Fragile Balance

Part Two

"You're telling me that we haven't caught all Maybourne's accomplices?" The general asked in disbelief.

Sam understood how he felt. She felt the same way. She was weary and tired of the deception, and not looking forward to going back to SG-1 to boot.

Her team-mates were furious at the deception. She didn't need to do anything more than glimpse at their faces to see that. The Colonel looked as though he was simmering, with only a few degrees more required before he boiled over. Daniel's face was set in stubborn, rigid lines, an indication of how much he hated being in the dark. And while Teal'c's expression changed little, Sam knew he was disconcerted by the turnaround of the situation.

Lieutenant Tobias, on the other hand, seemed a little disgruntled, but otherwise unafraid. There'd been a hint of fear in her eyes as Sam met her gaze in the Gate room, but that could easily be attributed to her desire to keep her position on SG-1.

They were still waiting for her out in the briefing room, their questions clear in their eyes, and the answers they were going to get out of her chained up within her. She wasn't home free yet. Not yet.

Maybe not ever.

"Sir, Thor moved too soon. I was expecting at least a few more days to trace how they were getting their information."

"So, other than Lieutenant Tobias, you have no idea who in the SGC might be working for Colonel Maybourne?"

"No, sir."

Hammond let loose a big sigh as he placed his hands flat on the table. "This is getting messy," he muttered . At the start of Sam's protest he held up one hand, "I'm not blaming you, Major," Hammond said, "You were interrupted before you could get any useful information. But this leaves us in a very difficult position. We still have an unknown number of persons in the SGC who are not fully trustworthy in these matters. If they can sell their services or the information that passes through their hands to the NID, what is to stop them from selling it to some other organisation?"

"Sir..." Sam hesitated before she offered this. She didn't want to, but it might be the closest thing to a solution they'd get. "If there are personnel in the SGC who were involved with Colonel Maybourne, they'll probably be resentful or angry that the group was found out."

Hammond fixed her with a firm gaze, seeing ahead to what she was offering. "You're willing to act as bait?"

"If it gets the job done."

"And what about the personal danger?"

"I can handle it," Sam said with more confidence than she felt. "Sir, we can't afford to let this happen a second time." The next time, their opponents would be more prepared. There'd be more precautions taken, and if the SGC was required to bring it down or lose their alliances...

Next time, the SGC wouldn't be quite so lucky.

Hammond folded his hands on the desk and regarded her with regret. "Major, the fact that we can't afford for this to happen a second time is the only reason that I'd permit you to continue this assignment." He glanced out the window at the trio of men who hovered in the briefing room. "I'll leave the SG-team assignments as they stand for the moment. Lieutenant Tobias will remain on SG-1, but we'll keep her under surveillance."

Sam nodded. That made tactical sense. If they believed Tobias had escaped detection, they'd be more likely to assume that other cells of their network were still free to move around. And she might make contact with people within the SGC, leading them to other possibilities.

The general continued. "You'll be on roster to whichever outgoing team requires your services as well as your usual duties in the labs. And I'm going to initiate a surveillance on your person at the base, and at your house, Major. For your safety."

His look indicated that he fully expected her to protest, and Sam did.

"Sir..." Her skin crawled at the thought of being under such scrutiny day and night - even if only for her own safety.

"If you don't accept the surveillance, I'm not going to authorise this." It was like a game of cards, and Hammond was playing tough. Bluffing? Possibly. But, as she looked into the face of a man who'd been both a family friend and a commanding officer, Sam suspected that he was absolutely serious.

The general took care of his people. He made decisions based on both practical necessity and consideration for those under his command. Sam trusted that. She was called on to trust that every day.

She acceded to the surveillance.

"What you've done so far is beyond what our allies required, Major. You don't have to do this." Hammond gave her one last chance at opting out.

"I'll do it," she said quietly.

Complete the job. Finish the kill. And don't leave an enemy behind you.

It was a mentality that Sam had heard of, but had never yet been required to embrace.

Things changed. People changed.

Major Samantha Carter had changed.

She wasn't sure she liked it.

----

"Major..."

Sam looked up at the blonde Lieutenant, standing hesitantly off to one side in the women's locker room. Her mouth stretched in an attempt at a smile. As attempts went, Sam suspected it was fairly lame, but she had nothing else to offer the traitor right now.

"Lieutenant." She did manage to keep her voice neutral at least. "I hear you've been doing well on SG-1."

"Yes, ma'am. Um... That's what I wanted to speak with you about..."

Judging by the uncomfortable glances the young woman was giving her, Sam guessed that she was now sure that she'd be kicked to the curb. Knocked back to another SG team with a 'Thank you, don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out.'

"Don't worry, Tobias, your assignment's safe," Sam said, scooping up her borrowed fatigues in her arms. She ignored the ignominy of it all. She was one of the old timers, used to having not only her own locker, but her choice of lockers. But she didn't have that anymore. Heck, she didn't even have her own toiletries at the moment. She'd 'borrowed' the shampoo she'd just used from Daniel's locker, easily remembering the combination for his lock.

"Ma'am?"

Sam hugged her dirty clothes to her chest, not caring if she wrinkled her fatigues. "I've discovered that I'm tired of following. This little...situation has showed me that it's time for me to crawl out from under Colonel O'Neill's shadow. SG-1's all yours. I'm not going back."

It pained her to say the words, to give her fear voice, but she had no choice. That much had come to her while she'd stood under the steaming spray of the shower. She was bait. Chum tossed into the water, hoping to attract the sharks, lots of pretty, conniving, lying, stealing sharks.

And sharks tended to go into a frenzy when there was blood in the water. She couldn't run the risk that her friends would get caught in the crossfire. Not to mention the fact that nothing was going to scare off any potential attackers faster than an ex-special forces colonel, an ex-first prime and one pissy archaeologist.

"I don't understand, Major."

"What don't you understand?" Sam asked, deliberately pitching her voice to be as condescending as possible. "SG-1's all yours, I'm through with it. Have fun." Sam turned dramatically on her heel, pausing at the door. "One thing though."

"Major?"

"O'Neill will flirt with a house plant. If you're smart, you'll play along, feed his ego. But don't take it seriously. Unless, of course, you like to feel stupid when he uses you and your feelings." Sam dropped her soiled clothes into a hamper and stepped out into the hall, sighing deeply as the door closed. Intermission was over, now it was time for the second act.

----

Sam stood in her living room, tapping her foot against her carpet as she watched Colonel Makepeace pace the length of the room, studiously checking the windows and doors. He was professional, thorough, and unless her intuition was totally failing her, didn't want to be here in so many ways. He and Major Vadim had been assigned to be her bodyguards. General Hammond had chosen to assign Marines to be her protective service, since, so far, all the traitors they'd exposed had been Air Force officers.

The colonel didn't want to be here, that much was obvious. Which was one thing they had in common.

She didn't want him here either.

She never cared for Colonel Makepeace much. Oh, she didn't have anything personal against him. He and his Marines had certainly bailed, not only SG-1, but other members of the SGC out when it had counted, often taking casualties in the process. She didn't doubt his abilities; she did doubt his morals though.

"You already checked that window," she said as the colonel pulled back the curtain of her front window, fingering the lock.

"Just following orders," he said, turning back to face her. He wasn't in uniform, which wasn't unusual given that he was supposed to be undercover. She could see the bulge of a pistol under the arm of his leather jacket and figured that he was at least taking his orders seriously.

"I doubt your orders included checking out my house," she said, a small part of her enjoying baiting the man. True, she was no longer resigned, and, technically, he outranked her, but she also knew that her position in the mission granted her a little leeway. And she was in the mood to take it.

"Major, you have no idea what my orders include," he said, walking towards her. He pulled a radio out of his pocket and tossed it to her. "We're on the other end. Frequency twelve."

Sam caught it, recognizing a normal comms unit from the SGC's stores. "Not exactly secure," she said. "There's a storeroom on Level 25 that has a couple hundred others just like it."

"You know the radius on these. Anyway, it's not like we're going to be exchanging recipes. That's your 'oh crap' handset," he said. "Vadim and I will be outside. We'll keep our distance, but stay close enough to get here in a minute or so."

"Nice." She slid the radio onto her waist, using a clip to attach it to her pocket. She looked around the room, now seeming more like a prison than a refuge. Staying home hadn't been her idea. General Hammond had suggested that the best way to catch a thief was to lay some bait. And the general believed for their story to be truly believable, Sam needed to lay low for a couple of days.

From what she'd heard, there had been a few more arrests, no one major, no pun intended. A few lieutenants, a couple of sergeants... Low level people that were nothing more than couriers. Which was good in one way, it meant none of them had ratted out Tobias, however it also meant that most of the arrests were dead ends since few of these couriers knew the names of any of the leaders of the rogues.

Those leaders were the elusive fish Sam and Hammond were trying to catch. And Sam knew that they weren't going to go down easy.

Makepeace stepped towards her front door, then turned back to face her. "You know, Major. This little stunt hasn't exactly made you a lot of friends," he said, casually.

"I've never been in this to make friends," she shrugged, plopping down on the couch.

"Well, you haven't. No one likes a rat."

"No one likes a thief either," she parried.

"One person's thief is another person's saviour."

"Colonel, you've been out there. You know how outgunned we are. The Goa'uld are coming. It's just a matter of time. Our hope doesn't lie in what we can steal, but who we know."

"Major--"

"Colonel. We need our allies. This was the only way to keep them. And if that gets me a few less cards at Christmas, then so be it," she said defiantly, as much to convince him as to convince herself.

Makepeace stared at her for a few seconds before sighing. "Whatever," he dismissed. "It's Vadim and I until 0100, then Markham and Miller. We're not going to let you know when we change, or even where we are. But we will be out there," he promised. "You just keep your ass in here until 0800."

He walked out the front door, closing it behind him. Sam got off the sofa and made her way to the door, locking the deadbolt. She returned to her living room, her hand going to the small of her back, removing her pistol from its hiding place, laying it on the cushion beside her. Even though General Hammond had assured her that her house had been swept and cleared of all the bugs, she still felt uncomfortable. Sort of like sitting in a picture window, on display for all to see.

Maybe, when this was all over, she'd see about selling the house. Find herself somewhere new, fresh and clean. Somewhere that could be a real refuge.

A car drove down the street and she watched it drive by, sighing softly when it passed without slowing. Makepeace and Vadim might be out there, but she was in here. As were the only other people she could trust at the moment.

----

Daniel followed Teal'c into the commissary, the odour of eggs and bacon teasing his nostrils. Breakfast on a military base, guaranteed to clog your arteries in two-point-five seconds flat. It always struck him as odd, for a group of people that emphasized physical fitness and endurance, there was still a marked preference for foods that would give a fitness trainer a heart attack just by looking at them.

The commissary was moderately busy at this time of the morning and there were a half dozen empty tables. Daniel grabbed a single serving bowl of cereal and a carton of milk, topping it off with a mug of black coffee.

Teal'c was going for something more substantial, his tray burdened with large servings of fruit and bread. Daniel saw Sam sitting alone at a table and he stared for a second, before deliberately heading in another direction.

"Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked. "Should we not join Major Carter?"

"SG-1 has breakfast together," Daniel answered, accenting the name.

"Major Carter is still a member of SG-1," Teal'c replied, taking a step towards Sam.

"Teal'c...."

"I am joining Major Carter," Teal'c said. "It would be best if you did so as well."

Teal'c walked away from Daniel and he stood there for a few seconds, debating what to do next. He wanted to join Sam, wanted to talk to his friend. But another part of him wanted to just turn on his heel and leave the room.

Despite having a meeting with General Hammond and being briefed on Sam's mission, her betrayal still stung. She could have said something, should have said something. She'd treated him and Teal'c like everyone else, like they were suspects in the theft.

A couple of the nurses at a nearby table giggled, whispering behind their hands while glancing at him purposefully. Knowing what their topic likely was, Daniel changed his course, joining Sam and Teal'c. He may be pissed at her, but he wasn't going to go down as the asshole in this situation. "Morning."

