Title: What Hides Within (Eye of the Beholder II)

Author: Jo. R

Email: Jo@ram32.freeserve.co.uk

Rating: PG-13

Series: Second in the 'Eye of the Beholder' series. You don't have to read the first one, this should explain the main points if I wrote it right but of course, it would probably help you get into it quicker if you do read 'Eye of the Beholder.'

Spoilers: Previous story (slightly – no S7 speculation this time), 'In the Line of Duty'. General knowledge of seasons 1-5 needed.

Summary: 'They seemed on edge. Nervous. There was something in their eyes when they looked at her but how was she to know what they were planning? How could she have guessed at the secret hiding behind the crystal walls?'

Archive: SJA and Random Ramblings. If I've said you can have something in the past, you probably can again – just let me know, please! :-)

Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be. Sam belongs to Amanda, Jack belongs to Rick, Janet belongs to Teryl, Daniel belongs to Michael, Teal'c belongs to Chris, Hammond belongs to Don and Jacob belongs to Carmen. I only own an imagination (some would say warped) and a computer (that sometimes doesn't work).

Authors Notes: The sequel that was requested by some and took on a mind of its own after the first page. Not how I was expecting it to go but this is how it wrote itself. There will be a third story in the series – possibly a fourth, too; we'll just have to see how it goes.

Huge thanks to Lil Witchy for the fab beta job – love ya, hun – and to Ruthie for listening to me rant and letting me be evil without throwing too many sharp, hard things in my direction and for giving it a second beta, when I started panicking it was pants.

Dedication: At the time of writing this, it's that time of year where you think of your family and friends, of those you've lost and of those you still have but will lose one day. I dedicate this story in memory of my Megan and my Grandfather Dennis, and hope it'll be a while yet before I add anyone else to this list.

~#~

Outside the wind blew furiously, sending anything that wasn't secured into a frenzy of movement. Pulling the thick comforter around her shoulders, Samantha Carter stood at the window, staring out into the bleakness of the pitch-black night, seeing none of the destruction that would be there in the morning.

She couldn't see much of anything.

Her eyes were open, staring fixedly on something through the thin pane of glass but her mind refused to register whatever she was looking at.

A mental image filled her brain, one that refused to be banished by the storms raging both outside the house and inside her heart.

She could see him so clearly; see the expression on his face as she was taken away from him.

Anger. Pain.

Fear.

A shudder worked its way down her spine but she didn't pay it any attention. She was too focused on the scene playing out in her head.

He was seriously hurt, possibly even dying. They were dragging him away from her, pulling at his clothes, at his skin. He wanted to stay but they wouldn't let him.

Whoever they were.

Her brow furrowed as the man they parted her from changed, as his image morphed into someone else.

The same anger, the same fear.. It was on his face, too.

But there was something else.

Regret.

She watched as he – they – were taken one way and felt herself being pulled in the opposite direction.

In the moments before the vision ended, she knew with a sickening clarity that she wouldn't see them again.

~#~

/prologue

~#~

Jerking awake, Sam glanced around to try and get her bearings. She fought against whatever was restraining her, frowning when she realised it was the comforter from her bed.

But she wasn't in her bedroom.

Freeing her legs, she glanced around the living room, searching her memory for how she'd ended up there.

The storm, she remembered, had woken her up. She'd wrapped the comforter around her shoulders and gone through to the living room to light a fire and survey the damage to the low maintenance front garden her neighbour looked after for her.

Then.. what?

She couldn't remember falling asleep, couldn't remember ever moving away from the window. She couldn't remember anything after thinking she would have to get the Watsons something extra special for Christmas if they dealt with the mess that would be her garden come morning.

She'd fallen asleep at some point, obviously. She hadn't moved far from the window so the warmth that would've spread through the room from the dying fire wouldn't have reached her so that explained why she'd tried to bury herself under the comforter. It would explain why she was shivering and didn't have another explanation as to why.

Giving herself a mental shake, Sam pushed herself up from the floor, dragging the comforter along the floor behind her as she wandered through the house towards her bedroom. She felt like she was still sleeping, like she was viewing everything through blurred, unfocused eyes.

She froze mid-step and shuddered when a thought struck her.

The last time she'd felt that way had been a long time ago, when she had unwillingly become host to Jolinar.

The memory of having carried the Tok'ra symbiote still chilled her inside, despite having had five years to accept it and make peace with what had happened. The feeling of being violated, of being repressed hadn't become easier to deal with even when the Tok'ra had saved her father's life, even as her friendship with Martouf had grown deeper..

In the back of her mind, in the bottom of her heart.. She knew she never would. She could roll her eyes at the Colonel's snide remarks, counter the reasons against an alliance with the Tok'ra with reasons for it… She could insist they were allies worth keeping and believe it but she couldn't forget the horror of what she'd gone through. She could understand Jolinar's deception, her motives; she could forgive it all but she would never forget.

Never.

It was just one of many burdens she carried and it was one she found easier to push to the back of her mind as long as she was kept busy. The most recent burden, however, the most recent reminder that she was different was proving to be the most difficult to push aside.

Several weeks ago, Sam and Doctor Fraiser had discovered that an experiment the Goa'uld Nirrti had performed on her hadn't been as reversed as they had been led to believe. She had been left with an unexpected side effect – increased brain activity resulting in the ability to see visions of the past, present and the future. Visions that certainly weren't welcome but ones she did her best to control.

Reaching her bedroom, Sam let the comforter drop, half on the mattress and half handing over the edge. She surveyed the bed, her gaze moving to the clock on the little cabinet beside it.

02:47.

With a yawn she didn't try to conceal, Sam gave in to the tempting lure of her soft mattress and still warm comforter, curling up in the centre and pulling the blankets right up to her chin.

A few more hours of sleep wouldn't hurt. She'd still have plenty of time to get up, get dressed and get to Cheyenne Mountain for her briefing at 0800 hours.

Plenty of time.

~#~

For what felt like the fifteenth time in as many minutes, Colonel Jack O'Neill glanced surreptitiously at his watch, hoping he'd misread it every other time he'd checked.

Nope.

His always punctual, never late without a valid reason Major was indeed late to the briefing.

Twenty-two minutes late and counting.

"General?" It was Daniel Jackson who broke the tense silence his fingers spread out on the table in front of him, obviously itching to do something. "It's not like Sam to be late."

"I am aware of that, Doctor Jackson." Looking suitably unimpressed, General George Hammond kept his own concern for the absent major at bay. "Perhaps you would like to get in touch with Major Carter and remind her we had a briefing planned twenty three minutes ago." General Hammond got to his feet and cast the Colonel a hard look. "We'll reschedule this briefing for 1100 hours, Colonel. Please make sure your entire team is present."

The General left the briefing room for the adjourning office, closing the door behind him. Colonel O'Neill stood slowly, trading a look with Daniel as he did so. "You tried calling?" He asked quietly, his eyes unblinkingly focused on the archaeologist, his fists clenching at the wordless nod he received in response. "How many times?"

"Four or five," Daniel said, also getting to his feet and meeting Jack at the door. "There was no answer, Jack. The machine didn't even pick up.."

"Is it not possible Major Carter's electricity and telephone line was damaged by last night’s weather?" Teal'c joined his teammates at the door, waiting for SG-1's leader to make the first move and decide what they should do. "She may be unaware that she is late."

Jack gave a slow nod, his jaw tightening. "Teal'c, stay here in case Carter shows up. Call me on my cell if she shows. Daniel, you're with me. We'll go round to her place, see how badly it was hit last night."

Teal'c inclined his head to show he understood and left the room ahead of his teammates, deciding to wait by Major Carter's lab as he knew it would be the first place she would go to on arriving at the SGC. Jack and Daniel started for the elevators, one man in a mood to talk but the other in no mood to listen.

