Back to part one

=*=

His mind replayed the moment at least once every two minutes.

The shock on her face, the way she'd fallen.

The way she'd landed and stayed still.

He hadn't been able to see much more but his imagination filled in the gaps, supplied him with all of the gruesome details his heart desired.

There would have been a lot of blood, he decided, spilling out from her chest onto the pavement beneath her. A river almost, oozing from the cooling body spreading onto the concrete. He'd watched her friends approach, saw them kneel in it.

But it was too late.

They couldn't help her.

His orders had been followed and Sam Carter was dead.

He sat in his darkened office, the expression on his face one of peace. One of triumph.

Finally she was dead and he had his revenge.

Locksley propped his feet up on the desk and closed his eyes, picturing it again.

It had been so perfect, better than he'd imagined. Better than he'd planned. The anguish on his former colleagues faces, the fear in their voices as they'd tried to save her. The anger that had spread through them when their searches for the gunman had turned up nothing.

Jack O'Neill was good, Locksley decided. Very good. If only the man wasn't so inclined to hate the organisation he worked for.. O'Neill would make a good addition to the NID, even more so because of his ties to the SGC.

Even more so because he'd gunned down a friend and colleague in cold blood.

Sure, he hadn't known who his intended hit was – at least Locksley didn't think so. From the reports he'd received he had been as surprised as the others at the SGC to find Major Carter had been murdered on her way home from a night out with old friends. In fact, Colonel O'Neill was said to be so distraught that the base commander had confined him to the SGC.

Shame, really. Locksley had reported that he would've made a fine addition to the NID and his superiors had agreed. So much so that they'd decided to approach him in a few weeks time, after the initial grief had passed and the anger was in full force. They wouldn't tell him they'd been responsible for giving him the orders to kill her, they'd tell him there had been a terrible mistake. They'd offer him the chance to join them, to avenge her.

And if he did..

Well. There was no reason he'd ever have to know that they had known all along who they'd ordered him to murder. There was no reason why he'd have to be told that the people he'd be assigned to kill were her trusted colleagues and friends.

Locksley laughed, a happy, triumphant sound that bounced off the walls and filled his ears. It had been *so* perfect.

So right.

Oh to have caught it on film.. That would be the only way to make it better. Being able to watch it physically instead of being forced to imagine it..

That would've been the only thing that could improve his mood further.

=*=

Two days.

Two whole days.

He'd hoped the memory would fade in time but it didn't. It only got stronger. It invaded his dreams every time he tried to sleep and forced him to give up on the notion of getting a good night's rest.

At least until she was back.

Jack had done a lot of thinking over the course of forty-eight hours and he'd decided that Sam's revelation wasn't a good enough reason to end their relationship. It wasn't a good enough reason to give up, not after everything they'd been through to get to where they were.

Sure, she had secrets. So did he. Did it really matter her past was as colourful as his? As many different shades of grey?

No. Not really. It didn't change how he felt about her.

It didn't stop him from wanting her beside him.

He leaned back in his chair, his feet propped up on the desk, his yoyo in hand. It would be easier to handle the waiting if Teal'c and Daniel were there. At least he'd have someone to talk to, someone to bug until she was back and it was over.

Not that General Hammond hadn't offered him the chance to talk. He'd done that yesterday, taken him aside after finding him beating the crap out of the punching bag in the gym. Unsurprisingly, Jack had declined the offer. It wasn't that he didn't trust the General, or think of him as a friend, it was that there were some things a man didn't want to be saying to his commanding officer.

How hard it was to sleep without his second in command at his side being one of them.

How shooting her had dredged up unwanted memories of his son for another.

The yoyo fell and climbed back up the string in a smooth, undisturbed motion. He didn't even have to think about what he was doing anymore having had so much practise.

Having done so much waiting.

He looked at the phone on his desk, half expecting it to ring just to scare the crap out of him and make him look like an idiot if anyone passing noticed him fall out of his chair.

It didn't.

And the unease he felt rose another notch.

She'd said she'd keep in touch. She'd said it would take a week at most, maybe a little less. But she should've been in touch, just to keep them updated, to let them know how she'd progressed.

Damn it.

An email would do! Just *something* to let him know she was okay.

Something to let him know the NID hadn't figured it out and she wasn't lying dead in a ditch somewhere.

A shudder worked its way down his back. He didn't know why.

With a sigh, he let his legs drop to the floor, catching the yoyo when it climbed up its string again. He put it on the desk beside him, let his elbow rest on the desk and let his chin rest heavily in his palm. With his other hand he reached for the mouse, double clicking on his email program and waiting.

Nothing.

Impatiently, he moved the mouse to the 'send and receive' button and double clicked it.

And again.

'Connecting.. Authorising.. Checking.. No new email.'

And again.

After the fourth or fifth time he decided to give up and leaned back, swinging his feet back onto the desk. He crossed his arms over his chest, tipped his head back and closed his eyes.

Willing his mind to stay away from the darker areas.

Hoping for a few minutes peace.

He didn't get what he wanted.

Half a minute later, the scene replayed itself over and over in his mind. Sam leaving the bar, Sam walking towards him.

The way she'd paused after opening the door, looking every bit as though she'd heard or sensed something was wrong.

She was a very good actress, very good.

He remembered it as though it had happened just a few minutes ago. The way she'd turned towards him, her gaze shifting through the darkness.

Eyes locking on his.

Then he'd fired.

A split second his finger had moved on the trigger the noise of the gun going off penetrated his thoughts. He watched her fall, the shocked expression on her face adding to the authenticity of the moment.

If he didn't know better he'd have said she'd really been shot.

He hadn't been able to stick around and watch – and for that he was grateful. He left without a backwards glance, wishing he could to go her but instead having to make a swift exit before any of her colleagues came looking for him.

It wouldn't look good if he allowed himself to be caught even after they'd given him a head start.

It wouldn't look convincing and he wouldn't do that to Sam. Couldn't risk it.

So he'd made his way around the building as stealthily as he could, slipped into his car and drove off into the night.

He hadn't slept.

He'd been awake the following morning when the note had been slipped under his door.

'Congratulations.'

One word. He'd crumpled it with one hand, shattered the glass of water he held with the other.

He remembered driving to the SGC, remembered the pity in the eyes of the people he'd passed. He wasn't sure if was supposed to know at that stage she was supposedly dead so he'd greeted them with what he hoped was a puzzled expression and gone to Hammond's office when he was summoned.

Then the act had really begun.

He let his mood swing in various directions, sometimes displayed irrational anger, sometimes locked himself in his office with the light off..

He was just playing a part. It wasn't real. None of it was real.

He just had to keep reminding himself.

Sometimes he forgot. When he tried to sleep, when he remembered in his dreams. It took him five, sometimes ten minutes after waking up to realise it wasn't just a dream but at the same time it wasn't as bad as it seemed.

He stretched his arms over his head and sat upright when the images refused to back away. What was the point in sleeping if he was only going to dream? He wouldn't get any benefit from it.

He checked his email again and growled low in his throat when again there was nothing.

What was she playing at? Didn't she know he'd be worried about her?

Damn it.

So what if they'd had an argument before she'd left? They'd made up – sort of – and even if they hadn't he'd still want to know how she was!

He wanted to know how she was doing, how much progress her team had made. He wanted to know how much closer they were to seeing the smug grin leave Kinsey's face once and for all.

He wanted to be there when it did.

Leaning over his desk, he picked up a pen in one hand and a handful of folders in another.

