DISCLAIMER AND AUTHOR'S NOTE: All StarGate SG-1 stuff is the legal property of MGM. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fiction. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies may be made for private use only and must include this copyright notice and disclaimer. I got some ideas for this story from Ashley McConnell's novel StarGate SG-1: The First Amendment. This story is the sequel to Alliances.

Be Careful What You Wish For
By Kristjan Brezovnik

Alexandra Morris, a reporter, was busy again. She had spent the past fourteen hours in front of her laptop, trying to make sense of the data she had gathered. Fortunately, her parents were visiting and her mother took care of lunch and her daughter. But the extra time didn't help, all she got were dead ends.

While doing a research for another article, she had found out that some people, mostly homeless, had disappeared without a trace and that they had been seen talking to well dressed people before they disappeared. She had done some additional research and found out that they were all sick, most of them terminally, and listed as dead. She finished the article and then tried to find out what had happened to the disappeared and why.

It had taken her two months to find the people she believed were responsible for the disappearances, but she couldn't identify them. She had observed them and photographed them and finally followed their transport, but she had only gotten as far as a military airbase, from where the people had been flown out in a Hercules. She had looked around to determine the points of the compass and then waited to see where the plain would disappear beyond the horizon. Then she had checked her road map, but it didn't show airbases.

When she had gotten home, she had checked a better map and found out that there were quite a few airbases in that direction, but none looked like top secret. But then she had noticed the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. It had been a long shot, but she had had nothing to lose by giving it a try.

And so she had set up a camera and after a couple more months of surveillance, she was sure that the people had been transported there. She still wondered what happened to them there.

It had looked like a dead end, but then she decided to check out the personnel, especially those with the rank of and above major. And, of course, the civilians, one of whom had seemed familiar to her and she had checked him out first. She had been surprised to find out he was an expert historian and archeologist, albeit a controversial one. She wondered, confused, what he was doing there.

And then there was the guy with the weird tattoo on his forehead. She had checked every database she could get access to, but she couldn't find him anywhere. Or his tattoo for that matter.

"Alex, you should go to bed now," her mother interrupted her thoughts.

Alex jerked, startled, and nodded.

"Yeah, I know. This is one…"

"I know him!" her mother said and pointed at Teal'c's picture on the screen.

Alex looked at her, surprised.

"You do?"

"Yes! Remember that story Dad and I used to tell you? About the aliens we met in 1969?"

"Yeah?" She looked at the picture on the screen and frowned. "You're telling me he's one of them?"

"Yes."

Alex stared at the picture for a few moments and then got an idea.

"Hold on," she said as she accessed a database and called up the files on the three people she had seen with Teal'c most often.

"That's them!" her mother recognized them.

They both stared at the pictures, confused.

"But how?" Alex finally asked.

"I don't know, honey. But you should get some sleep."

"You think I'll be able to sleep?"

Her mother smiled.

"Probably not, but you should get some rest, tomorrow is Jamie's big day."

Alex slapped her forehead.

"I completely forgot. Did Dan…"

"Everything's been taken care of."

"Good," Alex said, relieved, and turned off the laptop. She got up and stretched. "This is getting really weird," she said.

Her mother smiled.

"I'm sure you'll be able to solve it," she said.

"I'm not so sure."

The next day, while she was watching her daughter's performance, Alex couldn't help but think about the strange fact that the four people her parents met in 1969, she wasn't sure they were really aliens, were still around and working for the military. She also doubted that the military discovered a way to travel through time.

"You okay, honey?" her husband asked, noticing that she was unusually quiet.

Alex jerked.

"What? Oh. Yes. I was just thinking about something." She nodded at Jamie. "I told her she should have practiced that part more."

Her husband smiled.

"You're paying attention?"

"Of course. Computers aren't the only ones that can do multitasking."

Her husband's smile widened and he shook his head.

When they finally got home, Alex went back to her computer. She spent the rest of the day and most of the night trying to find out more about the four people her parents had met in 1969. All, except Dr Jackson, had mostly been working on top secret assignments and she couldn't find out much about them, except that Major Carter had a Ph.D. in astrophysics. And, of course, she couldn't find anything at all about the guy with the tattoo, not even his name. When she finally went to bed, she remembered that it was about time to change the tape in the camera.

Dr Melissa Carpenter almost jumped, astonished, when she heard voices in her apartment. She knew all devices were turned off, except one. She ran to the hiding place and took out one of the strange devices. Then she waited.

A minute or so later, the voices returned.

"Bra'tac to Hammond of Texas. Respond."