Holding his tongue, Daniel managed to stay silent until they reached the surface and had walked over to Jack's truck. "If there was something wrong with her phone or car, she would've used her cell phone, wouldn't she?"

Jack chose not to answer. He instead turned the key in the ignition and backed out of the space he'd claimed that morning. It would take between thirty and forty minutes to get to Carter's house from the base, taking into account the possible delays caused by weather damage the night before.

Pulling out of the SGC parking lot, Jack could only hope it was soon enough.

~#~

Nothing could break through the solid grip slumber had over her. She didn't look particularly troubled, nor did she look particularly happy. Her eyes were closed, her breathing was deep and steady. Jack stood over her, glancing from the woman curled up under the comforter to the archaeologist who stood beside him gaping.

"She's just sleeping, right?" Daniel broke the silence that had fallen over them after a few moments of staring. "We should probably wake her. She won't be happy if she wakes up and finds us talking about her.."

Jack snorted and used the diversion to drag his eyes from the form of his sleeping major. "The phone and knocking at the door didn't wake her. I don't think us whispering will." Glancing at her face again, he sighed and put his hands in his pockets, unsure whether he'd be able to keep on resisting the urge to touch her if they were left to hang loosely at his sides. "Go make some coffee. Sleeping Beauty here's probably going to need it."

With a small nod, Daniel turned to do as he was told, only to pause in the doorway and meet the Colonel's questioning gaze. "What are you going to do?"

'I'm going to get under the covers and join her,' was the first sarcastic quip that sprung to mind though he pushed it away, deciding it was a little too close for comfort to actually say aloud. "What do you think I'm going to do? I'm gonna wake her up."

"Oh. Right." Daniel gave him a brief grin and disappeared, leaving Jack to his task.

Right.

He took one hand out of his pocket and reached out to touch her, drawing his hand back a split second before his fingertips could brush the soft skin of her arm. Leaning in just a little, he bit down on his lip and wondered why she had to look so damn exposed when she slept. It was incredibly appealing to see the strong and independent major in her relaxed and undisturbed form.

"Major.." He kept his voice soft but used her title as a deliberate reminder to himself. "Major Carter." His voice rose in volume but there was no change in her condition. She remained sound asleep, oblivious to the world around her.

A small part of him envied her unaware state but he refused to give in and join her. For one thing it would be hard enough to explain to Daniel and eventually General Hammond why he'd crawled in bed with his Second. For another, it would be difficult to explain to his major how she'd gone to sleep alone but woken with him not only in her bed but also wrapped around her. He'd never thought of himself as a snuggler before but damn, it was a tempting idea.

Jack gave another reluctant sigh and perched on the bed beside her for leverage, reaching out and shaking her gently. "Carter.. Sam. It's time to get up.." She stirred slightly but her eyes remained stubbornly shut. "Major Carter!" His patience wearing thin as his concern got the better of him, his voice rose till it was just below a bellow.

It did the trick, although part of him regretted seeing the unguarded expression disappear.

"Sir!" The befuddled look that momentarily arranged her features rapidly disappeared, replaced by one of surprise and mortification. Her cheeks were flushed as she sat up, clutching the comforter to her chest even though her clothes protected her modesty. "Ah.. What are you doing here? What time.." Her gaze moved to the digital display of her alarm clock and her hand flew to her mouth as Jack stood up, unable to keep a grin from passing over his lips at her reaction. "The debriefing! The alarm didn't go off.. I'm so sorry, Sir."

"I doubt you'd have heard the alarm if it did go off. You were pretty out of it, Carter." His hands went back into his pockets so he couldn't reach out and ruffle the already dishevelled blond hair. "Pleasant dreams, Major? You were obviously reluctant to leave them.."

Sam blinked sleepy eyes at him, her arms wrapping around her legs which she drew up to her chest. "I don't remember dreaming at all. And I don't remember the alarm going off, I never sleep through it."

"Do you usually sleep through telephone calls and people knocking on your door?" Jack couldn't resist teasing her a little. "Daniel called four times. It must've rang for awhile, too, because you didn't have the answering machine on. And you slept through us knocking on your door for the last ten minutes till we remembered where you hid the spare key."

"Daniel's here, too?" Her cheeks turned a darker shade of pink as her embarrassment grew. "I'm so sorry, Sir. General Hammond must've been so annoyed when I didn't show up this morning. I honestly can't explain it. I've never slept so soundly in my life.. It must've been the storm.. I didn't get to sleep until late.. I must've been more tired than I thought.."

"Remember to breathe, Carter." He shuffled his feet, suddenly uncomfortable. He was in her bedroom, for crying out loud, and she was still in bed and looked so warm and soft.. "Hammond'll be okay, the debriefing was rescheduled for 1100 hours. Me and Daniel will be waiting in the kitchen with a strong cup of coffee when you're ready so.. Take your time."

He sauntered as casually as he could out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him to give her some privacy and to put something solid between them.

~#~

By 1100 hours, the four members of SG-1 were assembled in the briefly room. General Hammond greeted them with a curt nod as he took his seat, his gaze lingering on Major Carter for just a second longer than normal.

"Now that we're all here, perhaps we can get this briefing started. Doctor Jackson," the General didn't pause to give Sam time to apologise or to explain. "You said in your report that P7R928 would be an ideal destination for SG-1's next mission?"

Daniel hesitated for a split second, glancing at Sam's downcast expression before answering General Hammond's question. "Yes, Sir. SG-5 went to P7R928 a week ago and came back with some interesting photographs of the remains of a settlement found a few miles away from the Stargate. I've studied the pictures over the last few days and believe the settlement might be Ancient in origin. There were some carvings on what's left of the walls and the writing vaguely resembles that we found on P3R272.."

She tried to stay focused on the briefing but Daniel's words went over her head, as did the General's questions and the Colonel's occasional comments. Her head felt heavy, a dull ache beginning in her temples and spreading across to the rest of her mind. Their voices grew fainter, sounding as though they were coming at her from a great distance.

A cold sweat broke out across her forehead and her hands grew clammy as her fingers dug into her legs through the material of her pants.

One face appeared in her mind, one voice calling to her. Calling for help.

Teal'c was the first to notice her laboured breathing and the sheen of sweat that had gathered on her face. "Major Carter," he began, his voice cutting into and rising above Daniel's speech. "Are you unwell?"

She could feel them watching her and opened her mouth to speak but the red lights started to flash before she could. Sam was on her feet in an instant, her eyes wide and fearful.

The other members of SG-1 and General Hammond had no choice but to follow her as she quickly made her way down from the briefing room, into the control room and down further to the same level as the gateroom.

"It's the Tok'ra, Sir," the technician on duty called out as General Hammond and Colonel O'Neill reached the control room.

"Open the iris," General Hammond ordered, exchanging a look with the Colonel as they started down the steps in Major Carters trail. "Another vision, Colonel?" He asked quietly, not wanting to let anyone who didn't already know about the Major's ability find out.

"Could be, Sir." Jack frowned and his brow furrowed in concern. "She's been preoccupied all morning but she didn't say anything about having a.. About having seen something."

They reached the gateroom in time to see the Tok'ra Malek walk down the ramp with another Tok'ra they didn't recognise. Malek stopped at the bottom, facing Sam, his expression sombre.

"It's my father, isn't it?" She spoke before he could, her hands clutched in front of her. "Something's happened to him, hasn't it?"

"Jacob Carter was injured on his last mission for the Tok'ra," Malek answered quietly. "Selmac has tried to heal him but his injuries are too severe, I am sorry." He stared from Sam's fallen face to the General and Colonel who had moved closer during his speech. "There is little more we can do for your father. He has requested that we taken you to him so that he may speak with you before.."

