiting for him

Jackfic Archive Story

Into the Shadows

by Gen Varel