"Hi," Sam said, smiling up at him. He sat down, opening the carton of milk and pouring it over his cereal.

"Did you enjoy your days off?" He knew she'd been sent home soon after her return from the rogue base. According to Jack, that was standard. Daniel didn't know what bothered him more, the fact that they had a standard procedure for screwing your friends, or that Jack knew about it.

"Eh," she shrugged. "I would rather have been here getting caught up on things."

"I'd think you'd have plenty of time go get caught up," he said, bitterness creeping into his voice. Jack had shared something else with Daniel when they'd talked yesterday, something Daniel hadn't wanted to believe.

"What do you mean, Daniel?"

"Why is Tobias staying on SG-1?" he asked, tossing the question down as a gauntlet.

"She just is," Sam answered, coolly taking a sip of her coffee.

"I am puzzled by your reaction, Major Carter," Teal'c said.

"What do you mean, Teal'c?"

"I believed that you enjoyed your tenure with SG-1."

She smiled. "I did. Teal'c, it isn't just that. First of all, I've got something very important to do."

"What's more important than SG-1?" Daniel asked, rather disturbed to hear Sam dismissing all their years together like it was nothing important.

"One of the things that we recovered from the rogue base was a database," she said, taking on the tone she usually did in a briefing. "We think that Maybourne tried to hedge his bets."

"Of what do you speak, Major Carter?"

"Maybourne's not an idiot. He had to know that, eventually, things would go south. What we think this database is, is a list of everyone involved in the conspiracy, from the lowest courier to the leader," she explained.

"Blackmail?" Daniel asked.

"Probably," Sam confirmed.

"Well, that'll make it easy. Just give the list to the Justice Department and it'll be over."

"It's not that easy, Daniel," Sam said. "The database that we found is on a piece of alien technology."

"And it is not compatible with Earth technology," Teal'c said.

"Right," Sam smiled. "And, for some strange reason, none of the rogues want to help us decode it," she said ironically.

"This is where you come in," Daniel said.

Sam nodded. "That's my project. I decode this database, and we'll know every single person that Maybourne or his cronies have dealt with. We'll be able to shut down the entire operation all in one go."

"And you'd rather do this than come back to SG-1?" Daniel asked.

"Of course she would, Daniel," Jack's voice interrupted. He looked up, surprised when his friend didn't join them. "After all, it's jobs like this that look good on the record come promotion time," he said, staring pointedly at Sam.

"Jack?"

"Sir?"

"Save it, Carter," he said. "Daniel, Teal'c, Tobias is waiting in the briefing room. Which is where the two of you need to be in--" He looked at his watch. "Five minutes."

"Jack?"

"Daniel," he interrupted.

"You don't want to be late, Daniel," Sam said.

Daniel looked to Teal'c, gaining no insight from his friend's placid face. "Fine. Breakfast is overrated anyway," Daniel said, getting to his feet. Teal'c joined him and the two of them left the room.

"Colonel," Sam protested as she watched Daniel and Teal'c leave the room. "I know you're mad at me, but please don't--"

"That's enough, Major," he said, accentuating the title. "I tolerated your insubordination when you were on my team, I won't now."

She got to her feet, moving closer to him so that she could lower her voice. "Sir, with all due respect--"

"Save it," he interrupted. "I'm not your CO anymore. You don't need to feed my ego, and I'd appreciate if you'd leave the rest of my team alone as well," he growled. "Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," she answered evenly, although his words settled coldly in the pit of her stomach. He stared hard at her for a second, then he, too, left the commissary. Aware of the sudden silence of the room, Sam looked around, noting the multitude of swiftly hidden stares and a general sudden fascination with the contents of their trays. They'd heard, all of them had heard.

Which had been the plan in the first place.

Daniel and Teal'c had unwittingly played right into her hands, giving her the opportunity to bait the line with their appearance and an attempt at conversation. She and General Hammond had wondered how to spread the word about their little 'discovery', the bait that they hoped would expose the last of the rogues.

Announcing the presence of the mysterious data source would have been fishy at best. The leaders of the rogues, while lacking in morals, weren't stupid. Sam knew, under normal circumstances, they would remain hidden for months, fully aware that they couldn't do much to 'save the planet' behind bars. However, they hoped that the impending threat of exposure would be enough to make them careless, and desperate.

A desperation that she could use to expose them once and for all.

If they didn't get her first, of course.

----

The reminder chimed on his laptop just as a form appeared in the doorway and General Hammond looked up, waving her in as he closed his e-mail and shut the lid on his laptop. "Shut the door, Major," he instructed, watching her follow his instructions before she took a seat in front of his desk.

"Sir."

"I understand breakfast was a little eventful this morning," he said. He'd received word of SG-1's little chat via the grapevine and a couple of well-meaning sergeants throughout the morning.

"Yes, sir," she said, grimacing. "I'm sorry, General. It just...happened."

"I suppose it's for the best. Word needed to get out eventually." He looked at her, years of familiarity giving him insight into her moods, no matter how hard she tried to disguise it. She was tense, taut as a bowstring.

"Daniel and Teal'c brought up the topic and, it just seemed natural to go with it. I figured it might be more credible if it was just an overheard conversation rather than planted information," she continued.

"And Colonel O'Neill," he prodded, agreeing with her assessment.

"I think the Colonel overheard something I said to Lieutenant Tobias," she explained, her tone regretful.

"When?"

"I ran into the Lieutenant in the locker room and she asked me if I would be coming back to SG-1."

"And?"

"And I said no."

"Major?"

"General, Tobias needs to be confident where she is and...sir, if I'm going to be bait, I can't have a colonel, a Jaffa, and Daniel playing bodyguard," she said. "SG-1 needs to be as far away from me as possible."

He looked at her again, wondering if she truly believed what she was saying, or if she even suspected the truth. He had a feeling that her desire to keep her friends away had less to do with making herself a better target and more to do with keeping her team-mates as far out of the line of fire as possible.

"If that's what you think is best," he agreed, not totally agreeing with her assessment but also not wanting to add more stress to her by trying to tell her what to do. Her life was on the line, and she deserved to call the shots.

He got to his feet and she followed suit as he opened the door to the hall. "Keep me apprised on your progress, Major," he said, pitching his voice so that it could be heard out into the hall.

"I will, sir," she answered, falling seamlessly into his plan. "The technology of the database is different from anything we've ever seen before, but I'm confident that I can decipher it in a couple of days. If everything works out well, I should be able to have you a list by the end of the week."

"Thank you. Dismissed." Hammond waited until she was down the hall a ways before calling his aide into his office. "Franklin, have Colonel O'Neill report to my office."

"Yes, sir."

George sat back down at his desk reactivating his laptop and pulling up the interrogation reports from some of the rogues already in custody. He was still reading a few minutes later when O'Neill knocked on his door.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Jack, close the door and have a seat," he instructed. "I know you're not scheduled to go out until next week, however I have a mission for you."

----

Lieutenant Claire Tobias stepped off the elevator, a slight bounce in her step. This was going to be a good day. The rest of SG-1 had shipped out yesterday, on a mission that Colonel O'Neill said she didn't need to go on, citing some sort of alien 'they don't like strangers' excuse.

Which meant that Claire had, in effect, a day off. The colonel hadn't given her any assignments short of working to get up to speed on past information. Right now, she planned to have a nice, leisurely breakfast, read a few mission reports, maybe spend a little time in the gym and, if she could get away with it, go home early.

"I wouldn't want to be in Carter's shoes right now." A faint voice slipped around the corner of the corridor and Claire paused, stopping just short of being seen.

"Oh, I know. I mean, she might as well have a target painted on her back."

"Eh. She knew what she was doing. I think it serves her right for being a snitch."

"There's being a snitch and being a snitch. All I know for sure is that I don't want to go anywhere near her lab. Or wherever she's working on that database of hers. As soon as she deciphers the list of all the rogues, the shit is gonna hit the fan, and I don't want to be anywhere nearby when it happens."

The voices came closer and Claire, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping, quickly spun on her heel and ducked around another corner.

Database? Carter had a database? She had a list of the other rogues? Claire fought a sick feeling in her stomach. They'd find her now. She knew her name had to be on that list. As soon as Carter finished deciphering it, they'd find out about her, and Claire would join the others, taking a short, one-way trip to Leavenworth.

No. She'd heard rumours that they were talking about charging the rogues with treason. That meant the death penalty. They'd charge her with treason and sentence her to death.

Unless...there was a way. They didn't have any proof against her, not right now. As long as they didn't get any proof, she'd be safe. She had to stay safe, had to stay free.

----

Sam typed on her laptop, sincerely hoping that, to the people passing by in the hall, she looked busy. Or, at least, she looked like she was translating something. That was one part of their plan that she and General Hammond hadn't thought through. Pretending to translate was actually harder than really translating.

She was starting to get the feeling that their mission was going to fail. It had been five days since she'd returned from the rogue base, and three days since she'd announced the existence of the database in the commissary.

And since then...nothing.

There'd been no more arrests and things were finally starting to calm down. About the only development in the sting had been Claire Tobias' disappearance two days ago. Despite being under surveillance, the woman had vanished, going AWOL soon after reporting to duty.

In a way, Sam didn't blame her. She was facing imprisonment or death. Of course, she also had to have known that what she was doing was wrong. As unenviable as Tobias' position was, the woman had still gotten there by her own choices. And she was going to have to take responsibility for her actions.

Just like all the other rogues were...eventually.

She just had a funny feeling that it was going to be a long, long time before all of them were tracked down, if they ever were. The possibility that her mission might never be over hit Sam for the first time. Yes, she hadn't been thrilled at first. She hadn't liked lying to her friends, lying to everyone. More than once, she'd had the nightmare of something happening to General Hammond, leaving her literally hanging. As far as she knew, the General answered only to the President, and she didn't have much faith in the President vouching for her.

The decision to continue the subterfuge after her return hadn't been that difficult. She'd always had a completionist streak in her, the need to finish anything and everything she started. But now, when her mission stretched, not days, but possibly weeks or months out in front of her, she wanted nothing more than to march down to Hammond's office and tell him it was all over.

But she couldn't do that. Jacob Carter didn't raise a quitter.

The phone rang and she jumped, only then realizing just how deep in thought she'd been. "Carter," she mumbled into the mouthpiece of the receiver. There was no voice on the other end, but a bit of ambient noise told Sam that someone was there. "Hello?"

"Major," a woman's voice finally said. She sounded tentative, almost afraid.

"Who is this?"

"You know who I am," she said.

"I'm not in the mood for games," Sam said, suspecting a crank call. She wouldn't put it past some of the people on the base, especially since she certainly wasn't on anyone's top ten list at the moment.

"I know who you're looking for," the voice said cryptically.

"Who is this?" Sam repeated.

"You told me you were tired of following."

Sam sat up straighter, the woman's identity suddenly clear, as was the reason she wouldn't give her name. AWOL officers tended to be a bit cautious, and the mess Claire was involved in only gave her added reason to be cautious. "I'm listening."

"I have the list."

"What list?" Sam asked.

"The one you're trying to decipher. I...acquired the original," Claire said.

"Then bring it in."

Claire laughed. "And spend the rest of my life behind bars? I don't think so."

"Then why are you calling me?"

"I'll give you the list, in exchange for the Air Force forgetting that I exist," Claire bargained.

"I can't make that promise," Sam said.

"But you know who can."

Sam paused, running her fingers through her hair. She was telling Claire the truth, she didn't have any bargaining power. She was just a pawn, an instrument in this whole conspiracy. Of course, she was a pawn with access to a man who had a direct line to the keeper of the game.

"I can't promise you anything," Sam repeated. "Especially since I have no idea if your list is any good."

"I suppose you want a sample," Claire said.