She knew Bra'tac was an unusual name, even more so for an American. And who was this Hammond of Texas? Did the Americans make contact with the Goa'uld? She hoped not. Then, finally, someone answered.

"Master Bra'tac, this is General Hammond. Where are you?"

"I am in a damaged glider. I have passed the fourth planet of your system several hours ago. I will reach your planet tomorrow, but I am unable to land."

"Can you make orbit?"

"Yes."

"Good. We will have a shuttle waiting for you."

"Good."

"Are you being pursued?"

"No."

"Good. Em, I was told that this device is not secure."

"Yes. We should cease communications until I reach orbit."

"Understood. Good luck. Hammond out."

Melissa thought fervently. Master Bra'tac? A Goa'uld? General Hammond from Texas? She wondered what was going on. She knew there was only one way, well two, they could have made contact with the Goa'uld, unless the Goa'uld made contact first. Or Seth or Hathor or one of the other three minor Goa'uld that she knew had remained on Earth made contact. She doubted that was the case because the Goa'uld would long have invaded the planet. Which meant the chaapa'ai. Either they found the one buried somewhere in Egypt or they found the one somewhere in Antarctic. She needed to find out what was going on. She immediately started to pack.

In SGC, things were busy as usual. After the brief excitement when he was notified that someone was calling him via the Tok'Ra communications device, Hammond informed his superiors about Bra'tac. Then he went to the briefing room where SG-1 was waiting for him. Or they were at least supposed to be.

"Where are Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c? " he asked Carter and Jackson.

"Colonel O'Neill just called. He said he and Teal'c are on their…"

In that moment the door opened and O'Neill and Teal'c entered.

"Sorry we're late, Sir," O'Neill apologized, obviously in a good mood.

"Where were you?"

"In Roswell, Sir."

Hammond frowned and Carter and Jackson fought hard not to laugh.

"Roswell?"

"Yes, Sir."

"What in God's name were you doing there?"

"Well, Sir," O'Neill started, grinning sheepishly, "I wanted to put an end to doubts about there ever being an alien in Roswell."

Jackson coughed, trying hard not laugh. Hammond ignored him.

"Very funny," he said. "Can we now move to the business at hand, Colonel?"

O'Neill grinned.

"Yes, Sir," he said and as he and Teal'c took their seats.

"This was supposed to be a mission briefing, but the mission will have to be postponed for at least a day."

"Why, Sir?" Carter asked.

"We… I received a message from Bra'tac via that Tok'Ra communications device."

O'Neill's face became serious.

"Sir?"

"His glider is damaged and he can't land. He will reach orbit tomorrow and we will send up a shuttle to retrieve him."

"So we wait for him?" Carter asked.

"Yes. I want you here, in case I need to send you with him."

"Does that mean we can go back to Roswell?" O'Neill asked.

Hammond glared at him.

"That was not funny."

"No, Sir, of course not," O'Neill said, trying not to laugh.

"I will call you when he arrives. Dismissed."

The next day, Alex was about to change the tape in her camera when she noticed that she wasn't alone. She looked around and saw someone else sneaking around. She turned the camera and tried to get a close-up. Unfortunately, the person was good at hiding.

Just then a humvee approached the base and Alex zoomed in on it to see who was arriving. She was surprised to see a strangely dressed older man with a similar tattoo as one of the people her parents met.

The humvee entered the base and disappeared into the mountain. A few moments later, two trucks left. Alex zoomed in on them, but she could detect nothing out of the ordinary. She turned around to see if she could get a better look at the other person, but the person was gone.

She changed the tape and was about to head back when she spotted the other person, a woman, obviously running from something. It took her a few moments to see the soldiers. She almost started to run, but then decided to stay put and hope they would stop looking for her when they caught the woman.

The soldiers quickly caught the other woman, but they didn't stop looking. Alex hesitated for a few moments and then decided to sneak away. She turned around and froze when she saw a gun pointed at her head. She quickly raised her hands and looked up. The soldiers grabbed her, pulled her on her feet and then searched her.

"Sir, I found a camera," one of the soldiers reported.

The lieutenant in charge took it and looked at it.

"Is this the only camera?" he asked menacingly.

Alex nodded, scared.

"Take her to the base."

On their way to the base, Alex observed the other woman, wondering who she was and what she was doing there. Melissa, in turn, also observed her, also wondering who she was. Neither woman spoke.

General Anthony Fitzgerald, currently in charge of the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, took his time before he came in with his aide. He glanced their IDs.