Reports. From Daniel, Teal'c and, of course, Carter.

Sighing, he opened the first one, rubbing his forehead at the sight of page upon page of neatly typed small text.

Might as well do something.

=*=

They'd taken it in turns to sit with her until Doctor Stewart had forcefully shown them the door. They had work to do, he said. Work she would want them to focus on and get done so she'd have less to do when she woke up.

When she woke up.

It wasn't an option, she had no choice.

It would all go to hell if she didn't.

Annie and Andrew tried to follow the good doctor's advice. They sat at their desks in the makeshift base, collating the information they had and scouring various sources for more. The file they were putting together on the NID was pretty convincing, even without Sam's input, and they wanted to get as much of it done as possible so they could give it to her when she was ready for it.

Caitlin was trying to concentrate on hacking into Sam's computer with little success. It wasn't easy trying to break through the defences built up by one of her own – especially not someone who was as good if not better at making them as she was herself. After trying for the eight consecutive hours, she slammed her hand down on the desk and pushed her chair back.

"I can't do this," she declared when the others glanced in her direction. "I can't get into it, it's too heavily protected."

"What else would you expect from Sam?" David tried to grin but even he was beginning to show signs of strain. He glanced towards the door separating them from Sam's quarters and chewed his bottom lip. "Do you think we should.. I mean.."

"There's nothing we can do," Annie cut him off sternly, her voice sharp as her gaze pierced him. "Concentrate on your work, David. Put together every single bit of evidence you've gathered on the NID together in one report, list the possible weak links you think might break easier than the others. Do your job. It's what she'd want."

David shrugged and lowered his gaze. He might have been part of the team for a while but he still felt like the new guy and he'd be damned if Annie didn't intimidate him as much now as she had done at the beginning.

"He's only showing his concern," Caitlin chided the elder woman on his behalf, giving him a sympathetic smile when his gaze flickered briefly to her. "And he's got a point. Sam talked highly about Colonel O'Neill and the people she works with at the SGC. Maybe we should let them know."

"Let them know what?" Andrew argued, instantly siding with Annie. It was an old routine – the more experienced members of the team against the newer members, leaving Sam in the middle to make peace and reach a compromise. "That we're all screwed unless we get this finished? That this whole thing will have been for nothing if you two don't stop mopping around and do your damn jobs?"

Only Sam wasn't there.

"They'll be waiting for her to get in touch." David kept his voice low, his eyes focused on the computer screen in front of him rather than anyone else in the room. "We don't know what arrangements she made so we don't know when they started expecting her to call or email."

"It's irrelevant," Annie said with a sigh, shaking her head impatiently. "We can't waste time thinking about them. We've got one chance here, people, and we don't want to blow it."

"What if they blow it for us?" Caitlin countered. She held her chin high and refused to look away when both Annie and Andrew glared. "Think about it. What if they start worrying and make some enquiries of their own? What if it alerts someone in the NID and we don't get the chance to make our move?"

It was a valid point. A very valid point.

Andrew shrugged under Annie's gaze, command of the team having fallen to the Air Force officer since she was the most experienced of the group.

"Fine." Annie sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'll make the call."

Caitlin and David said nothing, turning their attention back to their work and hoping their monitors could hide their expressions. Andrew gave Annie a helpless look and also returned his attention to the matter at hand, leaving the former Colonel with the unenviable job of reaching for the phone.

=*=

He took his time walking from his office to the elevators, lingered for as long as he could making small talk with the officers he passed before eventually completing the journey and ending up at the Colonel's door.

Taking a deep breath, General Hammond clenched one hand into a fist at his side and lifted the other to rap gently.

He half hoped there'd be no answer, that the moment could be delayed for a little bit longer.

Luck wasn't on his side.

"Come in," came the none-too-enthusiastic response.

Stealing himself, General Hammond opened the door and stepped over the threshold, watching as Jack's eyes widened and the colonel jumped to his feet on seeing him. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Hammond took his time in closing the door behind him.

"Have you heard something?" was the first thing Jack asked. "Has Carter been in touch?"

"I think you should sit down, Jack." General Hammond walked slowly across the room, a hand on Jack's shoulder gently ushering him back down into the chair he'd so recently vacated. He saw the colour drain from the younger man's face and saw no reason in drawing the moment out. "I had a phone call from a Colonel Bartley, she's a member of Major Carter's team."

"It's not good, is it? Do the NID know it was a set up?"

"No, Son." 'I wish it were that simple.' General Hammond sat down in the other chair, slightly concerned his legs would fail him if he tried to stand. "It wasn't as good a set-up as we thought. The vest Major Carter was wearing only managed to deflect the bullet, not stop it. She was really shot, Jack. That's why we haven't heard from her."

'Really shot.'

'I shot her,' Jack thought numbly, no longer seeing the General sitting opposite him. 'I shot Carter.'

Three words that turned his world upside down and extinguished the light from his eyes as easily as breath to a flame.

=*=

/part five

=*=

General Hammond had wanted him to stay at the SGC but for once he felt claustrophobic working inside the mountain. It was like the walls were closing in on him, the corridors getting narrower but at the same time longer with no end or turn in sight.

He had to get out. He couldn't breathe.

Reaching the surface made no difference. The feeling followed him no matter where he was. No matter how much space he surrounded himself with there was just never enough.

He hadn't been able to ask how it had happened or what her condition was. Even if he had he doubted General Hammond would've been able to answer. If the MIU were anything like he thought they were they wouldn't have told him much.

For what felt like hours, he drove around and around in big circles. He couldn't seem to settle on one particular thought, couldn't get the image of her falling out of his head.

Couldn't stop her face from morphing into Charlie's.

Couldn't stop seeing the blood.

The shock.

He'd killed them. He'd killed them both.

It was only when he was circling back towards her house that he realised he wouldn't be able to rest without knowing what was going on. And it was then he decided to do something.

She hadn't told him much about where she'd be; just that it would be a temporary MIU base that suggested it was somewhere that was otherwise abandoned. Somewhere the NID wouldn't think to look for them.

He'd be willing to bet it wasn't somewhere too far away. That it was close to her house, close to the mountain. Close to the bar her team had their meeting in and not too far away from the hospital – just far enough to give them the chance to shake off anyone who might be following them.

He parked his truck haphazardly on the curb outside of her house, fished the key to the front door out of his pocket and jogged up the path. He glanced around before deciding he didn't care if anyone was watching him and unlocked the door, letting himself in.

He knew exactly where he was going, exactly what he wanted. Jack moved through her house, as familiar with it as he was his own, and went straight for the study, pulling out the map of Colorado he'd seen her staring at more than once before she'd hurriedly stored it away in the top drawer of her desk.

The drawer she kept locked whenever she wasn't at home.

He was relieved to find the drawer in question was still intact meaning that the NID hadn't been there.

Meaning they believed her to be dead.

He rummaged around on her desk, lifting up paperweights, looking under coasters and studying photographs until he finally found what he was looking for on the inside of a photograph frame.

The key.

Jack sat down at her desk, unlocked the drawer and pulled the map out, spreading it across the wooden surface regardless of what it knocked over.

Studying it, he could see tiny red dots in certain places. There was one at the SGC, one at her house. The hospital was marked on there with a thin line going from it to the bar. Or from the bar to the hospital. He stared at it intently, trying to find another line from the hospital but failing to do so.

There was nothing. Absolutely nothing.

He wracked his brain, trying to remember what little she'd said about the MIU base.