"It would be easier to bargain if I knew what I was bargaining with," Sam said, knowing that she was going out on a limb, but really seeing no other way. Thus far, most of their names had come from rogues turning on each other.

"You know the Christmas place? At the base of Pikes Peak," Claire suggested.

"I do." Everyone knew about the shop. It was a tourist haven, selling Christmas themed items and ornaments year-round . Located at the base of the Pikes Peak highway, it did well snaring the curious as they began their nineteen mile drive to the summit of the mountain.

"Fourteen hundred. And come alone."

"I can't--"

"Alone or not at all," Claire interrupted. "I'll give you part of the list. If you find it valuable, we can come to an arrangement and I'll give you the rest."

"And in exchange?"

"In exchange, I go from AWOL to discharged. You and the Air Force forget that I exist."

"You'll need our protection if you testify," Sam warned.

Claire laughed. "Testify? Please. Are you that naïve? These cases will never come to trial."

"Then why turn over the names?"

"Because if they're locked up, there's no one left to come after me."

Sam sighed, unable to argue with her logic. "I'll be there. But no funny business. I don't like it, I'm gone, along with your last chance to avoid the stockade."

The line clicked and went dead and Sam hung up the phone, self-consciously looking over her shoulder. Did she dare hope that this would be it?

----

Claire checked her watch for the fifth time, tensing as a green sedan pulled into the lot. She relaxed marginally as a family got out of the car, obviously tourists.

Two more cars pulled off the highway and she studied them, recognizing one of the drivers as Major Carter. The woman pulled in beside her, giving Claire an appraising look as she waited for the second person to lock his car and go into the store. Carter turned off the ignition and got out of the car.

"Are you alone?" Claire asked.

"I said I would be," Carter responded. "Do you have the list?"

Claire nodded, pulling a CD out of her pocket. "You remember our bargain?" Claire held out the CD, then pulled it back, waiting for Carter's answer.

"You remember that I made no promises?" Carter retorted.

"What else is new," Claire muttered bitterly, again holding out the disc.

Carter took it, studying it as if she could decipher the laser drawn information with her bare eyes. "How do I contact you?"

"I'll call you," Claire said.

"We can protect you," Carter said.

"I've seen your protection," Claire said. "I'm not in the mood to hang in the brig."

"It doesn't have to be like that."

"Oh, please. Don't tell me you're that politically stupid."

"I'm not. The SGC--"

"The SGC is a viper's nest," Claire interrupted. "You have no idea how far this goes do you? How deep the corruption runs. Hell I would be surprised if the General--" A heavy force slammed into Claire's back, knocking her forward. She saw a look of surprise and shock flit across Carter's face as the woman reached out, awkwardly catching Claire. Both of them fell and Claire landed on top of Carter, broken glass raining down upon them.

Darkness swam at the edges of Claire's vision and she heard screams. The high--pitched noise accompanied by the slowing rhythm of her own heart.

Warmth flooded her chest, chased by an all--encompassing chill. Claire met Carter's gaze for one last time, taking no small measure of comfort from the terror she saw there before Claire closed her eyes and knew no more.

----

"Yes, sir. Yes, sir. I know, sir." General Hammond looked up, waving Colonel Makepeace into his office. He motioned for the man to sit then turned his attention back to the voice on the other end of the red phone. "Sir, we're still gathering information at the moment. I'm afraid that I have nothing more to tell you. Yes, sir. The very second I know something."

George gratefully hung up the phone and turned to Makepeace. "Colonel?"

"Tobias is dead. Fraiser's patching up Carter right now," he reported.

"And the shooter?"

Makepeace shook his head. "I'm sorry, sir. They got away."

George nodded, expecting the man's response. Despite Tobias' request, Carter hadn't gone to the meeting alone, she'd been accompanied by Colonel Makepeace, the Marine having been in a car half a mile up the highway. They'd hoped that the openness and public nature of the roadside store would be enough to give Carter ample protection, counting on this group's desire to be discrete. However, that judgement had been horribly wrong, the threat coming in the form of a speeding car and a high powered rifle.

"What's Major Carter's condition?"

"Nothing too serious. A sprained wrist, cuts and bruises," Makepeace said.

Hammond nodded, surprised that it wasn't worse. "The disc?"

"It was a bluff, sir," Makepeace said. "There's nothing worthwhile on it. Vadim thinks that the whole thing was a set-up."

"How so?"

"He thinks Tobias lured Carter out there and that the gunman screwed up and capped the wrong woman."

"And you?"

"I think Vadim's been watching too many episodes of the X-Files," Makepeace said, dryly.

"Well, whoever their target was, this has upped the stakes."

"I wouldn't argue with that, sir."

"If I had my druthers, I'd pull her out," George said.

"I don't think she'd like that, sir."

"I know she wouldn't like it. However, we hit the point of no return a long time ago. Colonel, I'd like you and your team to continue your protective surveillance."

"And if she wants to go home?"

George sighed. "Let her. If Tobias was right and we still have rogues at the SGC, I don't think she's any safer here."

"Yes, sir." Makepeace got to his feet.

"I'll inform the duty officer. If you feel the need for back up, he can put some SF's at your disposal."

"Thank you, sir. But I would rather stick with my own people."

"Whatever you prefer. Dismissed."

Makepeace came to attention and turned, leaving the room. George stared at the red phone, knowing that he needed to brief the President, but he just wasn't in the mood just yet.

He got to his feet and walked through the briefing room. Descending the stairs, he made his way over to Harriman. The President could wait. George had another call to make, one that was far more important.

----

It was the little things that irked. Or so said the Colonel.

She knew what he meant, although not in the way he'd meant it.

He'd been referring to the way he sometimes needled Daniel - teasing the younger man with a perfectly serious expression on his face.

She was thinking of other things, like being able to use both hands without wincing.

Sam turned off the water, awkwardly twisting the knobs with one hand. She reached for a towel, hissing between her teeth when she tried to use her left hand. "Damn it," she muttered, gently cradling the bruised flesh. "It's your own fault," she chastised herself, drying off with the towel. Janet had offered to help her take a shower back at the SGC, but Sam had refused. It'd been humiliating enough that Janet had helped her change from her blood soaked clothes. In hindsight, maybe she should have accepted the help.

Pragmatically acknowledging that it was far too late for regrets, or to ask for help -unless she really wanted to get to know Vadim better - Sam turned her attention to getting dressed.

Since buttons and snaps were beyond her at the moment, she settled for simple clothing, sweats and a t-shirt, with a sports bra being the most complicated item.

She unwrapped the plastic wrap she'd twisted around her arm to keep the bandage dry and pushed her fingers though her towel-dried hair. She thought about putting on make-up or doing her hair but dismissed the idea. If Vadim and Makepeace had reached this stage in their lives without seeing a woman with wet hair, they definitely needed to get out more often.

She left the bathroom and padded into the hall. It felt good to be home, especially after the massively crappy day she'd had.

She was still shaky. Every time she closed her eyes, she relived the afternoon. Again, she saw Tobias fall forward, felt the woman's weight on her arms. Her fingers were still sticky with Tobias' blood dripping over her, soaking into her clothing, she could still smell it, a metallic odour in her nostrils that not even steam and scented soap could dismiss.

Sam had panicked a bit, desperately pushing at the woman's weight, struggling to get it off her, not caring if it left her exposed, just knowing that she needed to get free.

Fortunately, it'd taken Colonel Makepeace less than a minute to reach her. Sam couldn't deny the relief she felt when she'd heard his deep voice barking orders. His presence had given her the luxury to simply deal with what had happened--and to figure out what she needed to tell the police.

"Major," Vadim acknowledged, looking up from the paper he was reading.

Sam nodded at him, making her way into the kitchen. She pulled a bottle of wine out of the fridge and splashed a small amount into a glass. She had no plans to get drunk, it was far too important that she remain aware. But she also knew that all one glass was going to do was relax her a bit, and she did need that.

"Where's the colonel?" she asked, joining Vadim in the living room, staking claim to the couch.

"Out walking the perimeter," Vadim said.

"I hope he doesn't shoot Mrs. Steven's dog," Sam muttered. There would be no living with her grumpy neighbour if anything happened to her beloved pooch.

"Major?"

"Nothing," Sam dismissed, taking a sip of the wine. "Shouldn't you be out there with him?" she asked.

Vadim shook his head. "We're staying inside."

"You're what?"

"Hammond's orders. We're to stay 'close'," he said, making small quote motions with his hands.

"How close?"

"You got a queen sized bed, right?" Sam glared and Vadim chuckled. "The couch will be fine."

"I'm aah, I'm not really set up for guests," she admitted.

He shrugged. "We only need one couch. We're gonna keep watch."

Sam nodded and took another sip, enjoying the warm feeling that was settling into the pit of her stomach. Vadim's words actually reassured her. She'd flirted with staying in the mountain and depending on the base's security but had dismissed the idea. The last time she'd hidden from an assassin at the SGC, she'd ended up mostly dead. And there was no Jolinar to bail her out this time.

The door opened and Vadim tensed, his hand dropping to his lap and coming up with a pistol. "It's me," a familiar voice said.

Sam turned, watching as Makepeace walked into the room. "Area's clear," he reported, frowning as his eyes settled on her glass of wine. "I hope you're not going to get drunk on us?"

"Just a few sips to steady my nerves," Sam said, setting the glass down. "I have a couple of beers in the fridge if you want."

"Thanks--"

"But no thanks," Makepeace interrupted, glaring at Vadim.

"Suit yourself, sir."

"You have any food around here, Carter?" the colonel asked.

"Not much I'd call edible. There's some delivery menus by the phone," Sam said.

"Vadim, get your nose out of that paper and order something to eat," he ordered.

Vadim folded up the newspaper and dropped it to the floor. He grabbed the menus and flipped through them. "Hey, Thai."

"No."

"Colonel..."

"No rabbit food," Makepeace said.

"Thai is not rabbit food," Vadim protested.

"It's close enough. Are there any pizza places in there?"

"Of course there's pizza places," Vadim said as Sam simply watched, keeping her mouth shut. They were almost worse than the Colonel and Daniel - and that was saying something.

"Pick one and order a supreme," he ordered.

"This is Carter's house. Shouldn't we ask her what she wants?" Vadim asked.

"Carter?"

"Pizza's fine," Sam said, not indulging the devilish part of her that wanted to order Thai just to annoy Makepeace. She owed him for this afternoon. And if that meant eating pizza, she'd eat pizza.

"You heard the lady," Makepeace said. "I gotta hit the head. Then I'm going to take another stroll around the block. Dinner should be here by then," he announced, making his way towards the guest bedroom.

Again alone with Vadim, Sam could only shrug. "I'm going to go lie down for a few minutes," she said. "If you want a soft drink, you may want to get some with the pizza. All I have is diet." She retreated back to her bedroom, taking no small amount of satisfaction in the look of good-natured indignation on Vadim's face.

As she flopped down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling, she smirked to herself. Colonel O'Neill was right, it was the little things.

----

"Major? Major!" An insistent voice pulled Sam from a restless sleep. She woke quickly, blinking against the flashlight shining in her eyes. "We gotta go."

"Vadim? What--?"

"No time," he interrupted. "Security's been breached. We have to go," he urged, pulling back her bedcovers.

For a moment, she was tempted to snatch them back and huddle beneath them. The urgency in his voice set her adrenaline running. "Where's the colonel?" she asked, fumbling for her shoes. Fortunately, after they'd eaten dinner she'd fallen asleep still dressed in her sweats. Something she attributed both to her situation and her reluctance to change into her pyjamas with two strange men in the house.

"The colonel's one of them," he said, helping her tie the laces of her running shoes.

"What?"

"I heard him talking on his cell phone. He's one of them."

"No. He can't--"

"Who the hell do you think shot at you today?" he asked.