"A doctor and a reporter," he said. "Have they been checked out?" he asked, even though he knew that they had.

"Yes, Sir," a major said. "They check out."

Fitzgerald took the camera.

"Have somebody search her apartment and her office for other tapes. And be discrete."

"Yes, Sir," the aide said.

Fitzgerald then took the strange device which had been taken off the doctor.

"Where did you get this?" he asked.

"It belonged to my grandmother," Melissa said.

Fitzgerald raised an eyebrow.

"Call General Hammond," he ordered, and Melissa stiffened.

"Yes, Sir," the aide said and left.

Fitzgerald then observed the two women for a few moments.

"Ladies, you're in deep shit," he then said slowly and looked at Alex. "Especially you. Spying on a restricted military installation is a criminal offense. At least it was the last time I checked. You want to tell me why? If you wanted to get a look around, we have guided tours, you know."

"Yes."

"And?"

"I was investigating mysterious disappearances of the terminally ill and the homeless."

Fitzgerald gave her a puzzled look.

"What does this have to do with this installation?"

"I tracked them to here."

Fitzgerald looked around, confused.

"This is a military installation. We're not a medical facility. Nor are we a shelter for the homeless."

"I know that."

Fitzgerald thought for a moment and then looked at Melissa.

"And what's your excuse, Doctor?"

"I got lost."

"How convenient. Or should I say inconvenient?"

"Anthony?" Hammond said when he came in with the aide.

"Hello, George."

"I was just in the middle of…"

"Recognize this?" Fitzgerald cut him off and showed him the strange device.

Hammond frowned.

"Where did you get this?"

"From her," Fitzgerald said and pointed at Melissa.

Hammond looked at her.

"Where did you get this?"

"It belonged to my grandmother," Melissa said. "It's my lucky charm."

"Not so lucky," Fitzgerald commented.

Hammond stared at her for a few moments and then turned to Fitzgerald's aide.

"Call Major Carter."

"Yes, Sir," the aide said and left.

"You recognize it?" Fitzgerald asked and nodded at the device.

"Yes."

"Don't tell me, it's classified," Fitzgerald said when Hammond offered no explanation.

"Yes."

"Why did you call Carter?"

"She's… an expert. If she confirms my suspicions, I'll have to take them downstairs."

Fitzgerald grimaced.

"I want a report on matters regarding security."

"You'll get it."

Then they waited.

Alex noticed how much they were interested in the strange device and she wondered what it was and why it was so important. She also noticed that while Fitzgerald was in charge or the installation, Hammond obviously outranked him when it came to the strange device. She also wondered whether Major Carter was the same Major Carter she had investigated.

Finally, about a minute later, Carter arrived. It was the same Carter.

"Sir?"

Hammond showed her the device.

"Recognize this?"

"Yes, Sir. But, I thought…" She trailed off, remembering that she was not free to speak. "Where did you get it?"

"From her," Hammond said and pointed at Melissa.

Carter slowly approached her, leaned closer and almost immediately pulled back, surprised.

"Sir, she's…"

She trailed off, but Hammond understood.

"And her?" he asked and pointed at Alex.

Carter went to Alex, who tried to back off, not knowing what Carter was looking for and definitely not wanting it, but she couldn't.

"She's okay," Carter declared after a moment and Alex let out the air she didn't know she was holding.

"Good." Hammond turned to Fitzgerald. "I'd like to take them down now. And I'd like to get a look at the tapes."

"I'll send you copies."

Hammond nodded.

"I'll need an escort. And have someone call downstairs for the guards to be ready."

Fitzgerald nodded.

"Major."

"Yes, Sir."

The major nodded at a soldier, who then packed all the confiscated items, except for the strange device, which Hammond was holding and didn't look like he was going to let go of, and for the tape, which was being analyzed.

On the way downstairs, Melissa noticed that the security measures were getting stricter, especially on the last level. She was relieved, however, that there were no Jaffa or Goa'uld present, except for Major Carter, who felt like she had once had a Goa'uld in her.

"Put Mrs Morris in here and Ms Carpenter in the next one," Hammond ordered. "And don't let them out of your sight." As the women were taken away, he turned to Carter. "Major, call Teal'c and Bra'tac and interrogate Ms Carpenter. Doctor Jackson may assist you."

"Yes, Sir."

"And send Colonel O'Neill to Mrs Morris."

"Yes, Sir."

Carter left and Hammond went to Alex.

"Mrs Morris, what do you know about Ms Carpenter?"

"Why? What's wrong with her?"

"That's classified. What do you know about her?"