"Before he dies," Sam finished softly, lowering her gaze to the floor. She'd known that morning that someone she loved was in trouble, hadn't she? Before she'd fallen asleep for the second time? She'd known something.. Shaking herself mentally, she lifted her eyes until they met General Hammond's. "I have to go and see him, General."

"Understood, Major." He gave her a brisk nod, his hands clenching at his sides. "Colonel," turning to Jack, General Hammond broke eye contact with the Major, knowing how difficult it would be for her to keep herself together under the circumstances. "SG-1 will leave with Malek as soon as you're ready. And take Doctor Fraiser with you, she might be able to help.."

"Yes, Sir." Jack stood with his back as straight as it would go, acknowledging the General's words even though his gaze never strayed from the woman in front of him.

How much more could she go through before life broke her completely?

~#~

/part one

~#~

SG-1 were unusually quiet as they got ready in the locker room. Sam could occasionally feel the eyes of one of her teammates lingering on her but, whenever she turned to see who it was, they had glanced away and were all busy doing something else.

Teal'c was ready to leave first as was usual but because Jack and Sam both seemed to be taking their time, Daniel was ready second. He was prepared to wait for the command team of SG-1 but one look from Teal'c was enough to convince him that they should be left alone.

Following Teal'c out of the locker room, Daniel wasn't surprised to find Doctor Janet Fraiser standing outside waiting for them. Nor was he surprised when the doctor raised one delicate eyebrow when she noticed neither the Colonel nor the Major were behind them.

"They're still getting ready," Daniel answered her silent question, lifting a shoulder in a bewildered shrug. He watched as Teal'c moved to stand in front of the door, blocking Janet's way in. "Teal'c seems to think they need some time alone. To talk."

"Indeed." Teal'c crossed his arms across his chest and refused to move. He was tired of his friends keeping things from each other and knew Major Carter would be in need of a shoulder to lean on in the face of what was to come. It made sense to him that O'Neill should be the person to offer his shoulder.

Inside the room, Sam was growing increasingly distracted. She gave up trying to get her boot on and let her head fall forward into her hands. Her eyes slid shut only for her to open them again when she sensed movement… just seconds before feeling her foot being taken from the boot she'd spent five minutes trying to put on.

"Wrong foot," Jack explained, gently lifting the right foot and easing it into the boot. With the tenderness born from experience as a father, the Colonel tied her laces and then turned his attention on her other foot.

The care with which he completed the task was her undoing. She sniffed and lifted a hand to wipe hurriedly at her cheek. When that same hand was laid to rest on the bench once more, Jack covered it with his own.

"I'm okay," she muttered, her suspiciously bright eyes lowered to their semi-joined hands.

"You don't have to lie to me, Carter." His fingers wrapped around hers as he moved to sit beside her. "It's okay to be scared. You don't have to be strong all the time."

In response to his words, Sam gave a short, humourless bark of laughter. "Yes I do. It's how I was brought up."

A small silence fell between them. Jack didn't know what to say and nothing he could think of would do any good. For a few moments he felt uncomfortable and wished he'd never attempted comforting her. Then she tried pulling her hand away and he moved to stop her.

His arms slid around her shoulders of their own accord, drawing her to him. At first she resisted, a hand going to his chest to try and push him away but then a sob broke free from her throat and she went to him willingly, returning the embrace.

"I can't lose him," she murmured brokenly, her breath warm against the bare skin of his neck. "He's all I have left."

"You have me." His whispered words were so quiet he doubted she heard him so he raised his voice as he continued. "You have us. Always."

"It's not the same." Pulling back, Sam wiped her eyes and blinked back tears she hadn't let fall. "There's so much I have to tell him, Colonel. There's still so many things we haven't said that we need to."

"There's plenty of time for you to do that." Jack spoke with a decisive air, getting to his feet and tugging on her hand until she followed him. "Dad's going to be okay, Carter. We'll make sure of it."

Although it was an empty promise and they both knew it, the sentiment behind it was appreciated. Sam gave him a small smile of thanks and impulsively took a step forward. She leaned in and let her lips brush against his cheek, freezing a few inches away when she realised what she'd done.

A warm flush crept up her neck and settled in her cheeks. She opened her mouth to apologise but he stopped her, a hand rising to touch her cheek.

Brown eyes burned into blue.

"Teal'c, this is beyond a joke." The sharp tone of Doctor Fraiser cut through the tension and brought the moment to an end. "You can't stand there forever. Who's to say they don't want to come out?"

They took a step back from each other just as the door opened, wearing matching rueful expressions. Whether it was because of what they’d almost done, or because what they’d almost done had been interrupted, neither was entirely sure.

Smiling encouragingly, Janet moved to stand beside her friend, oblivious to what she'd unwittingly interrupted. She put a supportive hand on Sam's arm. "It's time to go, Sam," she told her softly, her eyes full of sympathy.

All traces of the smile that had been on her face minutes before vanished as reality kicked in.

Time to go to her father.

Time to say goodbye.

~#~

Malek and his companion led them through the Stargate, avoiding all attempts at small talk. Daniel soon gave up on trying to engage either Tok'ra in conversation, following them through with a sigh. Janet and Sam went through behind him, the two women keeping in close proximity to each other. Janet stayed close to Sam to offer her silent support, Sam stayed close to Janet to make sure the Doctor didn't trip or fall during the journey to the other side as it wasn't often her friend got to travel through the Stargate itself.

Jack and Teal'c followed at a slightly slower rate, pausing to nod to General Hammond. Teal'c glanced at the Colonel out of the corner of his eye, noting the soldier's stance and deciding it was a good thing he'd given the Colonel and the Major some time alone.

Something had happened and he was certain it was something good.

In hindsight, the Jaffa wished he and O'Neill had preceded their teammates through the Stargate. Perhaps then it would have been different.

Perhaps then it wouldn't have all gone downhill.

The Tok'ra who met them on the other side were familiar faces. Anise stood talking with Malek and Mai'lan, the Tok'ra who had travelled to Earth not so long ago with Jacob Carter, greeted Malek's companion with a polite nod.

"Major Carter," Anise/Freya took a step forward and gave them all a glance, her gaze settling on Sam. She lowered her head in sympathy and the host spoke softly. "Anise and I would like to express our sadness that this has come to pass. Please, if you come with us we will take you to your father. I fear that he does not have long."

"Would it be okay if I accompanied Major Carter and yourself?" Janet asked quickly, pasting a smile on her face as the female Tok'ra turned to her. It was no secret she and Anise had clashed on more than one occasion but, since they needed the Tok'ra, Janet forced herself to smile and at least put up the pretence of being pleased to see her. "I'd like to take a look at Jacob. Maybe there's something I can suggest."

For a split-second, Freya was silent. She exchanged a glance with Malek and then her eyes flashed as Anise took over. "That will be permitted. We have tried all we know, Doctor Fraiser, so it is doubtful you can help."

"But if you can, we will appreciate it," Malek added with a dark look at the female Tok'ra. "Jacob Carter and Selmac are valued most highly amongst us. If you can help them, we will welcome your expertise most gladly."

Janet felt the smile slip a little but forced it to stay fixed on her face. She gave Sam's arm a quick squeeze and started after Anise when the Tok'ra began to walk away. Taking one step forward to join her friend, Sam paused and glanced over her shoulder at her friends, her eyes locking with Jack's.

"It'll be okay, Major," he told her quietly, forcing a reassuring smile on his face though he knew she'd notice when it didn't reach his eyes. "We'll catch up with you later."

With a nod, Sam squared her shoulders and quickened her pace to catch up with Janet and Anise. Jack, Teal'c and Daniel watched the two women disappear from sight beyond the blue crystal walls.

They had no way of knowing how much later it would be.