"No. He--"

"He's one of them and he's going to kill you," Vadim said coldly. "Now do you want to move or do I get to toss you over my shoulder?" Sam paused, her eyes settling on the phone. General Hammond was just a call away. She reached for the receiver, stopping when he put his hand over hers. "Nest of vipers, remember? That's not a secure line. We gotta go before Makepeace makes it back."

Sam abandoned the phone, instead pulling her sidearm from under her pillow. "Ok," she said.

He led the way from the bedroom and she followed, stopping just long enough to grab her purse. He pulled her towards the back door and a car that was waiting in the alley. Silently, they got in, Vadim not turning on the headlights until they were a block away.

"Where are we going?" she asked, her heart still pounding in her chest. The adrenaline was starting to wear off and her hands were shaking.

"Somewhere safe," Vadim promised.

Reassured, Sam settled back in the seat. She stared out the window, every shadow now containing a hidden threat, a part of her wishing that the bad guys would just jump out in front of the car. Peaceful or violent, she just wanted this whole mess to be over.

----

Jack walked down the ramp, his fingers digging into the sleeve of his captive's shirt. Similarly burdened, Teal'c was behind him and Daniel brought up the rear, keeping an eye on all of them.

Both of their captives were restrained, heavy plastic cuffs binding their hands behind their backs. Fortunately, the rogues hadn't put up much of a fight, although Jack had an idea that it had more to do with the attitudes of the locals than any feelings of remorse on the rogue's behalf's. One of them, Kensington, was sick, suffering from a little Montezuma's revenge while the other one, Han had learned a cardinal rule of exploring - dating the Chief's daughter was a bad thing.

According to Jack's information, here was still one more rogue out there, but Jack had decided to play it safe, returning to the SGC with two captives than risk losing the two in pursuit of a third.

"Look what we caught, general," Jack said, spying the man through the control room window. Jack quickly did the math in his head, wondering what the hell was going on to get the old man in his office at 0700. "Teal'c's is a little scrawny but I think they're over the legal limit."

Hammond walked into the gate room just as the wormhole snapped shut. "Good job, SG-1." He motioned the SF's to step forward. "Secure them in the brig. Tell Doctor Fraiser that she'll need to examine them there."

"Yes, sir." Four SF's took the captives away and Hammond turned to Jack.

"Colonel, we need to talk."

Jack glanced at Daniel and Teal'c. "The last time I heard that tone of voice, I got divorced," Jack said.

"I don't think that's an option this time," Hammond said. He turned and started to leave the room.

"General?" Jack said, motioning at Daniel and Teal'c. "Is this a group thing?"

"May as well," Hammond said. "This concerns them too."

They followed the general up to his office, Jack and Daniel taking seats while Teal'c stood.

"Close the door," Hammond said, sitting down in his chair.

"Now I'm getting nervous," Jack said.

"Soon after you left on your mission, Lieutenant Tobias went AWOL," Hammond said, ignoring Jack's words.

"That's not surprising," Daniel said. "She had to have figured out that we know...what we know."

Hammond looked to Jack who shrugged. "They needed to know," he excused, nonplussed by the general's look of censure. One of the first things Jack had done when they got off--world had been to brief the rest of his team, telling them about Tobias being a traitor and that the woman had only been left free in the hopes that she'd lead them to the organizers of the conspiracy.

"That was your call, Colonel. And it's a moot point anyway."

"General?"

"Yesterday afternoon, Tobias called Major Carter and offered her a list of all the conspirators."

"Sam already has the list," Daniel said.

"Lemme guess, Tobias wanted a free ride," Jack said, his annoyance at the whole situation showing through. It irked him not only that a member of his team had been given such an assignment, but also that he'd been totally left out of the loop.

Unless, of course, that had been Carter's intention all along. Keep him out so he couldn't steal her thunder from an assignment that was nothing more than her ticket to another promotion and a way away from the SGC. He'd never pegged her as the power hungry type, but he'd been wrong before.

"Tobias is dead," Hammond said.

"What?" Daniel exclaimed.

"She arranged a meeting with Major Carter and was shot," Hammond reported.

"Is Sam okay?"

"Minor injuries only," Hammond answered Daniel. He met Jack's gaze. "Colonel, there is no list."

"Sir?"

"When Major Carter went on the original mission, her objective was to simply infiltrate and expose the rogue operation. To do that, she needed to create a distance between herself and anyone at the SGC." He looked at all three men. "While she was undercover, she learned that the rogues have an unknown number of accomplices here at the SGC, one of whom was Lieutenant Tobias."

"So she made up the list," Daniel said.

"Yes, Dr Jackson. Her hope was, that by making herself bait, she would draw out some of the accomplices."

"That was indeed a bold move."

"Bold?" Jack said, glancing back at Teal'c. "It's damn stupid."

"In hindsight, Colonel, I'm inclined to agree with you," Hammond said.

"Where's Sam now?" Daniel asked.

"She's at home."

"What? Does she have a death wish?" Jack exclaimed.

"Colonel Makepeace and his team are with her," Hammond reassured.

"My question still stands," Jack said peevishly, his tone openly challenging.

"Colonel."

"Are we permitted to assist in assuring Major Carter's safety?" Teal'c asked.

"That's why I attempted to recall you last night," Hammond said. "Colonel, I'd like you to assist with the interrogations of the prisoners you just brought back. One of them may know the identities of the leaders or the moles here at the SGC. Teal'c, Doctor Jackson, I would like you to go to Major Carter's residence and assist Colonel Makepeace. If you feel that it is in the best interest of her safety, I want you to bring her back here."

"And if she doesn't want to come?"

"Daniel?"

"Come on, Jack. She's as hard-headed as you are," he said.

"After three years, I don't think I need to advise you on how to deal with your team-mate," Hammond said.

"Toss her over your shoulder, Teal'c," Jack said.

"I have no desire to incur Major Carter's wrath," Teal'c said drolly.

Jack sighed. "Just go," he said, looking to the general for permission.

"Dismissed. But clear medical first." Daniel and Teal'c left the room while Jack remained stubbornly seated. "Colonel?"

"General, are there any other little details you'd like to let me in on? Has Carter, I don't know, run off and joined the Tok'ra or are the Tollan in the VIP room ready to upgrade our computers?" Jack let all his ire creep into his voice. He'd had three days to think, three days to work it out in his mind. Three days to realize just how much he'd been played. He hated being played. Especially when the players were two of a few people he trusted implicitly.

"I don't have to explain my actions to you," Hammond said, more than a little stiffly at the accusation that he might still be hiding information.

Jack was inclined to disagree - and he guessed that, ordinarily, Hammond would, too. "With all due respect, sir, when it concerns my team, you do."

"Jack, you were marooned on Edora when it all happened," Hammond said, his voice softening. "The Tollan, Asgard, Tok'ra, all threatened to pull their support unless we found the rogues and shut them down. Since you were unavailable, Major Carter was the only person they'd accept," he explained.

"I was back for a week before SG-1 went to Tollana. Did someone just forget to tell me?"

"Everyone knows how close you and your team are. It was imperative that your reactions be real. If anyone even suspected that the Major's situation was a set-up, she'd be dead," Hammond said bluntly. "Like it or not, Jack, your feelings matter less to me than her life."

Jack sighed, pushing his fingers through his hair. "And if we never root out all the spies? What then?" he asked. "Does Carter get to spend the rest of her life waiting for a bullet in her back?"

"That's why we can't quit," Hammond said. "If we don't cut all of this cancer out, it's just a matter of time before it grows back."

----

Daniel drove through the streets of Colorado Springs, cursing the morning rush hour traffic that slowed his journey.

"We will not be of much assistance to Major Carter if we become involved in a vehicular mishap," Teal'c said, his fingers digging into the dashboard of Daniel's jeep.

"I just--I want to get there," Daniel said, braking as the light turned red.

"As do I," Teal'c agreed.

They sat there in silence until the light changed. "We screwed up, didn't we?" Daniel asked. "We should have trusted her, no matter how hard she pushed."

"Major Carter is indeed adept at masking her true feelings," Teal'c said.

"Masking, Teal'c, not changing. We--I should have known that she wouldn't crack up. I should have known from the beginning that her whole stealing thing wasn't her being stressed out. Sam doesn't stress."

"You are incorrect, Daniel Jackson. Major Carter does stress," he corrected. "As I have said, she is most skilled at hiding her true feelings. Our duty as her friends was to trust her. It is a duty we failed."

"She pushed us away," Daniel said, turning off the main road and onto Sam's street.

"If you believed that your presence was endangering us, what would you do, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked pointedly.

"You're saying she did it on purpose?" Daniel parked the car in front of Sam's house.

"I am."

"And it doesn't bother you?" he asked, turning off the car and pulling the key from the ignition.

"I did not say that. I found some of Major Carter's words to be most hurtful. However, I am aware that she did not say them out of spite, rather in a sincere desire to safeguard my well-being." Teal'c undid his seatbelt and opened the car door, unfolding his large frame.

Daniel got out and waited for Teal'c to shut the door before locking them. He glanced up and down the street, frowning at the lack of cars. "I thought Makepeace's team was here."

"That is what I understood."

"Well, not that I'm a pro at this or anything, but shouldn't there be something outside?"

"If they are concealed, then we would not be able to see them," Teal'c said.

Daniel shrugged, leading the way up the short path to Sam's front door. He stopped abruptly, reaching out his hand to Teal'c. Silently, he pointed out the newspaper lying by her front steps. Yes, it was early, but even if Sam was sleeping in Daniel didn't think that Makepeace would let a newspaper just lie there for hours.

Teal'c nodded and Daniel pulled his sidearm, suddenly grateful that Jack had insisted that he carry it. He dug into his pocket and pulled out Sam's spare key, handing it to Teal'c.

Teal'c stepped forward and unlocked the door, slowly easing it open. They slipped inside, a muffled groaning sound breaking the silence of the house. Daniel followed the noise into the kitchen, staring in shock at a bound and gagged Makepeace. Ignoring him for a moment, Daniel and Teal'c checked the rest of the house, then returned to the kitchen.

Teal'c took a knife from a drawer and used it to slice through the ropes restraining the Marine's hands. "Where's Sam?" Daniel demanded, pulling the gag from Makepeace's mouth.

"I don't know."

"Was your duty not to insure Major Carter's safety?" Teal'c asked.

"Does it look like I just let her go for a walk?" Makepeace growled, exploring the lump on the back of his head. "Someone hit me on the back of the head and I woke up hog-tied."

"Where's the rest of your team?" Daniel asked.

"Markham and Miller should have been here by now. Vadim must be with Carter."

"We need to call the general," Daniel said. "Maybe Vadim took Sam back to the mountain and we missed them."

"That is unlikely," Teal'c said. "Colonel Makepeace's injuries were likely sustained several hours ago."

Makepeace struggled to his feet. "Jackson, call Hammond, fill him in. Teal'c, you're with me."

"Colonel?"

"Presuming that Carter is with Vadim, I have two members of my team missing," he said. "I know them, they didn't sleep in."

Daniel got his cellphone out, and had hit the speed dial for the Cheyenne complex, when something occurred to him. He held the phone to his ear and waited for the operator, but regarded the colonel with narrow eyes. "Makepeace?"

"Jackson?"

"If Vadim took Sam somewhere to keep her safe, why didn't he let someone know?"

----

----

Sam slowly opened her eyes, blinking to clear her fuzzy vision. She stared across the expanse of rough, bare concrete, trying to remember precisely how she'd gotten there.

Oh God, Vadim. She sat up, just then discovering that her hands were bound in front of her, the rope wrapped painfully around her sprained wrist.

//"Where are we going?" she asked, the sleep finally clearing from her brain. She tried to read the street signs as they drove quickly through the pre-dawn streets.

"A safe house," Vadim said tersely, glancing over at her.

"A safe house where?" she pushed.

"Wouldn't be very safe if everyone knew where it was."

"Who am I going to tell?"

He turned a corner sharply, the sudden movement throwing Sam against the car door. "Are you trying to kill us?" she complained, unable to ignore the uneasy feeling that was creeping up her spine.