"Only that her last name is Carpenter and that she's apparently a doctor. I've never seen her before."

"How long have you been spying on the installation?"

"Six months."

"Why?

"I was investigating mysterious disappearances of the terminally ill and the homeless."

"I see."

"You know what I'm talking about?"

"Yes. You can rest assured that they all came here voluntarily."

"Why?"

"That's classified."

"What is this place?"

"That's classified."

Alex rolled her eyes.

"What else."

While Hammond was doing his best interrogating Alex, Carter fetched the rest of SG-1 and Bra'tac. As they were passing the power station, Teal'c and Bra'tac suddenly stopped.

"Teal'c?" O'Neill asked.

Teal'c didn't respond and he and Bra'tac entered. The rest of SG-1 followed.

"O'Neill," Teal'c said and pointed at a strange device which was attached to the main power cables.

"What's that?"

"A bomb," Bra'tac said.

"How did you know?"

"We didn't. We heard some noise."

"Can you disable it?" Carter asked.

Bra'tac studied the bomb for a moment.

"Yes."

"Daniel, get General Hammond and tell him we have an intruder. Teal'c get the TER guns, Carter, check the tapes. I'll watch Bra'tac's back."

In the briefing room, Hammond was getting nowhere with the interrogation and he was starting to wonder where O'Neill was.

"Sir, we have an intruder," Jackson said as he burst through the door.

"I know, Doctor," Hammond said and pointed at Alex. "She's one of them. Where's Colonel O'Neill?"

Jackson blinked, surprised.

"She planted the bomb?"

"What bomb?" Hammond asked, confused.

"Teal'c and Bra'tac found a bomb in the power station."

"What?"

"Sam is checking the tapes, Teal'c went to get the TER guns and Jack is watching Bra'tac's back."

"TER guns?"

"Bra'tac and Teal'c heard some noise, but there was no one there."

"The Reetou?"

Jackson shook his head.

"No. Teal'c and Bra'tac would have felt them."

"Don't let her out of your sight," Hammond ordered the guards and left with Jackson.

"Major?"

Carter looked at Hammond.

"Somebody placed the bomb just before we came in. Whoever it was, he was cloaked. I think it might be a Goa'uld spy.

Hammond turned to Simmons.

"Seal the base and sound the alarm."

"Yes, Sir."

"How is Bra'tac doing?"

"He's done, Sir," O'Neill said as he, Bra'tac and Teal'c came in, TER guns ready.

"Already?" Hammond said, surprised.

"It was a very simple bomb," Bra'tac said and showed it to Hammond.

"We checked the power station and sealed it," O'Neill reported. "This room's clear."

"We have him!" a lieutenant called.

"Put it on the monitor."

"Yes, Sir."

"Let's go," O'Neill said when he saw which camera was active.

Alex wondered what the hell was going on. An intruder? This deep in Cheyenne Mountain? And what the hell was a Reetou? She heard shots and then an explosion rocked the base. She noticed that the two guards would rather be out there hunting the intruder than babysitting her. Well, tough luck.

Then the shooting got closer and she noticed that it wasn't just gun shots, it was something else as well, something powerful, judging from the explosions she head after each shot. And the fight was getting closer. She didn't like it.

Then someone tried to open the other door, but it was locked. The two guards readied their weapons and, when the door-handle started to look like it was being electrified, moved toward it. The door opened, but no one came through. The guards hesitated, confused, and Alex backed into the corner.

And then, out of nowhere, someone shot at the two soldiers with an energy weapon, and they fell down, convulsing in pain. A few moments later, half of the shooter became visible and Alex was shocked when she saw his strange dress, his glowing eyes and his strange weapon. When the man noticed that she could see him, he moved and became invisible again. Just as he moved, someone shot at him and an energy bolt exploded above her head. Then someone, she guessed it was the intruder, grabbed her and she screamed.

"Silence," a deep voice said and supported his statement by pressing a weapon to her head.

She gulped and the man started to drag her out in front of him. Just when he opened the door to the hall, a soldier with a strange gun looked through the other door and Alex noticed that when he pointed the weapon toward her, the intruder became visible. The intruder shot his weapon at the soldier, who immediately backed off.

As the intruder dragged her along, shooting at everyone, Alex noticed that he was incredibly strong. He dragged her in some sort of control room and shot the entire personnel, including, she noticed, General Hammond and Major Carter. Then he started to type something and the circular device she could see through the window started to move and then suddenly water erupted out of it and finally settled into a smooth vertical surface. Two soldiers looked in and the intruder shot at them.