*'We'll wait in the ambulance in the parking lot under the hospital until we get the all clear signal before heading to a temporary MIU base established for the purpose of this operation.'*

'Heading to.'

Not 'driving to.'

Jack rolled up the map and shut the drawer. His jaw was set in a grim line, his shoulders squared. He strode out of her house, a man with a mission.

Determined to find her.

Determined to make it right.

=*=

It was a hunch, and an hour later he wasn't sure it was right.

He'd parked his truck a ten-minute walk away from the hospital, just in case he was being followed, and had walked the rest of the way, taking various false turns and doubling back on himself in places.

Finally, he reached the parking lot.

The white van from the bar was parked there, next to an ambulance.

There was no one else there. He weaved through the parked ambulances and cars, located two entrances to the hospital and decided there was nothing else he could do but wait and watch and see if anything jumped out at him as being suspicious.

Another hour passed and he was just about to leave and head back to his truck when a movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.

A man had appeared apparently out of nowhere – and not only did he look familiar but he was heading Jack's way.

"Colonel O'Neill." The stranger greeted him with a curt nod, his gaze wary as he looked around. "You don't give up."

"You were at the bar," Jack responded, his eyes narrowing as the pieces slid into place. "One of Carter's friends."

"Colonel Mason, US Marines," Andrew confirmed. "Annie sent me to get you. Said you'd give us away if we let you hover for too long." With his piece said, he turned on his heel and started back the way he'd come, leaving Jack with no choice but to follow him.

They reached one of the entrances to the hospital but instead of opening the door, Andrew turned and led Jack to a darkened corner. Once there, he reached into the darkness and opened another door, one that had been concealed by the shadows.

"Old storage facility," Andrew explained once the door was shut and secured behind them. They faced a long and narrow grey corridor, dimly lit by the occasional bulb. "When the hospital was expanded they built their storage rooms inside the main building so no one comes down here anymore. Most people forgot it exists." He led the way, turning left when they reached a T-junction and opened another door, flooding the corridor with light. "Let me introduce you to everyone, then I think Sam wants to kick your ass for turning up here."

"Is she in a position to be able to do that?" Jack felt something flip over in the pit of his stomach and followed him eagerly, watching as Andrew secured yet another door behind them.

Turning back to the other colonel with a lopsided grin, Andrew motioned Jack ahead of him. "Sam's not in a position to do it herself but there are four of us who'd do it in a heartbeat if she asked."

They walked further into the room and Jack could see what were the beginnings of an elaborate set up. There were five computers, various tables with files and folders covering up most of the available surfaces, an area with monitors of security cameras – one showing the parking lot he'd been in just minutes ago. And sitting in various places in the room were three people he vaguely recognised from that fateful night, two of them smiling politely and a slightly older woman with a scowl on her face.

"You're lucky you weren't followed," the scowling woman spoke up, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked him up and down. "Then again if you're really working for the NID, you wouldn't need to be followed. Have you checked him for any tracking devices?"

"Give the guy a break, Annie, he's not NID. Sam proved that years ago." The second woman in the room stood, crossing over from her chair with her hand held out. "It's nice to meet you, Colonel, we've heard and read so much about you. I'm Caitlin Adams, former Navy. The woman glaring at me is Annie Bartley, Air Force. You've met Andrew and this is Captain David Riley, also Air Force. Sam's with Doctor Stewart, she shouldn't be too long."

"She shouldn't be out of bed," Annie grumbled, still glowering at the newcomer. "She was shot, she needs to recover."

"It's not the Colonel's fault, Annie," Caitlin rolled her eyes at Jack, pleased Annie couldn't see anything but her back. "We shouldn't have let Sam test out the new design on a mission like this." She gave Jack a reassuring smile. "Sam's okay, in case you're wondering. Annie's just very overprotective of us. Her bark's a lot worse than her bite, I promise."

David snorted but said nothing, ducking his head under the heat of Annie's scrutiny when her eyes flickered in his direction.

"Colonel O'Neill." The voice was new, the man it belonged to unfamiliar. Jack looked in the direction it had come from and saw someone else standing beside another door out of the compound. "Major Carter is insisting on seeing you now. She said, and I quote, she wants a damn good explanation for why you risked screwing up her operation."

From behind him Andrew chuckled and in front of him Annie got to her feet, approaching the newcomer swiftly and decisively.

"How is she?" Annie all but demanded, her cool composure wavering slightly under the weight of the concern she felt.

"Lucky," Doctor Stewart replied grimly. "She's lucky the vest deflected the bullet even though it couldn't stop it. One inch to the left and we wouldn't be having this conversation. She wants to work, Ann. You're not going to be able to talk her out of it but I want her to get at least 12 hours rest. No working till all hours. Understood?"

"Understood." Annie nodded in acknowledgment, wrapping her arms around herself. She turned slightly, stared appraisingly at Jack again and then reluctantly moved to the side. "You're a good shot, Colonel O'Neill. I'll say that for you. Doctor, would you mind showing him to Sam's quarters? Then you can go and get some sleep. We'll call you if we need anything."

Doctor Stewart nodded and turned, giving Jack no choice but to follow. Again. He led him out of the main room along a shorter corridor, passed six other doors, three on either side, before eventually stopping at the last door along the corridor. "Don't keep her talking for too long. And she needs to get at least three hours sleep before she's allowed to go and do some work."

"Got it." Jack gave him a brisk nod and knocked on the door before slipping inside. He shut the door behind him and turned to face her. Pausing when he saw her sitting on the bed with an expression on her all-too-pale face that clearly said 'I am not amused.' The relief made his legs weak and he reached out for the single chair at the desk near the door for support. "Carter. You're.. You look like crap."

"Given the circumstances I'd have expected you to go for something a little more complimentary." Her tone was dry, her expression didn't change. Her eyes did, though. They softened slightly, warmed towards him. "It's not your fault, Jack. You did what you were supposed to. The prototype vest let me down but it's not as bad as it could've been."

"I could've killed you." The relief gave way into anger and he took a step closer, his legs feeling a lot sturdier than they had when he'd first entered the room. "You knew I was going to shoot you and you were wearing a *prototype* vest? Are you stupid?"

Sam smiled wearily, tilting her head to the side as she shrugged, and then wincing when the movement disturbed her injury. "I'm usually the smart one, I know. But it'd been tested already. It was a fluke that it didn't work properly for me." She wanted to stand and walk over to him, to be able to be more imposing but knew the odds were stacked against her. If she tried to stand she'd probably fall over and that wasn't something she wanted to do. "Now that's out of the way would you mind explaining to me why you decided to jeopardise the entire investigation by looking for us? And while you're at it I'd love to know how you knew where to find me."

"The map you keep locked away was a bit of a give away." He took another step closer, his eyes locked on hers. "Did you really expect me to stay away after finding out I'd really shot you?"

"No, but I'd like to know who told you I'd been shot. I certainly didn't." She looked up at him and arched an eyebrow. "I take it someone phoned General Hammond. Did he tell you which member of my traitorous team it was?"

He had done but for the life of him Jack couldn't remember. Instead he shrugged and closed the distance between them until he could sit on the bed beside her. "You shaved a couple of years off my life, Carter. I just want you to realise that."