~#~

The further they travelled through the maze of tunnels, the more ill at ease she got. Janet couldn't help but notice the whispering their arrival had caused. The Tok'ra they passed stared at them speculatively. They seemed on edge. Nervous. There was something in their eyes when they looked at her but how was she to know what they were planning? How could she have guessed at the secret hiding behind the crystal walls?

"Janet? You okay?" Sam kept her voice down to a whisper, leaning in when she felt the doctor shiver. "I know it's strange," she continued companionably, "but it's okay. They don't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Janet blinked and met her friend's gaze in surprise. "You mean it's always like this? You always cause such a stir?"

"The Tok'ra find it hard to trust strangers," Sam replied quietly, smiling politely in passing at a small group of Tok'ra going the opposite way. "I don't know all of them and even fewer know who you are.. It's nothing to worry about, Janet. I promise."

"I believe you," Janet managed a smile and forced herself to push the negative thoughts she was having out of her mind, reminding herself of what her friend was going through. "Anise?" She called out softly, not wanting to draw too much attention to herself. "How much further is it?" She asked, noticing that the further away from the Stargate they got the quieter the tunnels became.

"We are almost there," Anise retorted with a brisk smile. "We did not want Jacob to be disturbed so we made sure he was settled in a room where he and Selmac could rest."

The Tok'ra led them down another tunnel and stopped at an arched doorway. She folded her hands in front of her and lowered her head. When she spoke again, Freya was back, the host sounding most apologetic. "Your father waits inside, Major Carter. Anise and I again would like you to know what we regret that this has happened. We had hoped there would be another way.."

It didn't strike her how strange Freya's words were until she'd stepped into the small room, eager to see her father. Seeing no one but a few unfamiliar Tok'ra, Sam turned to question her only to see Janet crumple to the floor after a lightening bolt of blue electricity struck her. Seconds later, Sam followed suit, sliding limply to the floor.

Anise stepped in behind them and gave a brisk nod to the two Tok'ra waiting inside. "Discard of the doctor for now but do not harm her. She may yet prove to be of some value to us." Moving over to Sam, the Tok'ra knelt beside her and smiled softly. "Ready the machine. We will begin soon."

~#~

For five minutes the male contingent of SG-1 walked behind Malek in silence. There wasn’t much to talk about. All three of them were preoccupied with thoughts of Sam and her father. It was hard for them to believe and accept that Jacob Carter was dying. That he wouldn't be there to contribute to the battle against the Goa'uld any longer.

"So, Malek," Jack quickened his pace and walked in step with the Tok'ra. "You haven't said exactly what Jacob was doing when he was.. injured?"

"It is classified as I'm sure you'll understand, Colonel." Malek didn't bother sparing him a glance or even pause in walking. He kept on going, staring straight ahead of him. "Your assigned quarters are this way. I hope you will be as comfortable as possible during your stay with us."

"Ah.." Daniel caught up with them, glancing quickly at Jack before responding to Malek's comment. "I'm sure we will be.. Malek, is something happening? There seems to be a lot of Tok'ra in this area.."

Malek merely smiled and nodded in acknowledgement at a Tok'ra they passed. "It is nothing for you to be alarmed by. We have several prisoners held in this area. Security has been increased in order to keep them here for further interrogation."

Alarm bells started going off in his head. "Prisoners? *Goa'uld* prisoners?"

"No." Malek turned to them, stopping outside a room with two Tok'ra standing guard outside. "Tok'ra and Tau'ri prisoners." He barked an order in a language none of them could understand and Daniel and Jack found themselves being held back by two Tok'ra as Teal'c was shot by a zat gun. The three of them were then pushed into the room the Tok'ra had been guarding and an energy field was activated, sealing the entrance behind them.

"I do hope you are comfortable here." Malek gave them a patronising smile from the doorway. "Though it depends on Major Carter's co-operation of how comfortable we'll help you be."

Jack lunged at the doorway as the Tok'ra stepped back, cursing when he was pushed backwards with a small electric shock.

"It's no good, Jack," a weak voice from the darkened corner of the room said before the Colonel could try it again. "The more you try to get passed it, the stronger it will become. The shock will eventually kill you and you'll be no use to Sam then."

"Jacob!" Jack and Daniel moved over to the corner, both wincing at the sight of the older man in a crumpled heap.

Jacob Carter was leaning heavily against the wall, his lip cut and stained with dried blood, a still weeping jagged cut across his forehead, stopping just above his eyebrow. And those were just the visible injuries – the internal ones were a whole lot worse if the pained expression on his face was anything to go by.

"I take it there was no mission?" Jack sighed and settled himself down on the floor beside Jacob, leaving Daniel to tend to Teal'c as the Jaffa stirred, signalling his return to consciousness. At the befuddled look on the Tok'ra's face, Jack sighed again and readied himself to explain. "Malek came through the Stargate this morning. Said you'd been seriously injured on a mission, that it was fatal yadda, yadda, yadda. He said Selmac couldn't save you and that you wanted to speak to Sam before you.. died."

"I may still make that request," Jacob murmured, his breath coming out in short, uneven bursts. "It's not good, Jack. Selmac is doing all she can but.." His eyes suddenly widened, his hand reaching out to grip the Colonel’s arm. "Sam! We have to get to Sam! They're.. She's.. Sam!"

His head slumped, his eyes rolling backwards. For several seconds, there was nothing. Then he inhaled sharply, his head lifting as his eyes flashed.

"Jacob is very ill, Colonel O'Neill. I am doing all I can to lower his fever and stem the bleeding inside." Selmac spoke slowly, weakened by the attempts made to save her host. "It does not help that he is so preoccupied with helping Samantha. He has good reason to be afraid for her safety, Colonel. They plan to force her to use her abilities to help them. It will not be pleasant for her, nor will it be safe. I doubt they will concern themselves with her well-being."

"Who did this to you, Selmac?" Daniel questioned from where he sat with Teal'c. "And how are they going to force Sam..?"

Selmac heaved a deep, raspy sigh. "The Tok'ra.. the young ones.. They are responsible for this. When Jacob and I returned with news of Samantha Carter's decision, they were not happy. There was a great debate that was taken to the High Council. The younger of our kind decided the information was important enough to be taken by force. When we objected, we were subjected to this. I am not the only Tok'ra to protest, Colonel, you must not think we are all your enemies now. The Tok'ra have become divided, old against young. The others like me are also kept prisoner here though I expect they weren't all subjected to this torture. Jacob and myself were most.. passionate.. in our protests that Samantha Carter should not be harmed."

"So.. the 'young' Tok'ra have decided it'd be more fun being Goa'ulds?" Jack leaned his head back against the wall, regretting it when a pointy bit of crystal wall dug into his scalp. "That's great. Just great. What are they going to do to Carter, Selmac? You seem to know what's going on here.."

"They plan to use the memory recall device to see what she sees." It was Jacob who spoke, taking them by surprise. The bitterness in his voice was outweighed only by the fear. "They're going to force her to see the future, to see their future. And if they don't like it, they'll try to change it and then force her to see it again and again until it's one they're happy with."

"But they might never be happy with it," Daniel murmured softly. "There's nothing to say they'll ever defeat the Goa'uld, especially not if the Tok'ra are divided.. Your allies won't support them like this, will they? Earth won't, neither will the Nox.. If they keep forcing Sam to conjure visions of the future.. They could kill her. Using her ability that much, mixed with Tok'ra technology.."

"It could cause serious brain damage, I know," Jacob broke in, closing his eyes against the sheen of tears in them. Against the regret. "If they let it get that far. They might decide she's lying to them.. They might decide to dispose of her themselves."

His hands clenched into fists and ground his teeth. 'Not going to happen,' Jack told himself silently. 'Never going to happen.'

"Then we must ensure it does not come to that," Teal'c spoke for him, his expression one of ruthless determination. "We will destroy the Tok'ra before they can destroy Major Carter."