Then he dragged her out and to the room with the circular device, shooting at the soldiers all the time, who were reluctant to shoot at him for fear of hitting her. When they moved up the ramp, Alex realized that the circular device was actually a gate of some sort.

"Shoot them!" an order came through the speaker.

Alex looked up and saw it was Hammond. She gulped as the soldiers took aim. The intruder stepped into the vertical pool of water and Alex gasped…

…and found herself looking at the device. Only it was another device, somewhere outside. As the intruder dragged her to another strange device near the device, she noticed that there were four moons in the sky, which mean that she wasn't on Earth.

The intruder waited by the device for a few moments, then swore in a strange language and started to drag her away.

In control room, Hammond swore as the Goa'uld and Alex disappeared through the gate.

"Major?" he asked when he noticed that Carter was busy at the controls.

"I'm keeping the gate open so he won't be able to leave the planet."

"Why?"

"Because I don't think he went straight home."

"General, everything okay?" O'Neill asked as he arrived.

Hammond nodded.

"Yes. SG-1, get ready to pursue the Goa'uld. Master Bra'tac, I would like you to go with them."

Bra'tac nodded.

"I would be honored."

"Get ready." He looked at Simmons. "I want the base searched for other bombs."

"Yes, Sir."

In the briefing room, Melissa waited nervously, wondering what was going on. She soon found out when something exploded in the adjoining room, where she knew the other woman was being kept, and the guards looked out and got shot. She saw that the shooter was a Goa'uld and he was holding the other woman hostage.

As the commotion passed, Melissa considered trying to run away, but she knew she had no chance of reaching the chaapa'ai, not that she had anywhere to go, and she knew that she couldn't get out of the installation. So she decided to do what she did best, be a doctor.

She went to the two downed guards and examined them.

"You'll be fine," she declared, "but report to infirmary just in case."

She got up and left. One of the soldiers made a feeble attempt to stop her, but he couldn't. As she walked around, she asked a soldier where the explosion happened. He told her, but she still had some trouble finding it.

She saw it was bad, some soldiers buried under debris, the doctors working fast to save the wounded. She saw a man who had just been excavated. She went to him and started to examine him.

"Who are you?" Fraiser asked her when she noticed her.

Melissa, turned, surprised.

"Doctor Carpenter."

"I have no Doctor Carpenter on my staff."

"I'm just visiting."

"Oh."

"This man will need a surgery. Severe trauma to the left lung. It may have to be removed."

"How were you able to diagnose that so fast?" Fraiser asked, surprised.

"Experience."

Fraiser raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

On the alien planet, her kidnapper suddenly started to feel sick, Alex noticed. The man said something in a strange language and Alex figured he swore.

"Quiet, or we're both dead," he then whispered.

Alex looked around, but she saw no one. Then again, she didn't even see her kidnapper, only felt him, so there was no reason not to believe him. And if he was nervous, she though, then she should be on the verge of panic right now. So it was just as well that she didn't see the enemy.

"We're ready, Sir," O'Neill reported, looking up to control room.

"Send the probe through," Hammond ordered.

"Yes, Sir."

The MALP, which was equipped with a TER gun, entered the gate.

"All clear, Sir," Simmons reported when the MALP did a three-sixty scan of the area.

"SG-1, you are clear to proceed."

SG-1 moved.

"Sir, the other prisoner has disappeared," a lieutenant reported.

"What? Find her!"

"We're already searching, Sir."

"Good. Dismissed."

"All clear, Sir," Carter reported when they did a scan of the perimeter.

"O'Neill," Teal'c said and pointed at a barely visible trail.

"Okay, let's spread out."

They did and moved slightly behind Teal'c, who was following the trail.

"Too bad you don't have any Goa'uld healing devices," Melissa said as she assisted Fraiser with an operation.

"We have, but we can't use them," Fraiser said. "Scalpel."

"I can," Melissa said.

Fraiser glanced at her.

"You're not a Goa'uld."

"I am."

"What?" Fraiser said, surprised, and quickly pulled her hands back, not wanting to risk making a wrong incision.

"I'm a Goa'uld. I mean, I carry one in me."

"You're a Tok'Ra?"

"Tok'Ra?" Melissa said, surprised. "Well, no, not exactly. Look, if I wanted to cause damage, I wouldn't be here trying to save this man's life, would I? If you have a Goa'uld healing device, I can use it."

Fraiser hesitated for a moment.

"Okay," she then agreed, realizing that she had a point.