"I'm sorry." She meant it when she said it. "Obviously this wasn't meant to happen but in a way it's helped us a lot. We've been monitoring the NID and they don't suspect a thing. I guess it was as convincing as it needed to be. We're behind in our plans but we should've caught up in a few days. David's found us a couple of NID Agents he thinks will fold easily under questioning so they're going to be our first targets. Andrew and Annie are going to take care of that the day before I come out in the open. Caitlin has compiled most of my reports and cross-referenced them with Annie's and Andrew's so we've got a good start on gathering evidence to take to the President. Annie's busy sorting through it and deciding with Andrew what's suitable to be leaked to the press, just in case we need a little more back up.."

"That'll help put the pressure on the NID," Jack agreed, reaching out to take her hand when she opened her mouth again. "Stop babbling, Carter. Doc Stewart said I wasn't allowed to let you talk too much and you're not allowed to even *think* about work for another two hours or so."

"I either talk about work or I yell at you for being here." She threw him a sidelong glance, the corners of her mouth curving upwards. "It's your choice."

"Then I choose option C."

"There wasn't an option C."

Jack grinned what felt like the first grin in days and moved his arm to drape lightly around her lower back. "There is now." Gently, carefully, he shifted them until they were both lying down, Sam on her back and him on his side facing her. "You really do look like crap, Sam, and I haven't had more than an hours sleep in days so.. Why don't we do what the good Doctor says and get some rest? You can yell at me later, I promise."

Yawning, Sam let her eyes slide shut, her hand searching for and finding his. "Okay. But the only reason I'm agreeing is because I'm tired. You're not always going to get the last word you know."

He grinned again, closing his eyes and letting his lips brush her temple. "I'm counting on it," he assured her quietly.

She was alive and he was determined to keep it that way.

=*=

/part six

=*=

The first time she woke up he was still asleep. She let herself watch him for a few minutes, allowing herself to be pleased that he was there before reminding herself she had to get him to leave.

The second time she woke up she found he was looking at her. More specifically, he was lying propped up by an elbow, gazing at the bandage he could see through her shirt. Watching him, Sam reached up slowly and undid the top three buttons of her shirt, giving his eyes better access to the slightly stained gauze.

"You didn't hit my heart," she told him softly. "You didn't kill me. I'm still alive, Jack."

Almost hesitantly, his hand moved to touch her cheek. His finger left a trail along her jaw, down her neck, pausing for a split second before going lower. It stopped short of touching the gauze and his gaze lifted to hers.

The look in his eyes stole her breath away, then his gaze flittered downwards again.

"It's not your fault." She forced the words passed the lump in her throat, reaching her hand up to take his. She moved his hand so it rested over her injury and covered it with her own. "You did what I asked you to do. If it's anyone's fault it's mine."

"I could've killed you." His voice was rough and uneven, his eyes dark with regret. "If the bullet hadn't been deflected I would have killed you."

"But you didn't, it was. You can't live in the past with what could've beens, you'll never move forward if you do that." Sam tightened her grip on his hand, forcing him to look at her. "Don't dwell on it, Jack. We're both alive and we've still got a chance to finish this before Teal'c and Daniel get back." When his expression didn't change, Sam sighed. "Don't make me have to kick your ass. Or waste my team's valuable time getting one of them to do it for me."

His lips quirked ever so slightly but the serious expression didn't fade from his eyes. Sam eased herself up into a sitting position, forcing herself to focus on the professional side of their relationship. "Sam..?"

"You're going to have to go, Jack." She winced a little as she stood but did her best to keep it from him. "The longer you're here the greater the chance of the NID tracking us down and ruining everything. You'll have to go back to the SGC today, act like you haven't seen Me.."

"Act like you're dead." He followed her example and stood up, stretching as he looked down at his wrinkled clothes. "Act like I killed you."

"No." Her voice softened slightly but she refused to turn around and face him. She refused to give in and let him stay. "Just stay in the mountain where they can't see you. Join Teal'c and Daniel if you have to but you can't stay here and you can give them anything that'll make them think we're onto them. I just need a few more days. Give me today to catch up on everything and another two to finish it off. I can do this, Jack, but I need you to help me and the only way you can do that is to leave."

"I'll go," he answered slowly, waiting for her to turn around, disappointed when she didn't. Annoyed when she didn't. "Damn it, Sam, I'm not going to screw up your precious investigation. I'm not some Goddamn amateur you know. I have had some experience in matters like this or do I really have to remind you."

Sam sighed and let her hands drop to her sides from where they'd been fastening a fresh shirt. "You don't need to remind me, I know." She turned to face him, her expression apologetic. "I'm sorry. This.. It means a lot to me that this works. I have to get the NID out of the picture, for the SGC, for us but most importantly for Liz."

"You're making it personal." He opened his arms for her as she approached, holding her gently when she nestled into him.

"It is personal," came the muffled reply. "They're a threat to too many people I care about, both with the SGC and the MIU."

"Just don't let it distract you. Do whatever you have to to make sure you're on even ground with them." It was the only warning he could give her, the only piece of advice she would accept.

He just hoped when he left three hours later that she would remember it. That she wouldn't let her judgement be clouded by emotions, that she wouldn't end up like the woman she was working so hard to avenge.

=*=

David looked at Caitlin. Caitlin looked at Andrew. Andrew sighed and glanced at Annie to find the Air Force Colonel already gazing in concern at their leader.

Colonel O'Neill ad left the day before and Sam hadn't stopped working for more than five hours since he'd gone. She had sat at her desk, going through their briefly written reports before calling a formal briefing and asking them to verbally confirm what they'd written and expand on it. Then she'd switched their tasks: Caitlin was to go through her notes and David's to see if she could find any other NID agents who could be easily broken down, David was to compile a list of agents outside of the Colorado Springs area to distribute to other MIU operatives. Andrew was researching the NID agents he'd be interviewing with Annie and Annie was in charge of gathering together all of the information they had so it would it on as a few disks as possible.

That left Sam with the job of coordinating their efforts, deciding what should be leaked to the press and passing on anything else she found from hacking into the NID database onto Annie. She also had to update their superiors every twelve hours and was under immense pressure to authorise the next phase of the operation, which was letting the MIU operatives nationwide know they could go and take their assigned NID agents in for questioning.

"Doctor Stewart said you shouldn't work so hard," Annie started mildly, trying to keep her tone strict rather than motherly. She arranged her features into a disapproving expression when Sam glanced up at her. "We have everything under control, Sam, we don't need you watching us to make sure we do our jobs properly."

"I never said you did, and if this is where you usually point out that you and Andrew have more experience than I do I'll give you some friendly advice: don't waste your breath. We're not stopping until this is finished." Sam turned her attention back to her computer screen, resisting the urge to rub her tired eyes. "I'm not letting them get away with it any longer."

"She never said you should," Andrew chimed into the conversation, keeping his voice gentle although the warning note lurking beneath it was unmistakeable. "If we lose our tempers with one another we'll mess up and they'll win. Do you really want that to happen?"

Her head shot up and she fixed him with a heated glare. "You know damn well I don't. I wouldn't be here if I wanted them to win, would I?"

"Then take a break before you're forced to. You're no good to us or to Liz if you work yourself into an early grave." Annie's tone was harsh, her green eyes flashing as Sam turned to look at her. "For God's sake, Sam, you're recovering from a serious injury and you're acting like your Super Woman. You're not perfect, no one is. You can't push yourself through it and hope you're going to be okay when it's over. Start acting like the grown up you are and stop being so selfish!"