Teal'c's words were more than a statement or a fact. It was a promise, a promise they were all determined to keep.

Even Jacob, a man who had more than once chosen his new people over his daughter.

A father who would do anything to save the life of his daughter, even if it cost him his own.

~#~

/part two

~#~

"Focus, Major Carter." Anise stood with Malek at her side, staring at the screen showing what Sam was thinking. She was growing increasingly frustrated as the Major continued to resist. "Show us the future you see for us and we'll let you go. We'll let your friends go, let your father.."

The screen flickered and her father appeared on screen. A much younger Jacob Carter walked through a door with a bag in each hand. A blond blur ran towards him and the bags were soon forgotten, dropping to the floor as he embraced her.

Christmas Eve. One Sam remembered fondly. She forced the image to replay over and over, clinging to it as she remembered her father flying home to be with his family, surprising them all. She'd been four years old that Christmas. It had been one of the best Christmases she'd ever had.

Almost of its own accord, the screen flickered as her eyes slid shut, a vision taking centre stage even as she fought to push it away. 'No,' she thought angrily, 'don't let them see.'

But they did.

There was a little girl with dark blond hair, sitting forlornly in front of an open fire. Beside her was a Christmas tree, beautifully decorated with lovingly wrapped presents in all shapes and sizes underneath. Sam saw herself in the reflection of the mirror above the fireplace, swallowing impulsively at the sight of her own rounded stomach.

He was late. Something had come up and he wouldn't be making it home to say goodnight to her daughter on Christmas Eve.

Then she heard the door open, heard a dog bark.. A bundle of chocolate-brown fur ran up to the little girl, tail wagging joyously as it licked her enthusiastically, drawing shrieks and giggles from the smiling child.

Daddy was home, he'd made it. Just like he'd promised.

The vision ended before he could put in an appearance, much to Sam's relief. She didn't know for sure who 'he' was but the last thing she wanted was to give the Tok'ra anything new to use against her although she knew Anise would suspect, given that the Tok'ra had been there when..

'Don't go there,' Sam told herself, screwing her eyes shut and gritting her teeth, her hands clutching the arms of the chair. 'Do *not* go there.'

She forced her mind away from the subject and concentrated hard on keeping any further visions at bay. She could understand why they wanted to know what she could see but she didn't understand why they wouldn't listen to her when she tried telling them what she saw wasn't necessarily what would happen.

On four occasions, her visions had proved to be wrong. The Colonel and Cassandra Fraiser were alive when by all accounts they shouldn't be. Fair enough, she'd changed the events on those occasions, as she had when she'd seen Janet die but hadn't she witnessed her own death instead? Wasn't she still alive? And just now, she'd seen her daughter. Hadn't she once had a vision showing her eldest child would be a boy, that she'd have a son and twin girls?

Nothing was certain, nothing was unchangeable. Why couldn't the Tok'ra accept that and let her go?

"It is not working, Anise," Malek muttered darkly, loud enough for Sam to hear. "The others will want answers soon.."

"Increase the power and set it to its highest levels," Anise instructed, her fingers flying over the small display in front of her.

Malek glanced from her to the console in front of them. "It is too dangerous, Anise. We have never set it so high.. Trying to manipulate and control a Tau'ri brain to such an extent.."

"It may result in irreversible damage, I know, but it will be worth it to get an advantage over the Goa'uld." Anise glared at him, daring him to argue. "She is resisting at this level, Malek. If we do not increase our control and weaken her state of mind, she will continue to resist." A snide smile curled up the corner of her mouth. "If it results in her death we will at least be able to study the phenomena behind her ability. Perhaps we will understand it so that we can recreate it in one of our own.."

"You're no better than the Goa'uld," Sam spat out from where she was bound to the chair, breaking her silence to voice her disgust at their antics. "You convince yourself you're better than them, that you're worthier and deserve to defeat them for the good of the universe but you're just like them. Colonel O'Neill was right. You're all snakes. You're all the same."

Knowing she expected anger, Anise settled for a condescending smile, cranking up the level of control over Sam's thoughts as she replied. "Then you are no better than the Goa'uld also, Major Carter. You supplied us with hosts. You gave your own father to our cause, mourned the loss of one of us.."

"Selmac is nothing like you and neither was Martouf," Sam bit out, her fingers turning white under the pressure of gripping the leather arms. "You think of yourselves first and foremost. Selmac and Lantesh and those like them are nothing like you. They fight for freedom for all, not for the power and control winning could give them.."

"You are wrong, Major Carter," Anise replied scathingly. "Everyone fights for what they can gain from winning. Your people are no different."

"My people want to save themselves from the Goa'uld. They don't want to become them." Sam winced at the stab of pain that sliced through her mind from the device embedded in her temple, clenching her jaw as she felt something fight its way through the defences she'd built up against her visions and the invading machine. She hadn't known Tok'ra technology could be used so forcefully, she didn't know the person operating it could control what the person on the other end was thinking. She decided it must've been a new development, maybe one designed to torture prisoners. Maybe one Anise had devised to use on her.

Malek cast Anise a warning glance the female Tok'ra chose to ignore. "What will be the outcome of our war with the Goa'uld? Will we win? How many casualties will we suffer? Where will we have our final battle with the Goa'uld?"

The barrage of questions was too much for her. That and the electronic jolt probing her mind and forcing her to not only allow the vision but also to try and make it come.

A scene played out on the attached screen. Anise, Malek and the other so-called Tok'ra were running around in the underground tunnels, shouting at each other, ducking to avoid lumps of crystal that rained down upon them as the tunnels shook. They were under attack.

"The Stargate is still engaged! We cannot escape that way!" A nameless Tok'ra called out as he dived to avoid a particularly large piece of crystal that landed where he had been standing several seconds before.

Obviously injured, Anise shouted to be heard above the chaos caused by the attack, blood running from the corner of her mouth down her chin. "There must be another way! We could use the ring device to get to the surface.."

"The surface is controlled by Jaffa. We would be dead or captured within minutes!" The Tok'ra yelled back, stumbling to his feet and running towards her. "Our only option is to..-" Whatever he had been about to say was cut off as a section of wall fell on top of him, crushing him to the floor before he had a chance to scream in pain.

Anise stared in horrified shock for several moments, watching as a dark cloud descended down on them from the hole where the wall used to be. She clutched at her throat, her fingernails scratching at her skin. The mist filtered further, down and along the tunnels. She tried to inhale to get some air into her struggling lungs but only managed to breathe in more poison, leading her to her death a few seconds sooner.

"No!" Anise shouted, hitting the console in front of her forcing the screen to go black. "That is not true! You are lying to us! You are deceiving us in the mistaken belief that we will let you go!"

"I can't control it," Sam seethed through ground teeth, her fingernails biting into the arms of the chair. The force of her grip hurt but it was a welcome distraction from the pain inside her head. A distraction from thoughts of being violated by a second time by these people. "You're the one who's controlling what's on screen. Not me."

Before Anise could decide on a suitable retort, Malek intervened and reached passed her to shut off the machine. He held his hand up to keep her from protesting, fixing his gaze on the human in the chair, obviously struggling to keep her discomfort to herself.

"We can continue this later," he explained softly to his colleague. "If what we saw is true we must report it to the others. If we can think of a way to avoid it, next time we see what is planned for us we should see something different. If we do not, we will know she has lied to us." He reached out and took Anise's arm when she moved to switch the machine back on. "It can be a test, Anise, of whether her ability was exaggerated or not. If it proves she tells the truth, we can keep going, changing what she sees, until we are happy with the outcome."

Momentarily satisfied, Anise let him lead her away, casting a backwards glance over her shoulder at where Sam was still bound to the chair. Her eyes glittered deviously, her smile smug.