"I thought I saw something," he said, navigating another turn at high speed.

Sam caught sight of a street sign. "We're going north."

"So?"

"I thought we were going back to the mountain?"

"It's not safe there."

"Why not?"

"We don't know who else Makepeace has working for him."

"We don't know if he has anyone working for him," she retorted, the desire to get back underground and within shouting distance of her--former--team almost overwhelming. Even if they hated her guts, she knew they would still keep her safe...even if it was for no other reason than it was a lot of paperwork if anything happened to her.

"It's not safe there," he repeated.

"I don't care," she said, listening to her gut. Teal'c. Teal'c would be good. She hadn't pissed him off too much, and he was loyal to people. To the Colonel, to Daniel, to her.

"Major?"

"I want to go back to the SGC," she said, growing more and more confident in her feelings.

"I can't do that," he said.

Sam reached for her sidearm, bringing it to bear as his hand flew out, striking her across the face. The car screeched to a halt and her seatbelt bit into her shoulder.

A hand covered hers, wrenching the pistol from her grasp. Her survival instincts kicked in and she fumbled for the catch on the seatbelt, stopping when she felt a sharp sting in her thigh.

"Bob was right. You are a pain in the ass," he said, pulling the needle from her leg.

"What did you do?" she asked, fighting the floating feeling brought on by the drug as it worked through her system.

"Don't blame me," he said, tucking her pistol away. "If you'd just minded your own business."

She stared, realization setting in. Her hand found the button for the seatbelt and she released it. Opening the car door, she stumbled out, falling to her hands and knees as the world shifted.

Behind her, she heard his door open and she struggled to her feet. "Help! Help!" she called out, only making it a few feet before she fell again.

Vadim stood over her, wavering and twisting like a reflection in a fun house mirror.

"You can keep yelling if you want to," he said, smiling politely. "It's not like anyone is going to hear you."//

Sam shook her head, fighting the flashback. "Oh crap," she muttered, grimacing at the sour taste in her mouth.

She got to her feet, relieved to discover that he hadn't tied them. A wave of dizziness washed over her and she closed her eyes, waiting for it to pass. She didn't know where Vadim was, but she had to get the hell out of here.

Opening her eyes, she set to exploring her prison. It was a large room, perhaps fifty feet square. Three of the walls were plain, dingy, grey-colored dry wall, marked in places with scratches and scrapes. The fourth wall had a row of high, small paned windows, many of which were broken.

Dirt and debris was piled in a couple of the corners and in various places around the room. Sam could see random trash, places where the high ceiling had fallen in.

A musty, dusty odour permeated the room and Sam knew that it was likely that the building had been abandoned for years. There was a door along one wall and she made her way over to it, surprised when the knob turned freely.

Riding a wave of hope, she pulled, only to have her hope dashed when it didn't budge. She tried several times, giving up when she realized that it was hopeless.

She turned her attention to the windows. Even if they were too small for her to climb out of, maybe she could see something, someone to help her out.

As she got close, her feet crunched over some broken glass and she bent over, picking up a piece. She tried to twist her right hand back to reach the rope, but couldn't.

Abandoning that idea, she tried to look out the windows, quickly giving up when she realized that they were too high. Finding a place to sit, she sank down to the floor. She pulled her legs up, manoeuvring until she could get her two feet to touch. She carefully placed the shard of glass between her feet, using the shoes as a vise. She began to rake her wrists back and forth across the grass, letting the sharp surface slowly sever strand after strand of nylon rope.

As she worked to free her hands, her mind wandered and she cursed herself for her stupidity. Damnit, she'd trusted Vadim, trusted both him and Makepeace. She never should have come home, should have stayed at the SGC.

No. That didn't work. If she'd have stayed there, they might never have made their move.

She'd succeeded, her mission was a success. Now she just needed to stay alive long enough to get word of Vadim's duplicity back to the SGC.

The rope gave and she sighed, pulling her hands free. She shook her right hand, trying to restore the blood flow as she straightened her legs, releasing tight muscles.

Ok. Now she just needed to find a way out.

She got to her feet and returned to the window. Grasping an empty sill with her right hand, she pulled herself up, squinting into the sun. Her heart sank as she took in her surroundings. The view was limited, all she could see was another building across a narrow alley. The other building was in much the same shape as her current prison. An aura of disuse and abandonment hung in the air and she knew that she was alone.

"Not much of a view, is it?" Vadim's voice echoed off the empty walls and Sam quickly let go of the window-sill, turning to face him. "But I guess you're used to that."

He slowly walked towards her and Sam eased back, trying to keep out of his reach. Her eyes settled on a stick like item in his hand and her mouth went dry, recognizing the unmistakable outline of a Goa'uld pain stick.

Behind him, the open door beckoned. If she could just get him away from it-- "You know, I've always thought that Marines were meticulous, but this isn't much of a safe house."

He chuckled. "Oh, I don't know. I think it's pretty safe."

"Why did you drug me?" She slowly sidled around him, trying to lure him away from the door.

"Why didn't you simply mind your own business?" he countered.

"You were breaking the law. Our allies were going to desert us--"

"Allies?" he snorted. "You mean aliens."

"I mean allies," she insisted as they continued their dance, him coming towards her, her trying to get past him.

"Allies who only help us if it's in their best interest."

"Which is exactly what we do," she said.

"Which is as it should be."

"Listen to yourself. You curse them for doing what you're advocating yourself. Look out!" She pointed off to his left.

The instant he turned his head, she ran, hoping that the distraction would be enough to buy her the few precious seconds she needed to get past him.

The door was only a few feet away when a heavy weight slammed into her back, throwing her to the floor. She fought as hard as she could against him, only stopping when he grabbed her injured wrist, twisting it until the pain was too much and she screamed. He climbed off her and stepped away.

With the door and freedom beckoning, she crawled forward, ignoring the pain that lanced up her arm, making her stomach churn and the world go grey at the edges.

Something grabbed her ankle and dragged her away from the door. Her fingers scraped uselessly against the bare concrete as she tried to stop him.

He dropped her leg and she rolled to her back, watching as he kicked the door shut. "I don't know what it is with you Air Force people," he said casually, making his way to where he'd dropped the pain stick, picking it up. He slowly walked towards her, tapping the end of the stick against one palm. Sam tried to crawl away from him.

"Where's the list?" She shook her head, refusing to speak. "That's all I want. Tell me where it is and I'll go."

Sam kept quiet, knowing that the second he discovered the truth, that there was no list, she was dead.

"I must admit, you've hidden it quite well. I've searched your house, quite thoroughly I may add, and found nothing. Well, not quite nothing. There is that shoebox in your closet. Rather interesting." He smirked at her, before the amusement dropped from his face like a stone off a cliff. "But I haven't found the list."

Sam scooted back, finally running into a wall. She got to her feet, figuring she should stand and face him now. He was close, only a few feet away.

"Tobias searched your office. She was quite knowledgeable about computers." He frowned. "It's a shame actually, what happened to her."

"The SGC is a viper's nest," Claire interrupted. "You have no idea how far this goes do you? How deep the corruption runs."

"You killed her," Sam said.

Vadim smirked. "Of course I killed her. Hammond was too close to abandoning the whole thing. I needed to keep his interest--and give him all the more reason to keep you all safe and sound."

"You bastard...."

"Oh please. I did her a favour. Her only other alternative was twenty years of hard labour. Where's the list?" he asked, his eyes going hard. Sam shook her head. "Where. Is. The. List?"

"You really think I'm going to tell you where it is?"

He stepped even closer. "It's just a matter of time. And I have plenty of that."

She smiled thinly. "Go to hell."

He shrugged. "If that's how you want it. You've actually done me a favour. I like it better this way."

The tip of the pain stick pressed into her abdomen. Liquid fire raced along her synapses and pain was all she knew.

----

Jack stood in the door of the observation room, sighing softly before walking in. "How is he?" he asked, joining Makepeace at the window.

Makepeace shrugged. "He's still alive," he said. "Any word on Carter?"

"No," Jack said, turning away from the gory scene below. Teal'c and Makepeace had found the two missing members of SG-3 in their car down the block. Markham was dead and Miller critically injured. They'd gotten the two of them back to the SGC, it was actually closer than the Academy or Colorado Springs Memorial Hospital and Doctor Warner was operating on Miller right now, trying to save the man's life.

"I didn't know Jack. Didn't even suspect."

"None of us did," Jack said, trying to keep his ire from his voice. He wanted to grab Makepeace, and yell, demanding to know how he could be so stupid. How his own second-in-command could betray him so thoroughly. But Jack couldn't do that.

He had yet to answer that question himself.

"We don't think Vadim took Carter too far away," Jack said, taking refuge in the job. Questions could wait. Right now, his main priority was to see if he could resolve this situation before any more people died. There'd be plenty of time for recriminations and Monday morning Quarterbacking--but time was something he didn't think Carter had.

"The list."

"Right," Jack agreed. The list was why he knew Vadim wouldn't take Carter too far away. Vadim had to be after the list, and he'd stay close until he got it, or knew that it was a fool's errand.

"Is it even real?" Makepeace asked, almost reading Jack's mind. Jack didn't answer him. "Christ," Makepeace muttered, intuiting the truth. "She did get the memo, didn't she?"

Jack frowned. "Memo?"

"The one that said we don't have a sarcophagus and that dead is a permanent state?"

Very funny. "I'm not sure," Jack said. "But I think I'm going to make her reread it. Daniel and Teal'c are going to go over Vadim's file, see what they can find."

"How can I help?" Makepeace offered.

"Did he ever mention anyone? Family? Friends?"

Makepeace shook his head. "No. He was quiet. A loner."

Jack nodded. "We've got a team staking out his place. We've put traces on his and Carter's credit cards and phones. Hopefully that will help."

Makepeace nodded, distracted by the activity down in the operating room. Jack turned, planning to leave the man in peace. "Jack?"

He turned back. "Yeah?"

"Let me know when you find him," he requested. He turned, cold blue eyes meeting Jack's. "I want to take that son of a bitch down."

----

His cell phone trilled and Vadim sighed, annoyed at the interruption. He delivered a petulant kick to his victim and stepped away. "Vadim," he answered, wiping the sweat off his brow.

"Progress report," the voice said. Vadim recognized the voice of his superior, a man who he'd never met face to face. Vadim turned, studying the figure on the floor. She was lying on her side, almost curled into a ball.

"We've been...talking for several hours now. Still no success," he said, loath to report his failure, yet not willing to gamble by lying to the man.

He heard a heavy sigh on the other end of the line. "I must have that list," he insisted, repeating what Vadim already knew.

"I know," Vadim said, letting his annoyance creep into his voice. "But if she won't talk--"

"Make her talk," his boss interrupted.

Vadim rolled his eyes. "What do you think I've been doing all day? Sharing recipes?" He knew his sarcasm wasn't wise, but the guy was an asshole. Even if he was Vadim's boss.

"Do not mock me," he said, and now the cold voice developed an angry edge to it.

"If you think you can do any better, feel free to come do it yourself," Vadim taunted.

"I want results. If you can't get me results, I will find someone who can," his boss threatened, terminating the call.

Vadim slid his phone back into his pocket and made his way back to Sam. She was just as he'd left her, semi-conscious on the floor. "Wake up," he ordered, slapping her face. Much to his dismay, she merely moaned, her eyes rolling up into the back of her head as she passed out. "Bitch," he cursed, getting to his feet.

He checked his watch. "Oh well, it's time for lunch anyway. Enjoy your nap, major. We'll continue this once I've gotten something to eat."

----

Teal'c looked up as O'Neill walked into the room. "O'Neill."

"T. Any luck?"

"No," he said as the human joined him, sitting on the other side of the desk. He pushed aside a couple of empty plates, remains of their lunches. "Daniel Jackson and I have spent several hours reading the contents of this file. We have uncovered nothing that suggests the current whereabouts of Major Carter."