"Selfish?" Sam was on her feet in an instant, her vice-like grip on the desk the only thing that kept her from falling back down. "You think *I'm* being selfish? I'm not the one sitting here watching over everyone picking fault with everything they do. I'm not the one sitting here regretting the fact that I could've made something of myself if I hadn't screwed up twenty-five years ago and brought that bastard into the fold. If you want to blame someone for Liz, for the situation, go and look in the mirror."

"Stop right there." Her voice as cold as ice, Annie also got to her feet. The stress of the situation had got to them all and tempers were rapidly reaching boiling point. "If you're looking to blame someone for Locksley then fine, blame me, but don't blame me for what happened to Liz. You're the one who screwed up there. If you'd followed procedure and reported it she wouldn't be dead. Face it, Sam, you're so determined to do this because you've got a guilty conscience. Because you got your best friend killed and don't know how to deal with it."

The colour drained from her face. The verbal blow was like a physical slap.

"Fuck you and your precious procedures," Sam murmured, her voice low and dangerous. "And you can get the hell out of here, too, because we don't need you. I don't need any of you. I'll do it myself if I have to. I'd probably do a much better job."

She stalked out of the room before Annie could respond, before Caitlin or David could jump in.

Annie slowly lowered herself to her chair, her breathing ragged and uneven. She ran a hand through her greying brown hair and swore under her breath.

"You shouldn't have said that," Caitlin spoke up after a long, pregnant pause. "I know Sam said some hurtful things but you should never have blamed her for Liz's death. You know how long it's taken her to forgive herself. You know what she's been through." Shaking her head, Caitlin stood and stared at Annie's lowered head in mild disgust. "Congratulations, Annie, you've probably just set her back a good five or six years."

The former Commander left the room stiffly, following their absent leader. She wondered on her way to Sam's quarters if her words had been too harsh but when she opened the door and found the normally strong, normally so together Sam Carter in a heap on the floor sobbing her heart out she wondered if perhaps she'd been right.

And worried. Not only for the future of their operation but for the future of their friendships.

For the future of her friend.

=*=

On Sam's orders, Caitlin had fetched her laptop and files from her desk, taking them to Sam's quarters where she could work away from the others. The morning after their argument, Annie decided it was time to make peace and knocked softly on the door, entering when there was no response.

What she saw made her throat ache and her eyes sting.

Sam sat at her desk, her head resting on the wood next to the laptop, her eyes firmly closed. In her hand was a tightly clasped photograph and as she walked closer, Annie could clearly make out two beaming faces.

Liz and Sam.

On their graduation from the Academy if she wasn't mistaken.

She remembered that day with mixed feelings. It was one she'd enjoyed, purely because of the youthful excitement both young women had radiated on being told not only had they graduated from the Academy but that they'd been chosen for enlistment into the MIU as fully-stated operatives. Because of the display of friendship, because of the obvious devotion between them.

She was the one who'd decided they would be partners when the situation called for it. She'd seen then that they would do anything to protect each other, die to save each other. They had the commitment and the loyalty the MIU required, and they had the enthusiasm and the innocence it desperately needed.

It had taken a few years but she had slowly watched as that innocence and enthusiasm was drained away, sucked out of them more and more as their experience grew.

That was the bad side about being MIU. The consequences, the ramifications.

The fact that all that was left at the end was a shell of the person they'd once been. That it took away hopes and dreams, that it would leave them with nothing.

Like it had left her with nothing.

No husband, no children. An Air Force career she'd put on hold and waited too long to go back to.

She hadn't wanted that for Sam and for Liz. She'd taken them under her wing even though neither of them had been aware of it. She'd chosen Locksley to be their trainer, knowing he was the best. Knowing he'd teach them what they needed to know but believing he'd do it in a way that wouldn't tarnish the glow they each had about them.

She'd been wrong.

Locksley's methods, his teachings, he hadn't just tarnished the glow, he'd slowly extinguished it. Testing them to see if they were NID material, she knew now. And when he'd realised they weren't, he'd set out to destroy them.

He'd almost succeeded, too.

"Sam?" She pushed those thoughts aside and moved closer, gently resting a hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "Come on, honey. Time to get some real sleep."

"Liz?" The sleepy murmur made a tear in her heart.

"No, honey, it's Annie." Careful not to disturb her too much, mindful of her wound, Annie shook her until her eyes fluttered open. "Let's get you to bed, okay? You're exhausted."

"I'm okay," Sam protested, struggling to keep her eyes open even as she sat up straighter. "I'm fine. Just closed my eyes for a second.."

"And you need to close them for a lot longer that that." Annie kept her voice soft but let a stern edge creep into it. "I don't want you to get hurt anymore than you have been, okay? Just a few hours sleep then I promise I'll come and wake you up and we'll try and wrap it up today."

"Promise?" Back to being half-asleep already, Sam let Annie guide her across the room to the bed, barely noticing the photo she still held in her hand. "I wanna go home," she slurred sleepily. "Wanna go back to Jack. Miss him. Miss them all."

A soft smile curved her mouth even as her eyes grew misty. Elizabeth could never be replaced but Sam had found herself some new friends, a new family, and although she was saddened that it didn't include her, Annie was pleased for her.

"Tomorrow morning," she decided as she spoke, tucking the almost unconscious major in as she would a child. "Tomorrow morning we'll have enough evidence for you to take with you to the SGC. We can trust General Hammond to deliver it to the President, he's a good man. I'll go out with Andrew and round up some of our suspects and Caitlin can move to headquarters with David and monitor the whole thing from there."

"I get Locksley," Sam mumbled, turning her head into the pillow. "I get to take him down."

"Absolutely," Annie agreed and smiled at that. She couldn't think of anyone better to bring the man to his knees than his very own protégé. "Just give him a hit from me, okay?"

"Always." Curling up under the light blanket as much as she could without hurting herself, Sam was already dreaming of all the possible ways she could enact her revenge. "Bastard."

Annie chuckled on her way to the door, glancing back over her shoulder before slipping out of the room. "I love you, Sam. I don't always show it but I do. I've lost one daughter to that bastard and I won't lose another."

She was standing out in the hallway when the voice drifted out towards her, slipping through the door just seconds before she closed it softly.

"Love you, too, Annie."

With a soft sigh and a strained smile, Annie straightened and slowly made her way back to the main room. "She's still asleep," she said in explanation to the curious expressions that greeted her on entering the room. "We'll wake her up in a few hours." Taking a deep breath, she walked over to her desk and lowered herself into the chair. "Let's get back to work. I want this finished by this time tomorrow."

Sensing something had happened, that some form of peace had been forged, the team nodded in agreement and got back to work, each hoping the new day would bring with it the resolution they each desperately needed.

=*=

When Annie set herself a deadline she usually always met it. Despite knowing they were getting close to the end of what had been one of the most difficult operations of her career, it was with a heavy heart that Sam took the files and disks offered to her and stored them safely in her backpack.

It wasn't because they were reaching the end that was the cause of her sadness, it was that her it would be the last time her team would be together in one place.

She had always said after the case on the NID was closed she would resign from her position at the MIU and concentrate on her career. It was a decision Annie had encouraged and one David and Andrew were going to mimic.

At the same time as feeling exhilarated by the freedom she could almost touch, she was disappointed that their time together was finally at an end.

"We'll keep in touch," Caitlin promised, giving her the tightest hug she could manage without causing her any discomfort. "Annie and me will probably need your help at some stage."

"And we expect to be kept updated on what's going on with you," Andrew agreed, taking her into his arms as soon as she'd stepped out of Caitlin's. "I'm considering a transfer to the SGC," he whispered as he held her. "David, too."