Shifting in the seat in a futile attempt at getting comfortable, Sam watched them leave, waiting until she was alone and the energy field at the door was reactivated before letting her shoulders slump and her guard come down.

If they were going to keep going until they saw something they liked, she prayed they would see something they approved of soon. Her head was pounding like it never had before, her hands shook with the effort at staying calm and her chest hurt as she forced herself to inhale deeply.

She didn't need to be a doctor to know what they were doing to her wasn't good. She didn't need to be able to see herself to know she looked terrible. She could sense it, could see it.

She wouldn't live through many more forced visions.

~#~

She woke up with a groan, in the centre of a round room where the only source of light filtered in through the open doorway. She lifted a trembling hand up to her head, wincing in pain when her fingers came into contact with something warm and sticky at her hairline.

Withdrawing her hand, she squinted at the dark substance staining her fingers and felt her stomach turn when she realised it was blood.

When had that happened?

No, scratch that. *What* had happened?

Janet shuffled back until she was leaning against the wall, closing her eyes wearily. She remembered following Sam into the room to see Jacob… Remembered seeing a look of alarm on Sam's face and then.. what?

Blackness.

A brief period of waking up, staring up at a ceiling, wondering what was going on. Then someone realised she was awake and the blackness came again.

Her head hurt, and she was so tired..

A yawn escaped her even as her eyes snapped open.

"Can't sleep," she murmured to herself, forcing her eyes to remain open, fixing them onto the entrance opposite. "Might have concussion, have to stay awake."

The empty doorway taunted her, tempted her. She wanted to go over to it, to try and go through it, but a little voice at the back of her head chided her for being so stupid. They were prisoners, weren't they? Why would they leave a doorway unguarded and open if there wasn't something else keeping her from escaping?

'Some kind of energy,' she mused, eyeing the arch warily. 'Something I can't see but I'll know is there the moment I touch it.'

Deciding it wasn't worth the risk to see if her theory was right, Janet shuffled further back, shifting until her legs were folded in front of her. She forced her mind from thinking about her friends, telling herself that they'd be okay and that the only thing she had to worry about was staying comfortable and calm until help came.

She made a mistake.

A big mistake.

~#~

The Tok'ra conferred for over an hour, possibly nearer two. Sam was allowed to rest as much as she could in that time, her head slumping forward her as her eyes resisted her attempts at staying open.

She was dozing fitfully, trying to ignore the dull ache in her head, when they came back. Only Anise returned, a smile on her face as she retook her position behind the console and stared at the Major, waiting for the Tau'ri woman to return her gaze.

It took a great deal of effort but Sam eventually managed to lift her head and meet Anise's sly expression with an icy glare.

"Do not worry, Major Carter." Anise crossed her arms and perched on the stool behind the console. "We will not force you to see our future again." Her smile grew at the look of surprise on Sam's face and she corrected herself with an amused laugh, "at least not yet. We thought we would show you that we are serious about our expectations of you first. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to your teammates to keep them here and not include them in our experiments."

"Experiments?" Sam itched to fold her arms across her chest defiantly but had to settle for continuing to glare instead. "I thought all you were interested in is finding out if how you can increase your chances of living and defeating the Goa'uld."

Tilting her head in acquiescence, Anise responded with another smile, a slightly harder smile, accompanied by an edge in her voice. "That was and still is my main ambition, yes. But Malek has convinced me and the others that we shouldn't force you to focus entirely on our future. It may result in you giving us inaccurate information, after all. So in the meantime, we're going to experiment on what causes and affects your visions. We thought that by introducing your teammates one by one, we could monitor if your visions were connected to them, whether they're all negative or if some are positive.. Whether we can get you to summon visions of the past as well as the future."

"I'm not going to get a say in any of this, am I?" It was a rhetorical question, one that had Sam lowering her head against the pain she knew was coming her way. "You're going to use that machine to manipulate what I'm thinking, to choose what you see." Lifting her head again, she stared in absolute disgust at the woman sitting opposite her. "How do you know what you're seeing is real and not something created by the orders you're sending through that machine? How do you know you're not manipulating my ability so it shows you what you want to see?"

"I think our earlier experience discounts that theory, don't you?" Anise's eyes turned to steel, her expression hardening as she, too, remembered the scene that had played out on screen, remembering how real it had seemed. Too real. "We would not encourage you to see our demise in that fashion, Major. And you're mistaken if you believe I control what you show us through this device. I merely make it easier for your visions to appear, shutting down your brains natural defences, breaking through the efforts you make to stop them from coming." She stood and wandered around the console, moving to stand in front of it so there was less distance between the two of them. "I have to ask, Major, out of curiosity. Why do you resist your abilities? If I were you, I would embrace them and the freedom they gave me to shape my own future. I would take advantage of it to change the things I disliked to my satisfaction."

"That just goes to show how different we are," Sam commented softly, seeing the intrigue in the Tok'ra's eyes and hating it. At one time, perhaps she would have understood and shared the curiosity, wondered about the ins and outs of the ability and why the owner didn't use it in that way. She hated that if it were someone else other than her she would be as intrigued as the Tok'ra. "You know what it's like to see yourself die. That, and seeing your friends suffering before they, too, die is not something I'd wish on anybody. You don't seem to understand what it's like to watch it and know that in a lot of cases you won't be able to prevent it. You can't always change it, Anise. You can hate what you see and want to stop it but sometimes you can't. You just have to live with knowing what's going to happen, knowing there's nothing you can do."

Spinning on her heel, Anise returned to her place on the stool, her eyes flashing in anger and denial. "I do not believe it. If you have enough time, you can change anything. Perhaps you don't try as much as you should. Maybe that's why there are some things you say you can't fix. Because you give up too easily."

"I wish that were the case," Sam said quietly, seeing and understanding the brief flicker of fear in the other woman's eyes. "I wish everything I see could be changed by force of will but that's just not how it is."

"Maybe that is so," the voice from the doorway had both Tau'ri and Tok'ra glancing towards it. Malek stood there with Mai'lan, his mouth twisted into a wry grin. They held Jacob Carter between them, taking pleasure in the look of horror that played across Sam's face at the sight of seeing them holding her father up. "But you will have to prove it to be so before we believe you."

None-too-gently, the two Tok'ra half-carried, half-dragged Jacob over to his daughter, dropping him unceremoniously at her feet before backing off to stand beside Anise, a Zat gun in Mai'lan's hand just in case the elder Tok'ra worked up the strength to move on his own.

"Dad?" Her voice was barely a whisper, so hoarse and strained at her father's defeated form. "Are you okay?"

It took what felt like a whole minute for Jacob to muster the strength to move his head, looking up at her with haunted eyes. "I'm sorry, Sam," was all he could say to her, his eyes shimmering in the dim light of the room. "I'm so sorry."

~#~

/part three

~#~

Pacing was the only thing he could do. It was what was expected of him. He paced, Daniel tried to think of a reason why the Tok'ra would have taken Jacob and Teal'c.. Well, Teal'c occasionally paced, occasionally thought about why the Tok'ra would want to separate them from Jacob Carter but mainly thought about how to rescue Major Carter and exact his revenge against them if they'd hurt her.

"We need to get out of here." Daniel said suddenly, earning a glare from Jack and a look that passed as being exasperated from Teal'c. "Okay, so that's obvious but I think I've figured out what they want with Jacob."

"They want to beat the crap out of him for not handing his daughter over to them. Again." Jack rolled his eyes, impatience coming off him in waves. "And yes, Daniel, it is obvious we need to get out of here. What's not obvious is how we get out, find Carter and Doc and Jacob if he's not brought back and then get to the Stargate without them knowing about it."