On the alien planet, Teal'c and Bra'tac suddenly started to feel sick.

"I don't like that," O'Neill said.

"Me neither," Jackson agreed.

"There," Bra'tac said.

They approached the edge of a small basin and ran their TER guns across it. It was full of Reetou.

"Damn," O'Neill swore.

Teal'c went back to the trail.

"Carter, Daniel, watch our backs," O'Neill ordered.

"Yes, Sir," Carter said.

"Sir, we've found three more bombs."

"Already? Were you able to disable them?"

"Yes, Sir."

"I better notify General Fitzgerald. Dismissed."

"O'Neill," Bra'tac said.

"I see them. Let's spread."

The Goa'uld immediately noticed them and he was already holding Alex as a shield again.

"You have a problem, pal!" O'Neill called. "We're not here to rescue her, we're here to kill you!"

He played a good target for the Goa'uld as he slowly took aim.

The Goa'uld took the bait and tried to shoot him, but Alex used the opportunity, elbowed him in the stomach and hit the ground. A moment later, an expert shot from Bra'tac took off his arm. As the Goa'uld grabbed the spot where his arm used to be attached to the rest of his body, Teal'c and Bra'tac moved. Bra'tac deactivated and removed the cloaking device and Teal'c stunned him with the Zat gun. Then they searched him.

"You okay?" O'Neill asked Alex.

Alex glared at him.

"Okay? You tried to shoot me."

O'Neill grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry about that."

"Very funny. You wanna tell me what the fuck is going on?"

"I'm afraid that's classified."

"Bullshit! You tell me or there's gonna be an interesting story in the newspapers tomorrow."

O'Neill grinned.

"Sir, they heard the shots!" Carter called as she and Jackson ran toward them.

"Damn. Teal'c, grab the Goa'uld and carry him. Daniel, you take Alex and dial home. The rest of us will cover you. Move!"

"Come," Jackson said and started for the gate.

Alex hesitated for a moment and then followed him. Teal'c picked up the Goa'uld and O'Neill and Carter picked up the devices they found on him. Then they went to the gate.

"Who are we running from?" Alex asked as she ran after Jackson.

"The Reetou."

"What's that?"

"You'll probably see them when we get to the stargate."

"Stargate? That's the circular device, right?"

"Yes."

"What do they want?"

"The Reetou? Kill the Goa'uld. And since they can't, they want to kill all potential hosts and that includes us."

"What's a Goa'uld?"

"It's a long… Damn, there they are."

Alex looked and nearly stopped when she saw some weird creatures, which were obviously invisible, except when some sort of beam from the weird gun Jackson was carrying hit them.

"Jack, hurry up!" Jackson called.

They ran as fast as they could, but by the time they reached the gate, some of the Reetou got close enough to shoot. Jackson waved at the MALP and the gate closed. Then he dialed home and the gate opened again. He quickly entered the code.

"Go through," he told Alex and walked to the gate.

"What?"

"Go through. It's like stepping through a door."

Jackson turned around and blasted a Reetou that wanted to sneak through the gate. He stepped aside and let the MALP pass.

"Go through," he said again.

Alex hesitated for a moment and then stepped through. A few moments later, Teal'c came and went right through. Jackson scanned around and, seeing no Reetou, stepped through.

On the other side, Teal'c felt sick. He dropped the Goa'uld and scanned around with his TER gun. He spotted the Reetou and shot him. Then Carter, O'Neill and Bra'tac came through, shooting wildly.

"Close the gate!" O'Neill shouted when everyone was through.

The gate closed.

"One of them is still here," Bra'tac said, feeling sick.

They scanned around and Jackson blasted another Reetou.

"Any more?" O'Neill asked, scanning around.

"No," Bra'tac and straightened himself.

"Good." Then he noticed that Bra'tac was wounded. "You should…"

The alarm sounded again as someone from the outside tried to open the gate. The gate opened and the iris closed, but reopened again as a correct code came though.

"SG-7," O'Neill said, recognizing the people.

"O'Neill?" their leader asked as he looked around.

"A long story."

The Goa'uld spy started to move again and Teal'c shot him again with the Zat gun.

"Okay, now we're home," Alex said. "Somebody finally wanna tell me what's going on?"

O'Neill grinned.

"That's up to the General," he said. "General?"

Hammond glanced at the spy.

"Tie him up and take him to the brig. And don't let him out of your sight," he ordered.

The soldiers moved to fulfil his order.

"I have called the Tok'Ra," Hammond then said.

"Good. We found some nifty gadgets on him, like his cloaking device."