"That'd be good." The smile she gave him was genuine, as was the hug she bestowed on David when he moved forward. "I think you'd fit in there, both of you." She moved away from David and looked to Annie, chewing on her bottom lip. "Hard to believe it's almost over."

"We've waited a long time for this," Annie responded. She opened her arms and smiled over Sam's shoulder when the younger woman walked straight into them. "We deserve this, Sam. For us and for Liz. And you deserve to put it behind you and get on with your life while you still can."

'Assuming I have a life to get on with,' Sam thought to herself as she stood back, keeping the thought to herself so not to ruin the moment.

"Well I guess this is it," she murmured, shouldering the bag gingerly. "It's been an honour and a pleasure working with you all. You're the best, don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"We make a good team," David corrected with a grin. "Maybe we'll get the chance again someday."

"Maybe we will." Sam smiled tightly and took a deep breath. "Take care, guys, and good luck."

Those were her last words to her team, the group she'd worked with for eight years. The next time they saw each other they would only be friends, former colleagues, and although it wasn't an altogether happy thought, she thought it was for the best.

For all of them.

They needed to get on with their lives and put this nightmare behind them.

=*=

/part seven

=*=

To say they were surprised to see her was an understatement. Sam didn't let their reactions phase her, she just smiled politely at the SF's and officers she passed, making her way as quickly as she could to General Hammond's office.

Once there, she knocked on the door and waited patiently outside until she was acknowledged.

"General Hammond, I need to talk to you.." Her voice trailed off and she noticed both Jack and Senator Kinsey occupying the chairs opposite the desk. On seeing the Senator, a smile she couldn't hold back broke out across her face – especially on seeing the utter shock on his. "Senator Kinsey, what an amazing coincidence. You're partly why I'm here."

"Major Carter." His face turned several shades of pink before settling on a shade of burgundy. "I thought.. You.. What?"

"Senator Kinsey was just expressing his condolences," Jack supplied on seeing her raised eyebrow. He stood up and motioned for her to take the seat he'd vacated. "Take a seat, Carter. I think the good Senator could do with an explanation."

"Oh, he'll get one." The smile on her face sweetened and she sat down primly. Feeling Kinsey's eyes on her, she took her time in removing the file and disks from her bag, placing them on General Hammond's desk just out of the senator's reach. "Senator Kinsey, on behalf of the US government it gives me great pleasure to inform you that you're under arrest for charges of treason and conspiracy for withholding vital information from this government and manipulating the facts to suit your own personal agenda. General Hammond, could you please have Senator Kinsey taken to one of the holding cells? I'll arrange for someone to pick him up shortly."

"On what grounds?" Kinsey stood up and would have made it to the door if Jack hadn't moved to stand in the way. "You have no proof.."

"I have ten years of evidence built up against you, Senator, tying you to the NID. You took money from them knowing what they were doing and you conspired with other members of the organisation to mislead and deceive the President of the United States and the American people." She saw his gaze fall on the disks and couldn't stop herself from smirking at him. "It's over, Senator. I have everything I need to bring the NID and everyone connected to it down."

"Locksley should have killed you when he had the chance," Kinsey snarled, taking a menacing step towards her.

Sam didn't flinch. She didn't do anything but smile. "I'm sure he'll agree with you when I catch up with him."

Two SF's arrived and Jack forcefully shoved the senator into their arms. He grinned as the door shut behind them, turning back to sit in the recently vacated chair. "Now that's a mental picture I'm going to want to keep."

General Hammond smiled but his hand was clasped around the documentation Sam had brought with her. "Is this everything I need to take to the President, Major?"

"How did you know I was going to ask?" Returning the smile, Sam sat back in her chair and let her hands rest lightly on the arms. "Everything we've got is either in that file or on those disks. It's enough to make sure Senator Kinsey and his shadier colleagues won't see daylight for a long, long time."

"What if the press gets involved? Senator Kinsey has a lot of support.." General Hammond's voice trailed off at the expression on her face. "I assume that's been taken care of, too?"

"Let's just say Senator Kinsey will be lucky to have any support by the time the public learns what they can about his dealings with the NID. Of course we won't say he's connected to a government agency but there'll be enough information leaked to the press for people to realise he's not as squeaky clean as he wanted them to think." She held her head high, proud of the accomplishments her team had made. "It's over, Sir. The President is waiting for you to deliver that information to him but for the most part, the NID will have fallen long before you put it in his hands. MIU teams combined with CIA and FBI are moving in as we speak and taking as many agents as they can into custody. Those who escape arrest this time around won't get very far either."

"Good work, Major," General Hammond smiled then, his face lighting up. "Excellent work. My congratulations to yourself and your team." He glanced between the two officers sitting opposite him, his smile fading ever so slightly. "Now I have to ask what you're plans for the future are. Are you planning on staying with the SGC or will you be moving on with the MIU?"

Sam cast a quick glance at Jack before answering, crossing her hands together in her lap. "If it's possible, I'd love to remain here at the SGC. I decided a long time ago I would resign from the MIU as soon as this was wrapped up. I'd still like to do that. If I can't stay here, I still want to be part of the Air Force either at the Academy or at the Pentagon.."

"You'll be staying here, of course," Jack said it matter-of-factly, earning himself a look from the General and a small smile from Sam. "Come on, General, you're not going to let her go now, are you? She brought down the NID. God knows what she'd do to this place if.. Ow!"

Appearing as innocent as possible, Sam turned her attention back to the General Hammond as Jack rubbed his soon-to-be bruised shin. "General?"

"You're welcome here for as long as you're happy here," General Hammond answered, an almost approving expression on his face though Sam couldn't be sure if he approved of her decision to stay or if he approved of her method of getting Jack to stop talking. "Though I was under the impression there might be an issue with you staying on SG-1..? Would I be right in thinking that matter has been resolved?"

"Yes, Sir." Jack answered when Sam remained silent, rolling his eyes at her speculative glance. "There's no issue that I'm aware of, anyway."

Hammond looked back at Sam. "Major?"

"No, Sir." She couldn't help it; she smiled again. "I don't see there being a problem."

"Good." He gathered the file and the disks together and sat back in his chair. "If you'll both excuse me I have to make some travel arrangements." He watched quietly as they stood up, dismissing them with a nod. "It's good to have you back, Major."

"Thank you, Sir." Sam smiled and let Jack usher her out. "It's good to be back."

They walked along the hallways of the SGC, waiting until they were in Sam's lab before they looked at each other. Jack grinned at her before taking her into his arms, squeezing her as tightly as he could.

"I knew you could do it," he told her, the grin still on his face when he released her. "I'm proud of you, Carter."

She wanted to share his enthusiasm but as she sunk down onto her stool she couldn't stop herself from issuing a warning. "It's not completely done yet, Jack. I've got to find Locksley and it's not going to be easy."

"You'll do it." His confidence in her was touching, as was the concern that entered his eyes. "If you need back-up you know where I am. I'd love to have a few words with him myself."

"Thanks, I appreciate it. But it's something I've got to do myself." The smile that accompanied the words softened any blow they might have dealt him. "The plan is to wait for a few days, give him time to run scared. Then he'll make a mistake and I'll find him."

"Part of me feels sorry for when you do." He didn't sound very sorry but she accepted his words with another smile. "So if you're not going anywhere for a few days.. why don't we meet at your place tonight and talk? I'll make dinner?"