"Vadim didn't have much of a life," Daniel Jackson said, handing O'Neill some papers. "The only phone calls we could find on his home phone were from his team mates. We're still waiting for the report from his cell phone."

"The team found nothing at his apartment. The most personal thing was his smiley faced underwear," O'Neill grimaced.

"I presume you have had no luck interrogating the two rogues we apprehended?" Teal'c asked.

O'Neill shook his head. "Nothing. They're low level grunts. It almost looks as though there was nobody high-up in this program..."

"I don't know what else to do, Jack," Daniel said. "Where could he take her?"

O'Neill sighed. "A few thousand places, presuming he wanted to stay within twenty or thirty miles. A few million if he goes elsewhere. Presuming he hasn't killed her yet."

"You really think they'll kill her?" Daniel asked.

"If they don't get what they want, yeah," O'Neill answered. "Daniel, this goes high, very, very high."

"The higher a person's position, the more ardently they will work to preserve it," Teal'c said.

"So, what? We just--hang out and wait?" Daniel asked, obviously frustrated at their inability to assist their team-mate. "See if Vadim drops Sam off on some street corner and she calls, asking for a ride?"

"You have any suggestions, I'm open," O'Neill said, his voice rising.

"We will be of little assistance to Major Carter if we continue to fight amongst ourselves," Teal'c said.

"Why'd she do it?" Daniel asked. "She had to know that it was dangerous."

"Of course she knew, Daniel," O'Neill said. "She may do stupid things, but she's not dumb." He scrubbed his hands over his face and sighed. Teal'c saw an expression of hopelessness cross his face. He knew that O'Neill was feeling Major Carter's absence most keenly, his normal feelings of responsibility augmented by feelings of guilt.

Not just guilt that she was missing and in danger, but guilt that she had been put into the position in the first place. No doubt, O'Neill believed that, had he not become marooned on Edora, he would have been the one chosen for the undercover mission. He would have been the one in danger, would have been the one isolated from his friends. Would have been the one missing now and Major Carter would be safe.

"I hate waiting," Daniel said after a minute.

"Yeah," O'Neill agreed. "T, you wanna--"

The phone rang and Daniel picked it up. "Daniel Jackson, here. What? Say that again." He fumbled for a pad of paper and a pen, scribbling down information. "Yeah, yeah, got it. Thanks." He hung up the phone with a triumphant look. "Vadim just used his cell phone. He was on there long enough to triangulate it. They got it down within a few hundred yards," he said excitedly.

O'Neill snagged the paper from his hand, reading it quickly. "Call Makepeace," he ordered.

----

Daniel followed Jack and Teal'c through the empty halls, with Makepeace bringing up the rear. They were in one of many deserted warehouses on the city's north side and the long abandoned nature of the warehouse lent a decidedly creepy air to their surroundings. This was the second of three warehouses they had to search and Daniel was frustrated. It shouldn't have been this difficult.

He wanted nothing more than to just yell out Sam's name instead of creeping around like a thief in the night. But they didn't dare do that. Not if Vadim was around. Daniel knew that there was a very good chance he'd kill Sam before letting her be rescued, who knew what Vadim had let slip while working Sam over.

Teal'c raised his hand, telling them to stop. He silently pointed to the floor. Daniel could see scuff marks in the dust, indicating that someone had been here recently. Makepeace nodded grimly, his jaw set and his hands gripping his rifle.

They kept moving forward and Daniel's senses jumped into hyper drive. This had to be it. It was the first signs of life they'd seen all afternoon. They reached a junction in the hall and Teal'c looked both ways, trying to determine which was better.

They could have called a team in to assist them, but Jack hadn't wanted to. He still wasn't sure who the rogues were and was unwilling to risk Vadim getting wind of what they were doing. Makepeace and Hammond were the only two that knew where they were and what they were doing.

Teal'c chose to go left and Daniel followed, glancing back behind them to insure that they weren't being followed. Teal'c stopped in front of a barred door and pointed it out to O'Neill. He nodded and stepped back, giving Teal'c room to lift the bar.

Daniel hung back, keeping an eye on their six as the door opened and Teal'c swept in. Jack and Daniel followed him and Daniel felt his heart sink at the sight of a still figure lying on the floor. "Clear," Jack said and Daniel hurried forward, holstering his weapon as he went.

"Sam?" He knelt at her side, reaching out to feel her pulse. "She's alive," he reported, taking a little comfort in his words. She looked horrible. Her face was pale and dirty, a bruise colouring one cheek. Her sprained wrist lay at an unnatural angle and he could see several scorched patches on her t-shirt.

"What the hell did he do to her?" Makepeace asked, coming to stand close while Teal'c slowly paced the room, searching it thoroughly.

"He used this," Jack said, holding up a Goa'uld pain stick.

"Bastard," Makepeace growled.

"We need to get Sam some help," Daniel said, monitoring his friend's pulse. It was weak and thready and he did not like the fact that she was still unconscious.

"I'll call Hammond, get us some--"

"I'd rather you didn't," a voice said. Daniel turned, instinctively moving to put more of his body between Sam and the door. "It gets so messy when you do that."

"Vadim," Makepeace growled, raising his weapon.

"Now, now, now. Don't do that," Vadim said, his own weapon drawn. "Someone might get hurt."

In the corner of his eye, Daniel could see movement and realized that Vadim hadn't seen Teal'c. Gunfire cut through the air and Daniel dove, sprawling himself over Sam. He vaguely heard two thunks as Jack and Makepeace both fell, struggling to get out of the line of fire.

As quickly as it started, it was over, silence rushing in. Breathing heavily, Daniel opened his eyes, not unhappy to see Vadim's body sprawled in the doorway, a small trickle of blood running between his sightless eyes. "That someone shall be you," Teal'c said coldly, lowering his weapon.

"T. We wanted to interrogate him," Jack said, pushing himself up from the floor with a groan.

Teal'c glared at Jack. "This hataka does not deserve to live," he said coldly.

"O'Neill, can't you control your people?"

Jack glared at Makepeace. Instead of answering, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "Makepeace, you and Teal'c go see if Vadim had a car and secure it. I'm going to get a containment and medical team here." Makepeace and Teal'c moved to follow his orders. "T?" Teal'c turned back. "Good shot."

----

George Hammond walked into the infirmary, not surprised to find the three male members of SG-1 lurking just inside the door. "Colonel?"

Jack shook his head. "Nothing yet."

George sighed. It was what he'd expected, just not what he'd hoped for. "I heard from the containment team. They didn't find anything of value in the warehouse. Vadim had been using one other room as a sort of a place to stash things he'd stolen lifted, such as the pain stick. But, so far, they haven't found anything that would lead to his superiors," he reported.

"Par for the course," Jack said.

"So this was all for nothing?" Daniel said, sounding more than a little bitter.

"No, it wasn't, Doctor Jackson," Hammond said. "Major Carter successfully shut down the off-world rogues and exposed two traitors here at the SGC. Her assignment is far from a failure."

Doctor Fraiser walked into the room and the four men tensed. "She's going to be fine, gentlemen," she said, anticipating their question.

"Doctor?"

"Her sprained wrist is now broken, and she has several first and second degree burns from that...thing," she reported, her voice disgusted. "Cuts and bruises, maybe a couple of bruised ribs but I won't know for sure until she regains consciousness. A few weeks and she should be fine."

Jack sighed and Daniel noticeably slumped. "That is good news," Teal'c said.

Sergeant Harriman stuck his head around the corner. "Sir. This just came in." He handed Hammond a piece of paper.

"Thank you, sergeant."

Hammond read it, then looked speculatively at Jack. "Colonel, are you in the mood for a trip to Washington?" he asked.

"Not particularly," Jack said. "What's up?"

"Something I think you're going to love." He handed Jack the piece of paper. "The cell phone company finally gave us a report on Vadim's phone, including the last call he made."

"His contact?" Daniel asked.

"Apparently so," Hammond said. He was pleased to note the way Jack's eyes bugged out of his head as he read the note and its meaning came clear.

"Is this for real?" Jack asked, brandishing the paper. Daniel scowled and snagged it from his hand, then did a double-take.

"It looks that way, colonel," Hammond said.

Jack sighed, looking at Janet.

"O'Neill, I believe Major Carter would understand our absence, especially if it finished her assignment."

"So, we're really going to go do this?" Daniel asked.

"Not alone. I'll notify the FBI and you'll be accompanying them, as observers only," he warned. "I can have a plane at Peterson within the hour."

"One thing, General Hammond," Daniel asked. "Sam's gonna hate that she missed this. Can I take pictures?"

----

Janet checked her watch and stepped got up from her desk. She snagged her coffee cup and made her way out into the infirmary. She made her way over to Sam's bed and set down the cup, exchanging it for Sam's chart.

Her friend was still unconscious, sleeping off the strong sedative they'd used when they'd set her wrist. And, Janet suspected, sleeping off her experience from today. Janet felt sick at all Sam had been through. She'd glossed over some of the details for her team, although she knew that, eventually, General Hammond and Colonel O'Neill would receive a complete medical report with pictures and anatomical notation. Such things were standard for injuries received in the line of duty, and this sure as hell was in the line of duty.

She heard a sigh and looked down, surprised to see Sam sluggishly opening her eyes. "Hey," she said, moving to the head of the bed. Janet laid her hand along Sam's cheek. "How are you feeling?"

Sam frowned and tried to talk. "It's ok," Janet reassured her. "You're safe." Janet reached for a cup of water, placing the straw between Sam's dry lips. She sucked up a couple of sips then Janet took the straw away. "You can have more later," she promised. "How do you feel?"

"Hurts," Sam whispered weakly.

"I know." Janet brushed Sam's hair away from her face, hoping to soothe her. "It'll be better soon. You just go back to sleep. You'll feel better when you wake up." Sam closed her eyes and slipped back to sleep.

Janet stayed with her for a few more minutes, then picked up he coffee cup before leaving the room.

----

Robert Makepeace stood awkwardly in the door of the infirmary. It was barely comfortable for him to visit people he knew, such as Miller, recuperating in the intensive care wing, but it was even more uncomfortable when it was someone he barely knew, not to mention a female. It was made even worse by the fact that this particular female had ended up in the infirmary because of one of his own men.

One of the nurses passed by, giving him a strange look. Robert sighed and stepped into the room, realizing that his hesitation was going to raise more eyebrows than his visit.

Carter's bed was in the back of the room, cordoned off by thin curtains hanging from the ceiling. He rolled the magazines he brought into a tube and peeked around the curtain. Maybe she was asleep and--nope, no such luck.

"Colonel," she said, looking up from the book she was reading. Her voice was hoarse and rough, giving it an almost breathless, sexy quality. On any other day, Robert might find it appealing. If he didn't know that she'd likely screamed herself hoarse.

"Carter." He stepped forward. She looked better than he expected, nowhere near as pale as the last time he'd seen her. The white pyjamas she was wearing accentuated what little tan she had. Of course, it also did little to disguise the bruises and burns he could see on her arms and her throat.

Her left wrist was encased in a cast and rested on a pillow at her side. "You're looking better," he said, blurting out the first thing that popped into his brain.

"Considering Janet said I looked like a corpse a couple of days ago, I think that's a good thing," she said wryly.

"Aah, yeah. Here." He held out a couple of magazines he'd picked up, at O'Neill's behest.

The other colonel--and the rest of SG-1--were stuck in DC, first delayed by a miscommunication with the Justice Department, meaning that it took nearly twenty-four hours to get a judge to sign the warrant. Then they'd been delayed further by some heavy weather. The remnants of a hurricane were buffeting the east coast, delaying or cancelling even military flights.

Which was the main reason Robert was here. O'Neill had asked him to check on the major, make sure that she was okay.

"Thanks." She frowned a bit, then took the magazines from him.

"I didn't know what you read--I can get something else."

"These are fine," she said, setting them aside.