His shoulders slumping, Daniel gripped his hands together and stared down at them, clenching his jaw against the retort that rose up in his throat. He understood Jack's anger and the motivation behind it and knew sarcasm would do nothing to help the situation. The words fire and oil sprang to mind. "For Sam's sake, we have to get out of here soon. I think they've taken Jacob to blackmail her into telling them or giving them what they want. It won't be good for her or for Jacob. Or us. Hopefully General Hammond will realise something's wrong and send someone through after us."

"I do not believe he will," Teal'c responded immediately, glancing up from where he had been attempting to Kel'No'Reem. "General Hammond will see no cause for concern. He will expect us to be some time as he believes Major Carter is saying goodbye to her father."

"T's right." Jack sank to the floor, gritting his teeth against the coldness that spread through him when he sat down. "The General won't rush her. He'll probably be taking some time himself. He and Jake were.. are.. old friends. They go back a while."

Momentary silence fell over them. Daniel shifted uncomfortably, his gaze fixed on his hands as he spoke. "It doesn't look good for him, does it? I mean.. He's hurt already and if they've taken him to make Sam cooperate.."

"He's going to be okay, Daniel. He's got Selmac to help him." Jack gingerly let his head fall back against the wall, checking first to see if there were any jagged bits. "And we'll be fine and Carter.. She'll be okay. Doc, too, wherever she is. Probably with Carter. We've been in worse situations before and we got out of them in one piece.. Or a few pieces Doc was able to put back together. We'll get out of this."

"Optimistic words considering the circumstances." Mai'lan stood outside of the archway, holding Jacob up by the shoulders. "I would not be so confident were I in your position."

The energy field blocking the door was dropped. Mai'lan stepped forward and let Jacob's prone form fall to the floor. He turned towards the exit as Teal'c took his chance, getting to his feet and lunging for the Tok'ra.

Unfortunately, the two Tok'ra who were stationed at the entrance of the room reacted quickly. One reached out and grabbed Mai'lan, the other reactivated the shield seconds before Teal'c crashed into it, smirking as the Jaffa fell to the ground, his body shuddering at the jolt of electricity that went through him.

"For that, you will be next." Mai'lan glared at the Jaffa, turning on his heel and stalking away.

Crouching on the floor beside Teal'c, Jack threw a concerned glance in Daniel's direction as the younger man checked for Jacob's pulse. There were no new external injuries but it was clear whatever the Tok'ra had been through had taken its toll on him.

"Next for what?" Daniel wondered aloud with a grimace as Jack helped Teal'c to his feet and moved to crouch beside the fallen Tok'ra.

Jack didn't have an answer for him, nor did Teal'c. The only person who did was lying in a heap on the floor, unable to help them even if he was conscious.

~#~

The dim light of the room shone down on her bent neck, glinting off her hair. Anise and Malek watched her for a few minutes before leaving her alone, satisfied stage one in their plan had been successful.

Tears coursed down her cheeks but she refused to make a sound. It was bad enough that she couldn't wipe away the evidence of her weakness, that she hadn't been able to keep them at bay.

It had been horrible to see her father so broken and lost. Heartbreaking to see the pain in his eyes as the screen had filled with visions of his most painful moments, as the Tok'ra exploited his memories to hurt him. To hurt her. To break his daughter just as they'd broken him.

She had known it was going to be bad when the first question Anise had asked was about her Mom. Her father had stayed thinking about her mother's death. He must have. The images that had entertained the Tok'ra weren't simply her memories of that day. They were her fathers; passed onto her through the ability she would do anything to be free of.

They had both been forced to watch as Jacob had approached the scene of the accident. He slowed the car down, his heart pounding in his chest. Sam could not only see the fear and apprehension in his face but she could feel it. She could feel everything he'd felt at that moment it scared her more than she thought anything could.

Both father and daughter could do nothing but relive that terrible day. Sam tried to look away but found she couldn't; her eyes remained glued to the screen, on what she knew were her mother's last moments alive.

Her father pulled over and turned off the engine. He got out of the car and walked slowly towards the wreckage, his eyes fixed on the wrangled remains of the yellow cab. A driver was pulled from the other car but he didn't notice, his attention focused solely on the yellow cab.

"Driver's drunk," one police officer was heard saying to another. "Hope he feels happy when he's sober. The other two aren't going to make it."

Continuing towards the cab, Jacob stopped as a stretcher was lifted from the ground beside it. The woman on it turned her head as much as the neck brace allowed, almost like she sensed he was there. Her gaze met his and he charged forward, staring in surprise at the bulky officer who moved to stand in his way.

"That's my wife," was all he said.

Head lowered, the officer stepped aside. Jacob continued on, falling to his knees at his wife's side as the paramedics lowered the stretcher to the ground, shaking their heads sadly. There was nothing they could do.

"Megan.." He reached out to her with a hand that was anything but steady, gently moving a lock of hair back from her face, unwittingly smearing blood from a cut on her forehead across her face.

"I waited.. I thought you'd forgotten.." Megan Carter stared up at him with dazed eyes, a sad smile playing about her lips. "Should've known you'd show.."

"Always happens when you least expect it." His attempt at humour fell flat. His wife coughed violently, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She winced in pain, her face losing even more of its colour. "Just hang in there, Megs. It's gonna be okay. You'll be okay."

Megan shook her head the best she could, moving her hand to grip his. "It's not going to be okay, Jake. Not this time. Tell the kids.. Tell them I love them. Don't let them forget me, Jacob. Don't let them forget their Mom loved them. Don't forget I love you.."

"I'll never forget, Megs, I'll never let them forget." A tear fell from his eye and landed on her cheek with a splash, joining those that ran freely down her face. "I love you, Megan. I'll always love you. *Always*."

A weak smile was her only response. Her hand tightened on his and her eyes widened briefly before her hand went limp, her eyes sliding shut. Shaking his head wordlessly, Jacob clutched her to him by her shoulders, willing the life to return to her body.

It never happened.

The scene that played out afterwards was one Sam knew only too well as it belonged to her. It was her memory of her father telling her about her mother's death, followed immediately by the conversation they'd had after her funeral about whether it was his fault and why her brother thought it was.

Sam couldn't cope anymore and broke the connection between herself and the images playing out at that time. She stared at her father as he sobbed silently beside her, his hands shielding his bruised face from her gaze.

"I'm so sorry, Sam." His words had been muffled by his hands but she had heard them as clearly as if he'd shouted. "I'm so sorry, Sammie. I killed your Mom. It's my fault she's dead."

"No, Dad, you didn't." She wanted to touch him, to reassure him. She'd tried to and got an unwelcome reminder in return that she couldn't. "You didn't kill her. It was an accident, Dad. You didn't make her catch a cab. You said you'd pick her up and you went. She.. She should have waited for you."

Jacob let his hands fall from his face then, gazing at her with soulless eyes. "I killed your mother, Sam. I killed Megan."

"And one day you will join her," Malek spoke up, an unpleasant reminder of the situation they were in. "Perhaps you'd like to show us how, Major Carter. Just how is your father going to die?"

Her mind was weak, her defences broken completely. She had closed her eyes then in an attempt at blocking the vision she could sense coming but it was a task she failed at. She didn't know exactly what the Tok'ra machine had done to her but she knew it made her attempts at blocking her ability nearly impossible and made it easier to summon visions – the mere suggestion was enough and she hoped that was something that would wear off once – if – she was released from Tok'ra captivity.

She didn't have to open her eyes to see what she was keeping Anise and Malek captivated. She could see it clearly inside her head in all its surround-sound glory.

The blue crystal of the Tok'ra tunnels was instantly recognisable. As were the people with him. Sam's heart clenched at the sight of her teammates, not liking what it meant for her father. Daniel and Teal'c were sitting together, talking quietly, looking uncomfortable. The Colonel sat with her Dad, supporting him the best he could.