"You'll make dinner?" An eyebrow raised and she stared at him suspiciously. "Why? What did you break?" Her gaze flittered over the workbench, searching her memory in an attempt at recalling what should have been there – and what was missing.

Jack chuckled and shook his head. "I didn't break anything. I'm on downtime so I figured I'd have time to make something for when you're done catching up here. If you don't want me to, just say and I'll watch The Simpsons instead.."

"Feel free to make dinner." She shrugged but her gaze was still roaming the counters in her lab.

Rolling his eyes, Jack stared out of the room, only to backtrack and re-enter five minutes later. "One more thing.."

"What?"

"I've been wondering.. " He gave her his most disarming grin when she looked up, the expression on her face not one of amusement as she reached for the first item in her in-tray. "Why Phoenix?"

For a split second her expression was blank. Then a sheepish smile lit up her face. "No matter how many times they tried kill me I always came back to make them regret it. Annie said I was like a phoenix, always rising from the ashes stronger and more determined than before. It kind of stuck."

"I like it," Jack decided, throwing her another grin. "Suits you."

With that he was gone and Sam was able to start catching up on what had happened in her absence, willing her mind not to dwell on the fight she knew was yet to come.

=*=

The half-full bottle hit the wall and shattered on contact, showering the room with shards of glass and droplets of beer.

"Bitch. Goddamn fucking bitch!"

Locksley kicked everything that was in range, picking up the lighter objects and throwing them across the room where they landed with a thud on the floor.

She'd done it again.

The bitch had done it again.

He'd really thought – really hoped – that she was gone this time. Had thought his problems were over, thought he'd never have to see her face again.

But no.

She was always that one step ahead, always taking the game that one bit further.

Bitch. He'd never hated anyone as much he hated her.

He'd taught her too well, he mused. He'd thought he could use her, could get her to join his side. That had been his mistake. His big, life-changing, life-threatening mistake. She was too loyal to the good guys, too focused on getting justice to see the big picture.

Not like him.

She had no vision, no motivation. No desire to better herself in not-so-moralistic ways.

And she was always ruining everything. Damn it!

Always coming back.

Well, she wouldn't do it again. And she wasn't taking him down.

Not without a fight.

Locksley grinned and reached for another bottle – one of the few things in the motel room to escape destruction. He took a long drink, throwing it against the wall when he was finished.

Now, how to get her to come to him on his terms..

The grin grew and a bitter laugh burst free.

Easy: just use bait.

And he had the *perfect* bait in mind.

=*=

It was late when she made it home but she wasn't too put out by it. In fact she was pleased – it felt like things were slowly getting back to normal. That she was starting to become a part of the SGC again instead of working for the MIU.

She let her bag drop to the floor as soon as the door was open, kicking off her shoes as she shut it behind her.

The first thing she noticed was that it was dark.

The second was that it was quiet. Almost too quiet.

"Jack?" She walked along the short hallway from her front door to her kitchen, frowning when there was no response. "Hello? Jack?"

The kitchen was empty but there was a flashing light on her answering machine. The feeling in the pit of her stomach bubbled up and she pressed the button as she exhaled slowly.

She heard her own voice and turned to the refrigerator, pulling out a cold bottle of water as the door closed with a soft click behind her.

Then she heard his voice and froze.

"Sam, honey, I hear congratulations are in order. Well done, you did good. I'm proud of you." There was a laugh, a sound she'd hoped never to hear again, and the sound of a scuffle. "There's someone here who wants to say hi. Go on, Jack. Say hi to Sam. It's the last thing you're gonna get to say to her so you might as well do it."

"Fuck off, Locksley."

He laughed again and her grip on the bottle tightened, the pressure pushing the water up and out over the floor. "Now, now, now, that's not nice. You should've taught him some manners, Sam. I can't guarantee he'll be alive when you get here because he's been so damn uncooperative. Now listen up. This is what I want and you better not think of screwing me around. Otherwise it's bye-bye to your dear Colonel."

She took note of what he said and told herself to breathe deeply and calmly.

Five minutes later, she was back in her car on her way to relieving one of the worst nights of her life.

Hoping for a different ending. Knowing what had to be done.

=*=

The shadows were like old friends, the darkness a constant companion who could sometimes deceive and sometimes protect. She hoped they felt like helping her now, hoped her long time companions wouldn't let her down.

Warehouses. It was always a damn warehouse. He had a thing for holding their confrontations in damn warehouses. It was such a cliché, but then again, Locksley liked clichés. He always had done if she remembered right. Just like he'd always enjoyed manipulating people.

Train them, in the guise of working for the good guys, test the waters to see if they could be tempted away. Use them when they couldn't, go as far as to sleep with one and get engaged when they started to get suspicious.. All to keep them close and monitor what they knew.

Bastard.

The day he died would be one of the happiest of her life. And hopefully he'd be the one to die first.

Tonight.

They weren't going to walk away after their fight, not both of them. Not again. One of them was going to die and she knew there was a chance it could be her. If it was.. Well. She was going to do her best to take Locksley with her.

It was an all too familiar scene as she crept through the night, her body tense and her senses on full alert.

She could see them. Both of them.

Locksley and Jack.

Locksley was pacing, his face pale. He kept switching the gun from hand to hand, looking around as though he sensed she was near but couldn't quite pinpoint where she was.

Jack, for his part, was silent. He was sat in a chair, his arms and legs bound. There was a gag in his mouth but unlike Elizabeth he wasn't fighting it. He didn't look like he was at all afraid. If anything he looked bored. And unharmed.

Relatively unharmed.

There was a bruise forming at his temple the shape of the butt of a gun and his lip had at some point been bleeding but other than that he looked fine.

Thank God.

"Game's up, Locksley," she called out, fixing her gaze on her enemy, reminding herself of Jack's warning, of his advice to do whatever she had to to put herself on even ground with the bad guy.

It was good advice, advice she planned to take.

She just hoped he'd understand how she was going to do it.

"The game's just beginning, sweetheart!" She knew as soon as he spoke that he was running scared and that he'd taken advantage of getting some Dutch courage. Good. She needed as many advantages as she could get. "Come out and play, Sam. I've got nothing to lose! That makes me a worthy competitor. Nothing to lose, everything to gain. What could be more powerful than that?"

"Try someone with nothing to gain and everything to lose," she returned instantly, reaching or the knife at her side as she stepped out of the shadows and into the light.

"Sammie, hi." Locksley grinned at her, manoeuvring himself so he could use Jack as a shield when she saw the knife in one hand and the gun in the other. "It's been a long time."

"Nowhere near long enough." She flexed the hand holding the knife, her gaze moving temporarily to Jack. "I have to do this," she told him softly. "This doesn't involve you."

The knife had left her hand before Locksley could respond. It flew gracefully through the air before reaching its target, embedding itself in the flesh it found.

Locksley stared at her in stunned surprise as his hostage slumped to the side, the knife protruding from his shoulder. "Interesting move, Sam. I didn't see that one coming."

She didn't doubt him and she knew he would never be able to understand why she'd done it. Jack was out of the picture, though, she'd taken him out of the game.

There were only two players left, both of them armed but neither of them ready to shoot.

Shooting him would be easy but it wouldn't be personal and their fight was nothing if not personal.

"It's over, Darren." Walking slowly, keeping her eyes on him at all times. "The NID doesn't exist anymore. That means you're nothing. You had you change to make good but you blew it. It's over. You've got nothing to lose and you've got nothing to gain. Accept it and come quietly or make me force you. I really don't care either way."