"Excellent." He stepped closer. "You didn't get it, it was destroyed."

"Yes, Sir," O'Neill said, grinning.

"Good work."

"General?" Alex said.

Hammond looked at her and thought for a moment.

"Do you want the long, scientific, version or the short one?"

"The short one," Alex said, surprised.

Hammond turned to O'Neill.

"Colonel."

"Me, Sir? But…"

"You like short and non-scientific explanations, I'm sure you can provide one for our guest here."

"Yes, Sir. Em, can I change first?"

"You can do it while you're changing," Alex said. "Let's go."

O'Neill looked at Hammond in mock horror and then led the way.

"Master Bra'tac, you should get your wound attended to," Hammond then said, noticing Bra'tac's wound.

Bra'tac nodded.

"Teal'c, escort him."

"Yes, General Hammond."

"Major, Colonel Samuels is arriving in two hours. I'd like some plausible explanations I can give to him that would shut his mouth."

Carter smiled.

"Yes, Sir."

"Dismissed."

In the infirmary, Melissa was still busy healing. All patients were going to live and so she concentrated on the most heavily wounded. But she was also getting tired.

"You can use…"

Melissa looked and backed off, surprised.

"Jaffa," she said, ready to defend herself.

"You are a Tok'Ra?" Teal'c asked.

"No, I carry a Goa'uld. Who do you serve?"

"No one. I fight with the Tau'ri and Master Bra'tac is fighting in his own way."

"You do not serve the Goa'uld?" Melissa asked, surprised.

"No."

"What is the name of your Goa'uld?" Bra'tac asked.

Melissa stared at him for a moment, not quite sure she could trust him.

"Jesus," she then said, deciding that she could trust him.

"Jesus?" Bra'tac said, surprised. "I thought he was dead."

"He survived."

Bra'tac thought for a moment.

"Will you heal me?" he asked.

Melissa hesitated for a moment and then came closer and started to heal him.

"What is that?" she asked when the alarm sounded again.

"Someone is coming through the stargate," Teal'c explained.

"Stargate?"

"Chaapa'ai."

"Oh."

"Jacob," Hammond greeted the Tok'Ra when he came through the gate.

"Hello, George."

The two men hugged.

"Martouf."

"General."

"You caught a Goa'uld spy?" Jacob then asked.

"Yes. He's in the brig." He hesitated for a moment. "We also captured his personal cloaking device."

"Really?" Martouf said and came closer.

"Yes." He looked around and stepped even closer to the men. "You don't have it?"

"No."

"Good. I don't want the NID to get their hands on it. Officially, it was destroyed. But I want to make it a cooperative scientific effort and I want your scientists included."

"We would appreciate that," Martouf said.

"Good. I'll let you know the details later."

"Good. Can we see the spy now?"

"Of course. This way."

When SG-1 was assembled in the briefing room, Alex was still full of questions.

"Everyone, as far as the cloak is concerned, it was destroyed when the spy was shot. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Sir," O'Neill said.

"You're going to lie?" Alex asked, surprised.

Hammond glanced at her and then looked at O'Neill.

"Did you tell her about Colonel Maybourne?"

"Only the things that are true."

Hammond did a double take and then decided to ignore the remark. He looked back at Alex.

"As you probably understand, not everyone in the military can be trusted. We will work with the Tok'Ra to examine the devices."

"Speaking of the Tok'Ra, have they arrived yet?" Carter asked.

"Yes. Your father has also come."

Carter smiled.

"Your dad's a Tok'Ra?" Alex asked.

"Yes."

"We're talking about General Jacob Carter here, right?"

"Yes."

"Thought so."

"General, Jesus wants you to know that he is in the infirmary," Teal'c said.

"Jesus?" Hammond said, confused.

"The Goa'uld. He has a female host."

Hammond frowned.

"Curly brown hair, green eyes?"

"Yes."

Hammond laughed.

"Sir?" O'Neill asked, confused.

"We've been looking all over the base for her, including the infirmary."

"But no one looks under a doctor's mask when the doctor is treating a patient," O'Neill said.

"Exactly, Colonel." He looked at Teal'c. "What was she doing there? Healing?"

"Yes, General."

"Good. At least she's not dangerous."

"Em, excuse me," Alex said. "You said Jesus. Are we talking the son-of-God Jesus? The one from the Bible?"

Teal'c thought about it.

"I don't know. You will have to ask him."

"Oh."

"I think I know him," Carter said thoughtfully.

"Major?"

"Jesus. I mean, I think Jolinar knew him. I think they were close."