"So--when do you get out?" he asked, fumbling for a topic.

"Tomorrow, I think. Although I feel fine." She raised her voice slightly, and he got the idea that her comment wasn't directed at him.

"I think I saw Fraiser going to lunch," he said, sympathetic to her feelings. He didn't like it when he was stuck in the infirmary either.

"Oh." She slumped in the bed a bit.

"Do you want me to go get you something?" He made the offer, half-hoping she'd take him up on it.

"They should be bringing my lunch pretty soon," she said, her right hand fumbling with the bed sheets, her eyes darting around the room.

"I should probably--"

"I don't want to keep you if--"

"I'm sorry," he blurted out.

"Colonel?"

"I should have known that Vadim was dirty," he said.

"Sir, no one knew. He was very good at what he did. Hell, I even trusted him."

"That's no excuse," he said, ignoring her absolution.

"I'm sorry I didn't figure it out sooner," she said.

"Major?"

"If I would have figured it out sooner--"

"Stop," he interrupted. "Vadim fooled all of us. Let's just leave it at that."

"Colonel--"

"Do I have to make it an order?"

"No, sir," she said quietly.

An awkward silence stretched between them and Robert sighed. A nurse poked her head around the curtain and walked in, carrying a covered tray. "Lunch is here," she said needlessly. She set it down on the table.

"I should go..." Robert began.

"Do you need any help eating?" the nurse offered helpfully, earning her a cold glare from Carter.

"I'll manage, thanks."

"Yes, ma'am."

The nurse walked past Robert and he stepped aside to get out of her way. "You know, Major, it's too damn bad you joined the Air Force," he said, glancing at her. She froze, staring at him, her eyes wide. "You woulda made a hell of a Marine."

He enjoyed the way her jaw dropped, shock overcoming her features, before he smirked slightly, turned his back, and quickly left the room.

----

Sam flipped through the magazine, trying not to admit just how bored she was. Outside the curtains, she could hear the normal hustle and bustle of the infirmary.

"You are never picking the food again," a voice said as Sam heard a group come into the room.

"It wasn't that bad."

"Yes, it was."

"Three days and all he packed was beef stew and Swedish meatballs."

"I thought you liked those."

"I do. But not for every meal."

Sam smiled as the bickering continued, recognizing the sounds of a returning SG team.

Her smile faded as she realized it was something she'd likely never be a part of again. She found it just a bit telling that that, other than Janet and the nurses, Colonel Makepeace had been her only visitor.

Not even her former team-mates had come to see her. It shamed her to admit it, but she'd been too afraid to ask where they were. If they didn't want to come, fine. She wasn't going to ask for a pity visit. And she could definitely take the hint.

"Major?"

General Hammond's voice pulled Sam from her contemplations. "Sir." She instinctively straightened a bit in the bed, suddenly self-conscious about her attire, or lack thereof. She definitely wasn't used to talking to generals in her jammies.

He motioned for her to relax as he pulled up a chair. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, sir. Thank you."

He nodded. "I just wanted to let you know that the President is very pleased with the results of the mission," he said.

"Really?"

"Yes. In fact, I've been authorized to tell you that any assignment you want--with the exception of his own job and a few seats on the Cabinet--is yours." There was a slight twinkle in his eye as she stared at him in surprise.

"Excuse me, sir?"

"The President said he'd give you a promotion, if you hadn't just received one," he said seriously.

"That's...that's very generous," she said, stunned.

"Yes, it is," he agreed. "I certainly don't want to lose you but--"

"I'm fine here, sir," she interrupted.

He smiled. "That's good to know. I'm sure Colonel O'Neill will be relieved."

"Actually, sir. I was thinking I might spend some more time in the labs," she said, getting the words out before she could change her mind.

"Major?"

"It's my understanding that Lieutenant Rumlow has been getting along rather well. It might be best all around if things just stayed the way they are," she said, trying to ignore just how hard the words were to say.

In her heart, she wanted nothing more than to go back to her team, hell, go back four months and pretend that Edora and the rogues never happened. But there was no going back, not now, not ever.

Oh, the general could probably talk the colonel into accepting her back, but she didn't want it that way. Out in the field, trust was a matter of life and death. And she would rather not go with them than endanger them with their mistrust of her.

"Are you sure about that, Major?" he asked seriously, frowning a bit as he got to his feet.

"I'm sure," she said. "Besides, it'd be weeks before I could go back onto active duty anyway." She motioned towards the wrist cast.

"If that's what you want, I will inform Colonel O'Neill. You did a hell of a job, Major."

"Yes, sir," she muttered as he left the room. She slumped back onto the pillows, the magazine forgotten.

Yeah, a hell of a job. A hell of a job losing her friends. A hell of a job betraying their trust. A hell of a job destroying three years of friendship. Yep, she was talented all right.

Who'd want this talent?

The klaxons blared, announcing an off-world activation and Sam settled back, picking up her magazine. No matter how she might regret what had happened, there was nothing she could do about it. What was done was done. Her bridges were burned ash and acrid smoke, burning in the wind, and there was no help for it.

It wouldn't be so bad working in the labs. She could finally have normal hours. No more weeklong trips or ceaseless physical examinations. She might even start developing a social life.

The noise level increased and Sam looked up, startled when Janet pulled the curtains aside. "What's going on?"

"SG-8 & 10 ran into some Jaffa. They've got injuries and they're bringing back some refugees," Janet said.

"And you need the bed," Sam intuited, pushing back the covers.

"I'm afraid so," Janet confirmed. "We can put you up in one of the VIP rooms--"

"Why don't I just go home?" Sam suggested.

"Sam--"

"Janet, you're going to release me in the morning. What's a few more hours?"

Janet sighed. "I still have prescriptions to write out. And I wanted one more x-ray of that wrist."

"Write them out and I'll fill them on the way home," Sam said. "And I can come back tomorrow for the x-ray," she bargained.

"Doctor!" one of the nurses cried.

Janet looked over her shoulder. "Ok," she said, pulling a pad of paper out of her pocket. She quickly scribbled out two prescriptions talking as she wrote. "One's an antibiotic, the other is an anti-inflammatory. You've taken them before. Call me if you don't feel good."

"I know," Sam said, taking the prescriptions from her.

"Use a driver," Janet instructed. Sam left the room, doing her best to stay out of the way of the orderlies who were hurrying into the room, bearing the wounded.

Once she was down the hall and out of the way, she slowed, realizing for the first time that she was still in her pyjamas. "Ok," she muttered. "Stop one, clothes."

----

Jack stepped off the elevator, trailed by Daniel and Teal'c. "I need to go check in with Hammond," he said, fighting the exhaustion that made his eyes burn. The past two days had been long and tiring with moments of eminently enjoyable satisfaction interspersed with hours of thumb twiddling boredom. He had a headache, his legs hurt from too many hours in a cramped airplane seat and he definitely needed a shower. As they all did. They'd left for a short little trip down Revenge Avenue and they hadn't packed for SG-1's seventy-two hours of 'you can't get there from here'.

Kinsey was in Federal custody, and Daniel had the pictures to prove it. Agent Spender and the Federal Prosecutor assigned to the case both felt that it was an open and shut case with more than enough evidence to lock the good senator up for a long, long time.

Jack held no such illusions. He figured that Kinsey would cry like a baby and work a deal, probably providing evidence in exchange for a reduction in his sentence. Still, Kinsey was out of their hair for a very long time.

"Should we not inquire into Major Carter's condition?" Teal'c asked.

Jack looked at his watch. "It's 2100," he said. "She should be asleep."

"Didn't Janet say she was going home tomorrow?" Daniel asked. They'd called in a couple of times, both to check on Sam's condition and to keep General Hammond up to date on their current situation.

"Yeah," Jack said. "I'll talk to Hammond first, then meet you down in the infirmary."

They reached the elevator and got in, punching the buttons for two different floors. Daniel and Teal'c got off first while Jack continued down to Level 27. Even though it was late, he knew that the general was in, having seen his car in the lot at the surface.

Jack walked through the briefing room, frowning when he saw support personnel down in the gate room, obviously cleaning up.

"Colonel, I see you made it back."

"General," Jack acknowledged. "What happened?"

"SG-8 & 10 came across some Jaffa. They retreated and brought some refugees with them. We just sent all the healthy refugees to the Alpha site, the wounded will follow as soon as they're able. Major Kovacek is going to leave in the morning and see if Tupelo will take them in."

"Looks like I missed all the fun," Jack said.

"Oh, I don't know. You certainly sounded like you were enjoying yourself," George said wryly.

"You oughta see Daniel's pictures. They're priceless."

"I'm sure they are," the general agreed. "I spoke to Major Carter today," he said after a few seconds.

"Oh?" Jack turned to look at the man. Hammond was standing beside him, staring out into the gate room.

"She expressed to me the desire to spend more time in the labs."

"Well, that's a no brainer," Jack said, earning him a sharp look from Hammond. "She can't go out into the field until that wrist of hers heals."

Hammond nodded. "She suggested Lieutenant Rumlow as a replacement."

"Least he's broken in," Jack said. "I can put up with him for a few weeks." Yeah, it'd be a pain to have the young lieutenant around. He and Daniel had far too much in common and they were both too smart for their own good. Just like Carter. The difference was, Carter had learned when to button it. Rumlow still needed to be reminded upon occasion.

"Major Carter has indicated that she wishes the change to be permanent," Hammond said slowly.

"What?" Jack asked, shocked by the general's words. "When did this happen?"

Hammond shrugged. "Like I said, we spoke earlier today."

"Yeah, well, this is the first I've heard of it," Jack complained. What the hell did she think she was doing? She knew how Chain of Command worked. She wanted to transfer, fine. She could tell him first. So that he'd have plenty of time to talk her out of it.

"You haven't been here much in the past few weeks," Hammond said.

Jack looked at the general, his ire rising at the perceived rebuke. Hammond turned his attention back out the window. "The President is rather happy with the outcome," he said. "He authorized me to offer the major any assignment she wanted. She chose to stay here," he said casually.

"It'd be a shame to lose her," Jack said, struggling to cover the feeling of a fist slamming in his gut. Leave? She couldn't leave.

"Yes, it would." They stood there for a few minutes. "I think it's time for me to go home," Hammond said. "And you too."

"Yes, sir," Jack replied to his pointed comment. Hammond went into his office, gathering up his briefcase then going downstairs to the control room, presumably to inform the duty officer that he was leaving.

Carter wanted off SG-1? That was something Jack never thought he'd see happen. Not after she fought so hard so many times to stay on the team.

He tried to figure out why she'd want to leave. Was she still playing the game? Trying to keep everyone away from her? No. Not with Kinsey busted. The danger should be over. Even if any of them were stupid enough to try for revenge, the fact that Carter was on the President's list of favoured people would definitely buy her some protection.

Maybe, maybe she had another reason for wanting to get out of field work. What if Vadim had--? No. Fraiser would have told them. What if Carter had lost her nerve? What if she broke? He could respect that. Respect her desire to be as safe as she could be.

If that was why she wanted to leave, he wouldn't stop her. But he was damn well going to find out why she wanted off the team.

The steps clanged and Jack looked, frowning when Daniel and Teal'c stepped up into the room. "I thought I was meeting you two in the infirmary?"

"The infirmary's full of wounded," Daniel said.

"And Major Carter is not there."

"What?"

"One of the nurses said that Janet released her." Daniel said.

"How long ago?"

"Couple of hours. Just before all hell broke loose."

"Okay. You guys done here?"

"I am," Daniel said while Teal'c merely raised his eyebrow. "You think we need to go over there?"

"I do," Jack said, refusing to think that he was overreacting. Something told him that, despite the late hour, they needed to check on Carter.

"I can take Teal'c and meet you there," Daniel offered.

"Sounds good," Jack agreed.

When Jack drove up beside Carter's house, though, the place looked deserted. No car outside, no lights inside, no sign that she'd been home in a couple of days.