"For Liz," Locksley mocked. "You do it all for Liz, don't you? I don't get why. She was nothing special, wasn't half as good as you. I always thought I'd made the right choice when I chose her. I thought since she was the weakest she'd be easier to control. I should've been braver, should've realised you were the better option." He leered at her, shrugging casually when she didn't react. "We could've made a great team, Sam, you and me. And I bet you'd be good in bed. Better than Liz ever was. Like I said, she was nothing special. Just a convenience, always so damn eager to please."

She heard the words and saw red.

Locksley didn't see it coming. He took the first blow having had no time to prepare himself after realising she was going to lunge. Her second blow, the one that would've disabled him, was diverted. He recovered quickly, brought an arm up to stop her at the same time as lifting a leg and delivering a well aimed kick to the top of her thigh.

Sam fell and he took advantage, bringing his foot down on her chest, unwittingly scoring points by catching her earlier injury. She coughed and spluttered and Locksley foolishly thought he had won.

Her leg shot out before he could anticipate it, catching him just below the knee, knocking him off balance. Sam pushed herself up and stood on unsteady feet, every breath a painful wheeze.

She waited, biding her time. Locksley stood and charged She pivoted quickly, avoided contact and swung back around in time to catch his back with her raised leg, sending him crashing back down to the floor.

Breathing heavily, she reached down and took hold of her gun, managing to keep hold of it even as her feet were knocked out from under her.

Turning over so she was lying on her back instead of her stomach she watched in what felt like slow motion as Locksley got nearer, a knife he'd stashed someone on her person in hand.

She didn't hesitate in aiming, didn't hesitate in pulling the trigger.

Her only regret was that it had ended so soon.

The force of the bullet knocked him backwards and Locksley landed in a stunned heap on the floor. The blade in his hand glittered in the light as his grip slackened, clattering on the stone floor, the noise sounding impossibly loud.

She watched him, watched him die. Watched as his expression changed from stunned to horrified. Horrified to defeated.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she was dimly aware that his wound was identical to the one he'd inflicted on Elizabeth. How fitting that he'd died exactly the same way.

When it was over, Sam pushed herself up onto her knees with a pained groan. Using what little strength she had before it deserted her, she crawled across the cold floor and collapsed beside the chair. With hands that trembled, she undid the ropes binding Jack and stared up at him as he moved.

His eyes were glazed but at least he was conscious. At least he was alive.

"Phone. Right pocket."

Three words were all she managed before her eyes rolled back into her head and darkness claimed her as its own.

=*=

/part eight

=*=

Familiar noises, familiar smells.

She didn't need to open her eyes to know where she was.

SGC Infirmary. Great.

"I think she's awake," came a familiar, mock-whispered voice. "Do you think she's awake?"

"I do not know," came the also familiar response. "O'Neill, however, is and he does not look amused, Daniel Jackson."

Then she heard Jack's voice and let her eyes slowly open. "Keep it down, will you? We're trying to get some sleep!"

"Sam, hi!" Daniel was the first to notice her eyes were open, standing at the end of her bed as Teal'c stood at the end of Jack's. His expression was concerned but his eyes showed his confusion. "How are you feeling?"

She tried to sit up and groaned, falling back onto the pillows with a soft sigh. "I've been better. When did you guys get back?"

"We got back yesterday." Daniel sat down on the end of her bed, looking from her face to Jack's. "General Hammond didn't say what happened so.. What did happen to you?"

Sam glanced at Jack and Jack glanced back at her. "It's a long story," she answered eventually. "We'll tell you about it.. Later." She managed a small, reassuring smile then let her eyes slide closed, sensing more than seeing the glances Teal'c and Daniel exchanged.

"So, how was the trip with SG-7?" She heard Jack ask the question in some distant part of her mind, knowing that he'd done it to give her time to compose herself.

She faded out as Daniel started to answer with the occasional input from Teal'c, letting her mind wander to other, less pleasant things.

Locksley was dead. The NID were, as far as she knew, gone. It was all over so why did it feel like there was still something left to do?

It was an anti-climax. She didn't feel the relief she'd expected to feel, didn't feel the triumph or the satisfaction.

Locksley was gone but so was Liz.

Killing him hadn't brought her back.

It was hard to believe that her work of ten years was at an end. That she was free to do whatever she wanted to do. Hard to believe everything she'd done and been through had finally paid off.

But had it?

If it was really over, if she'd really achieved everything she'd set out to achieve, why did she feel like she was at such a loss?

Why did she feel like there was still something she need to do?

Sighing softly, Sam let herself fall into a restless sleep, hoping it would provide her with the answers she needed and the closure she desperately sought.

=*=

It was a beautiful day, one of the nicest Colorado Springs had seen in a long time. The sun was shining, the birds were singing. The grass where she knelt was slightly damp with morning dew.

Sam didn't see any of it. Didn't feel the sun on her back or hear the trees around her sway softly.

She saw nothing but the smooth grey stone in front of her and the yellow roses she'd laid upon it.

"It's over, Lizzie," she whispered, clasping her hands together as she knelt before the grave. "Locksley's gone, he finally paid for what he did to you. The NID are all but gone. There are a few people we haven't found yet but the President issued warrants for their arrests. It's only a matter of time before all the loose ends are tied up." She sighed softly, felt the tear fall from her eye but did nothing to stop it. "I wish you were here, Liz. I wish you could've been around to see it happen."

She fell silent and heard the soft sound of footfall. Jack put a hand on her shoulder and she leaned into the touch. "I'm sure she was watching. Wherever she is, I'm sure she was with you."

"I'd like to think so," she admitted with a sigh. "She didn't deserve to die, Jack. All she did was love him and it got her killed."

"It got him killed, too. You did it, Sam. You made him pay for her death and it's time for you to let it go." His hand moved down her arm and his hand latched onto hers. When he rose he brought her with him, lifting her hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "It's time we put it behind us and moved on."

With another sigh, Sam let him lead her away from the grave, resisting the urge to glance back over her shoulder. He was right, she had to let go. No matter how hard it was. "I still have secrets, Jack." She leaned in him as his arm slid around her waist, letting her head rest lightly against his shoulder. "There are still a lot of things about me you don't know."

"The same is probably true for me." He gave her waist a gentle squeeze and kept the pace slow. Leisurely. They were still recovering, were on downtime for a week. He didn't want to rush or waste any of the time they had. "I don't know how much you know but I'm pretty sure there are things you don't. Things that were sealed by the very people who supplied you with your information."

"So what do we do now? We both have secrets, not all of them pleasant." She stopped walking and turned to face him, her eyes searching his for some sort of sign, for a hint at what he was thinking. "Are we going to be okay with that?"

He lifted his hands and cupped her face, leaning in to brush her lips lightly with his own. "We're going to be okay with it," he murmured, his tone reassuring. "Why don't we take it in turns to share one of our secrets? Then eventually, one day, we'll know everything there is to know about each other. Does that sound okay to you?"

"I suppose so." She closed her eyes when he kissed her again, managed a small smile when he pulled away and started them walking again. "So who goes first?"

Jack searched his mind, found a memory that was still a secret and smiled to himself in recollection. "I'll go first," he volunteered. "I think it's time we concentrated on something nice so.. I've got one."

"I'm listening." And she was. The nicer the secret the better.

He chuckled warmly, the sound a welcome one, and Sam leaned into him, waiting for him to speak.

"You remember when I was trapped with Teal'c in those time loops? Well, there's something I didn't tell you.."

=*=

/epilogue

=*=

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