"Hold on, Jacob." The Colonel shared a worried look with Daniel, looking as though he wished the older man were capable of following the order. "We'll get out of here soon. Carter's probably cooking up some plan to get us home."

Her heart had broken once again at that. In other circumstances, the faith her teammates had in her would have left her feeling warm and comforted. In these circumstances, it left her feeling cold and guilty. If they were depending on her to somehow rescue them they'd be disappointed. She was replying on it to be the other way around, hoping they'd somehow escape and find her so they could all go home and her father could recover.

"Can't.." Her father's voice disturbed her thoughts. She'd opened her eyes to look at him only to realise that the voice belonged to the Jacob Carter in her vision rather than the one at her side. "Tell Sammie I'm sorry.." He moved his head, locking eyes with the Colonel, desperation clear in their depths. "If you get out of here, look after my daughter."

Colonel O'Neill swallowed audibly. "I'll do my best, Jacob."

His eyes flashed and Jacob was gone. "We will leave this place soon," Selmac said quietly. "I will ease Jacob into a deep sleep so he is spared the pain of our passing. Please, Colonel, when you are reunited with Samantha Carter, tell her that her father loves her very much, as do I."

"I'll tell her, Selmac." Jack grasped the older man's hand, at a loss of what to do.

There was nothing he could do to alter it. Selmac gave a small nod and leaned back against the wall. Jacob Carter's eyes slid closed for the last time and slowly, his breathing stopped.

He and Selmac were gone.

The pain that had ripped through her chest in that second was pure agony. "No," she whispered in anguish at the screen. She wanted to touch him, to reassure herself he was still there. She wanted him to open his arms and hug her like he had done when she was a child.. "Dad.. That's not going to happen. I swear to you, I'll do everything I can to make sure of it."

Her father met her gaze but his eyes were completely empty. He had already given up. He collapsed on the floor as blue electricity surrounded him. Sam lifted her head then and glared at Malek as the Tok'ra replaced his Zat. "That was completely unnecessary. He wasn't doing anything!"

"And now he won't be able to tell your friends what awaits them."

The screen faded to black as the memory ended. Sam wished she could cover her face, wished Anise had turned off the bloody machine so she didn't have an echo beside her. It was horrible to have to relieve those memories, even worse to have them on display for whoever walked by to see.

She screwed her eyes shut and willed the memories away to the back of her mind praying her father was okay.

Praying he was still alive.

~#~

Teal'c had no idea what to expect when he was taken by the Tok'ra. He tried to fight them, did his best to shake them off but there were two of them and only one of him. He had no choice but to let them lead him to Major Carter, telling himself it was a good thing. That he'd be able to see for himself how she was and report back to the others. He'd also be able to memorise where she was, just in case the opportunity to escape arose.

The moment he was shown into the room, Teal'c let his eyes fall on his teammate. He stopped moving and it wasn't until the Tok'ra pushed him forward that he started again. Sam glanced up and he felt his breath catch in his throat. He had never in all his years as her teammate seen her so vulnerable, so scared. He'd witnessed her break down, of sorts, twice before in two different ways. Once in the days following the death of Jolinar, when she'd tried to shut out everyone she loved and cared for. The other time was more recent, when she'd thought two of their teammates were lost to them for good.

"Major Carter," he began, taking a step towards her. He was prevented by the two Tok'ra who had led him to her and was turned to face Malek and Anise, the former whom had a Zat pointed in his direction. "What is the meaning of this?" He demanded, hands clenching into fists even as he was dragged backwards. "What do you hope to achieve?"

Anise gave him a slow smile. "You will soon discover for yourself why it is you have been brought to us." Her smile grew as he was ushered into a second chair on the other side of the screen to Major Carter and she then turned her attention to the Tau'ri woman. "Major Carter, you know what it is we want from you."

"No." The screen flickered but no clear picture formed. "Don't make me do this. Please don't make me do this."

"If you show us the true future of the Tok'ra, we will let you and your friends go," Anise gave her what passed for a sweet smile. "You can end this whenever you want to."

"You lie," Teal'c retorted with a glare at the Tok'ra. "You will not realise us if Major Carter shows you what you want to see. You will keep us here until we are no good to you."

Her face hardened. "Show us the future of the Tok'ra."

Sam threw her head back, shutting her eyes and clenching her jaw against the pain in her head. She wouldn't cry out. She wouldn't let them see how much it hurt her. She wouldn't let them defeat her as they had her father.

The screen flickered to life.

Malek appeared with two Tok'ra Sam had never seen before. They were obviously being help as prisoners, with heavy binds keeping them close together and making it impossible for them to move. They were at the window of a ship, staring down at a planet they seemed to recognise – one Anise recognised.

"Just think," a voice off screen said softly, the voice of a Goa'uld. "Just think of your fellow Tok'ra, hiding down there in your little rabbit holes. Do they think they're safe? Do they think you've won? It's pathetic that they have no idea how much danger they are facing at this very moment. Did you think that I would let your deeds go unpunished? That I would ignore the pain you have caused me to suffer?"

The Goa'uld laughed, a bitter, humourless laugh that made Sam shudder where she sat.

"If we had know that you chose your host.." he began, lowering his eyes so he wasn't looking directly at the Goa'uld.

"If you had known..?" She repeated his words in distain. "When you thought I was one of you, when you thought I would do as you ordered, you told me to do whatever necessary to destroy my host and all she held dear no matter who or what was sacrificed for the cause."

"We told you to kill her and if you'd followed orders, we wouldn't be here." The Tok'ra who said it didn't have time to regret it. The faceless Goa'uld dealt with him soon enough as he slid to the floor, a scream of agony having made it only halfway from his mouth before the breath from stolen from his body.

"You are pathetic," the Goa'uld repeated. "You should never have betrayed the others. You would have perhaps lived longer had you not." The Goa'uld moved away, they could hear footsteps echo around the room.

As they watched, the planet below was hit by a steady beam of energy. Several seconds after it ended, the planet started to expand and then in a second, had exploded into a ball of fire.

All those who lived upon it gone.

Malek and the remaining Tok'ra cried out in anguish, and then in pain..

.. And it ended.

Her face paler than Sam had ever seen, Anise sank down onto her stool, her legs too weak to support her. "I do not believe you, Major Carter. I believe you can manipulate your visions and share only the things you wish to. In order to test this theory.." Her eyes lit up but her expression was still strained. "Show us, how is the Jaffa Teal'c going to meet his end?"

A small whimper escaped her, and Sam screwed her eyes shut even tighter.

Teal'c sat wordlessly by her side throughout his final moments. He tried to reach out to her, to anchor her back to reality but was prevented by the strong leather binds keeping his arms at his sides. He ignored the sounds coming from the screen, ignored the image of himself struggling to breathe.

He knew what was killing him, could feel it already start to begin. His body relied on Tretonin. The longer he went without it, the weaker he would become.

"I'm sorry, Teal'c," Sam mumbled, lowering her head guiltily. "I'm so, so sorry."

"It is not your fault, Major Carter." He struggled against his captors as they undid the binds tying him down and dragged him to his feet. "You are not to blame for any of what has and will happen here. Do not forget that or let them convince you otherwise."

She didn't seem to hear him as silent tears ran down her face. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Teal'c. And Dad. Tell him I'm sorry, too."

Teal'c was dragged around from her with a heavy heart, wanting nothing more than to go back to her, free her from the machine causing her so much misery and carry her through the Stargate back to Earth. Take her somewhere safe where she could be pain free, where she could recover in peace.

He was escorted back to their holding cell and met the eyes of his concerned teammates, wishing he had better news to bring them. "At the first chance we get, we must leave this place. Major Carter will not last much longer under these conditions."

~#~

/part four

~#~

Go to What Hides Within, part two