He surreptitiously checked the mailbox as he went past the gate, but it was empty. Maybe her neighbours had been collecting her mail?

On the porch, he paused, contemplating the wisdom of what he was about to do. On one hand, her car wasn't outside, which suggested that she wasn't home. He didn't recall seeing it parked out in the mountain complex parking lot, either. However, there was always the possibility that she'd gotten one of the airmen to drive her home.

He knocked on the door. Then he knocked harder. Nothing.

Jack debated the wisdom of letting himself in. If Carter was home, she wouldn't appreciate him barging in, on the other hand, if she wasn't, then he might gain some kind of idea as to where she was.

A momentary fear stole through him. Had they really gotten all the rogues? What if there were sleeper agents among them? It was entirely possible that there might be sympathisers who would fall into place upon the discovery of the rest of the network...

Don't get so paranoid, Jack, he told himself as he pulled out his keys. You got Kinsey, he'll sing like a bird, and she won't have to live on the run for the rest of her life. It was the work of a moment to let himself in; each member of SG-1 had the house keys of the others. They were definitely 'latchkey kids.'

Inside, the house was neat, dark, and deserted. The only sign that she'd been here was the opened mail on the table.

So she'd come home at least.

There was a key in the door, and Jack turned, but it was only Daniel and Teal'c.

"She came home," he said, lifting up a torn envelope. "Don't know where she is now."

He was starting to worry - with good reason, or so he thought. The last few weeks had been surprise after surprise after surprise. Carter had more layers than he'd ever thought possible, too accustomed to seeing her as the smart, problem-solving 2IC, rather than the independent officer she'd lately shown herself to be.

Daniel moved further into the house, but Teal'c turned back towards the street. At Jack's query, the tall Jaffa murmured, "There is a car approaching."

They piled out onto the porch and saw Sam's car pulling up. Jack went down to the gate and out to the car. He was soon at her door, pulling it open." His concern was, at one level, irrational. She was here, she was fine, she'd done her job and was coming home. However, he could not stop the demand from tumbling out past his lips. "Where the hell were you?" She stared blankly up at him. "Carter? Are you okay?"

It looked as though she'd just woken up, because it took her a moment to answer.

"I needed groceries," she muttered, undoing the seat belt and getting out of the car. "What are you doing here?" she asked, noticing Daniel and Teal'c as they joined them.

"Oh, I don't know. Someone gets out of the hospital, it's sort of traditional to visit," Jack said, stepping back as she slammed the car door shut, making her way around to the passenger side of the car.

Daniel got there first, opening the door and grabbing the small bag of groceries. She glared at him and reached to take them, stumbling a bit when the movement put her a little off balance. Teal'c's hand grabbed her arm, keeping her from falling.

"Is that it?" Jack asked, staring at the one bag Daniel held up.

"What?" she asked, shaking off Teal'c's hand and giving him a decidedly insubordinate glare.

"The groceries."

Her expression darkened." I wasn't exactly expecting company," she said, and turned on her heel to stalk up the path to the door.

"We're not 'company,' Carter," Jack pointed out, following her up the path and into the house.

There was a moment when it looked as though she'd been about to slam the door in their faces, groceries or no groceries. Then the rebellion drained away, leaving her looking wan and tired. Jack indicated the living room. "Go sit down before you fall down," he instructed her, gently.

Her 'sitting down' nearly was a fall down. She just collapsed into the chair, elbows on knees, head in hands as the guys exchanged nervous looks at each other.

Finally, she lifted her face from her hands and regarded the men littering her dining room. Her eyes lingered on him. "Look, I don't know what you guys are doing here, but I'm tired and--"

Oh, this was going to get them nowhere. "Daniel," Jack interrupted, without breaking gaze, "Show her the photos."

"The what?" There were days when Jack was amazed Daniel had reached adulthood without being murdered by someone for sheer frustrating absent-mindedness. "Oh, right." He began digging, and, after a few moments...

"Daniel?"

"I think I left them back in the locker room," he said sheepishly.

"You can't just leave those lying around," Jack chastised.

"They're not lying around, they're in my locker," Daniel corrected. "Anyway, it doesn't matter." He turned to face Sam. "It's over. You can stop this 'make us hate you' act, because it's not going to work."

"Daniel--" Carter was rapidly losing her patience with them. In a minute, she'd throw them out. Or something.

Jack figured he'd have to get his oar in now rather than later. Once she threw them out there were no guarantees she'd let them back in - and Carter was one tough nut to crack when she closed up. "Carter, you did what you had to do to get the job done." He tried to speak with the authority of someone who'd been there and done that and knew what it did to the soul. He hoped he was getting through, because Carter looked about as receptive as stone right now. "I'm not sure about Daniel, but Teal'c and I have both been in the same spot. It's never easy."

He didn't know how she'd take it.

He certainly wasn't expecting her to look from him to Daniel to Teal'c, then get slowly to her feet and walk out of the room.

A few moments later, they heard her bedroom door shut firmly behind her.

Daniel frowned and looked at Jack. "That wasn't quite the response I was expecting."

Jack rested his hands on the dining table, amidst torn envelopes and scattered bills. He was tired and, judging by Carter's response to his words, so was she.

"Perhaps this conversation is best left until morning," Teal'c suggested.

"Guess so."

"Do you think one of us should stay?" Daniel asked.

"I shall," Teal'c volunteered, interrupting Jack as he opened his mouth to speak. He regarded Jack in the implacable kind of manner that said, as effectively as words, that he would be more than willing to beat Jack over the head with a stick to remain behind. "I am the most logical choice as I do not require rest. And it eliminates the need for Daniel Jackson to drive me back to the SGC."

"Fine," Jack said, ceding to the inevitable. "I'll come back in the morning. Daniel?"

"Yeah, me too. Maybe I'll stop and bring breakfast," he offered.

"I'll hit the store."

"Jack?"

"I doubt Carter will feel like going out for a bit. I'll grab a few days worth of groceries."

"Ok. Just don't forget, it's Diet Coke," Daniel instructed.

"What? Right," Jack said, remembering Carter's preferences. "Meet you back here at 0800?"

"Deal."

----

Teal'c had been meditating by the light of one of Major Carter's scented candles for several hours when it sputtered into darkness. The peace of his friend's house was far more soothing to the mind and body than his quarters on the base, and he was fully rested and very much aware when he heard the sound of a door opening.

Major Carter slowly made her way into the kitchen, dressed in pyjamas and a warm robe. Judging by the rumpled state of her hair, she had just woken from sleep. As he watched, she removed a pan from the cabinet and he presumed that she was heating a can of the soup she had earlier purchased.

Content to allow her her privacy, he remained where he was and prepared to return to his meditation. Then he heard a loud thunk and a soft curse and rose to his feet. He stepped into the kitchen and saw her struggling to manoeuvre the top off the can using only one hand. "Do you desire assistance?" he asked.

She screamed, spinning and dropping the can to the floor where it barely missed landing on her bare feet. Her eyes were wide and terrified for that one brief moment, and Teal'c silently cursed himself for not having taken into account her nervous state of mind. "What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I wished to ascertain that you were well," he said, unaffected by her anger. He knew that she was not truly angry, but that it was a normal human reaction to fright. He bent over and picked up the can, using the can opener to remove the lid.

He poured soup into the pan and set it on the oven, turning on the heat. Samantha Carter moved away and watched him do so, and when he was certain the soup was on the way to preparation, he turned to face her. "Is there something you require?"

She'd sat down on one of the stools, and her hands were still shaking. "Why didn't you say something earlier?" Her voice was slightly breathless and Teal'c regretted his unwise silence all the more.

"I believed that you were asleep," he said.

She ran her fingers through her tousled hair. "I thought I was alone," she said, trying to explain her startled state.

"I believe that is a misconception you have had for quite some time," he said, sitting beside her.

The hand in her hair stopped scratching. She frowned at him. "What are you talking about?"

"You felt the need to separate yourself from us to more effectively accomplish your mission," Teal'c said, voicing his own perceptions for the first time.

As with O'Neill and Daniel Jackson, he had borne the effects of Major Carter's machinations and the distance that she had seen as necessary to carrying out her task. However he had not allowed her actions to become as personal as his team-mates had.

Of course, he also had never sought out personal communications, so Teal'c knew that he had never faced the focus of her efforts. This afforded him a more neutral place from which to open this discussion.

He heard the soup begin to boil and got up, efficiently pouring it into a bowl and serving it to her. He then filled the pan with water to soak and sat back down, noting that she had yet to begin her soup. "Major Carter, your actions have not cost you our friendship. Nor has it made you unwelcome among us."

The soup poured gently out of the spoon as she scooped it up, then dribbled it back into the bowl. She slowly shook her head. "I don't think so, Teal'c." He raised his eyebrows. "The Colonel places a lot of importance on trust. I don't think he trusts me much anymore."

"You are incorrect. I believe he trusts you now as much as he did before. I believe he has a new-found respect in your abilities."

Sam snorted. "What? My ability to get myself tricked and needing to be rescued?"

"No. Your ability to do the job required of you, regardless of the costs," he corrected. "O'Neill has always respected you. I believe that is why he was so affected by your actions."

"I couldn't say no, Teal'c. Not after the general asked me, not...We need our allies too much to risk losing them," she said.

"Of that I am aware. As are O'Neill and Daniel Jackson."

She sighed and picked up the spoon, idly stirring the soup. She ate a couple of bites, blowing on the soup to cool it. He watched as she ate, not saying a word as she emptied the bowl. "Do you wish to return to sleep?" he asked, picking up the bowl and rinsing it out.

"Did you get enough kel no reem?" she asked after a few seconds.

"I did."

"I don't suppose you're in the mood to see if there's a movie on?" she asked, slowly.

Accepting that this was as much as she would be willing to discuss the matter with him, Teal'c assented. She was open to their presence in her life after all that had occurred to her. Healing - and forgiveness - would come with time.

----

She was tired, but content.

Teal'c made excellent company for an all-nighter. Especially considering he was more than happy to sit and watch all three original Star Wars movies.

They were watching Luke's lightsaber fight in the throne room with Darth Vader - one of Sam's favourite parts of the movie - when the Colonel and Daniel turned up and let themselves in.

She was of a mind to chew them out for entering uninvited, but they had brought groceries - real food, not the canned stuff she'd bought last night. And...judging by Teal'c's attitude, she was going to have to work really hard to get rid of them.

"Morning, Sam, morning, Teal'c."

"Carter, Teal'c." The Colonel surveyed the room. "Did you have a slumber party or something?"

"Major Carter would not allow me to paint her nails, O'Neill."

In spite of her irritation, Sam couldn't completely stifle the laughter that came with Teal'c's deadpan comment. The Colonel's eyes bugged out, before he glanced at her, "Yeah, she won't let Daniel do that either."

"I don't let you paint my nails, Jack," Daniel commented from the kitchen. "So it's all fair. What're you guys watching?"

Sam hesitated before answering, "Return of the Jedi."

"Again?"

"It is still a good movie, O'Neill."

"You've seen 'em once, why do you need to see it again?"

"Oh, says the man who's watched 'Terminator 2' how many times?" Daniel demanded amidst the rustle of plastic bags.

"Thank you for ruining my mystique, Daniel," the Colonel grumped.

"Anytime, Jack."

Sam pulled a cushion onto her lap and sat down, feeling just a little exposed in her pyjamas and dressing gown. Sitting around with Teal'c watching a movie in her sleepwear was one thing, breakfast with a senior officer was quite another. "Is there any particular reason you're here this morning, Colonel?"

"Because it's 0800 hours?"

"And why are you here at my house at 0800 hours, sir?"

"To make breakfast of course." There was nobody in the world who could do 'stupid innocent' like the Colonel, with that slightly offended air, as if he couldn't believe she'd just asked such a simple question of him. "You just keep watching your movie and Daniel and I will sort everything out."