"Really?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Understood. Do you have an explanation for Colonel Samuels?"

"Working on it, Sir. I just need to refine it." She looked at Alex. "Perhaps you could help me."

"Me?" Alex said, confused. "At what, exactly?"

"Find a good explanation as to how the spy could get in."

"I'm not an expert…"

"I'm putting the blame on the Pentagon and the Senate for cutting our budget and I need some help with that."

"Oh," Alex said, grinning. "I can do that."

"Good."

"I want your reports by the time Colonel Samuels gets here." He looked at Alex. "Any questions?"

"I don't know where to begin. But the most important ones have been answered. Except about the missing people. What do you tell them?"

"Well, as a matter of fact," Hammond said, glancing at his watch, "another group is arriving in three hours. You can see then."

"Oh. Okay."

"Good. Anything else?"

"Yes. Em, my Mom recognized SG-1. I'll have to tell her something."

"We'll think of something," Hammond said. "Anything else? Dismissed."

After that, Hammond went to the brig.

"Anything?"

Jacob shook his head.

"No. I doubt we will gain any information from him. He already tried to kill himself twice."

"Then you might as well stop."

Jacob nodded.

"Lantash."

Lantash turned and nodded, then let Martouf take over.

"You should stun him, if you don't want him to kill himself," he said.

Hammond nodded.

"I will have the guards use the Zat gun."

"Zat gun?"

"It's short for that Goa'uld gun, Zat-something."

"Ah."

"Let's go to the infirmary now, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

"Doctor Carpenter."

Melissa turned.

"General Hammond. I'm…" She trailed off, noticing the Tok'Ra. "Goa'uld or Tok'Ra?"

"Tok'Ra," Jacob said. "I am Jacob, host to Selmak."

"Selmak!" Melissa said, recognizing the name.

"You know him?

Melissa nodded.

"I have heard of him." She looked at Martouf. "And you are?"

"Martouf, host to Lantash."

"Lantash!"

"You know him?"

"Yes. He and I competed for Jolinar's affections for a while."

Martouf let Lantash take over.

"There were many competing for Jolinar's affections."

Melissa let Jesus take over.

"But only you and I stood any chance. I am Jesus."

"Jesus?" Lantash said, surprised. "I thought you had died."

"I survived. And I have changed. How is Jolinar?"

"She is dead."

Jesus' face became serious.

"I am sorry to hear that."

Lantash nodded.

"Have you met Major Carter?"

"Yes."

"She was Jolinar's last host."

"I see." He thought for a moment and then let Melissa take over again. She looked at Hammond. "I am sorry if I made you worry, but I am a doctor and when the bomb exploded, I just had to help."

Hammond nodded.

"I understand."

"How is… Mrs Morris? I saw the Goa'uld took her hostage."

"She is safe."

"Have you caught the spy?"

"Yes."

Melissa thought for a moment.

"If I got things correctly, you fight the Goa'uld. Right?"

"Yes."

"Good. At first I thought you were collaborating with them."

"I see."

"Em, do you mind if I finish here and then come to your office? I'd like to catch up and I'm sure you'd like to know more about me and my symbiont."

"Yes, I would."

Melissa smiled, looked around and then glanced at the clock on the wall.

"I should be finished in half an hour or so. Unless Doctor Fraiser needs my help."

"Does she know what you are?"

"Yes," Melissa said and showed him the Goa'uld healing device.

"I see. Have someone escort you to my office when you're done. I have enough security problems as it is."

"Okay."

Hammond turned to the Tok'Ra.

"I need to talk to you. Let's go to my office."

"Ah, Sir…"

"Come in, Major."

"Yes, Sir," Carter said and entered, followed by Alex. "Dad," she said and hugged Jacob.

"Hello, Sam," Jacob said and hugged her back.

"Martouf."

"Hello, Sam."

"Em, Sir, I have the report and the explanation you wanted."

"Ah, good. Tell the rest of the team and Master Bra'tac to come to the briefing room in ten minutes."

"Yes, Sir," Carter said and left.

Alex looked at Jacob.

"You're General Carter?" she asked him.

Jacob looked at her.

"Yes."

"And you have one of those… Goa'uld things in you?"

Jacob glanced at Hammond, who nodded.

"Yes. His name is Selmak. And we prefer to be called Tok'Ra."

"Yes, I was told. Sorry. Em, you accepted him voluntarily?"

"Yes. Well, almost," he corrected himself. "I was dying and so was his host. We saved each other's lives."

Alex looked at Hammond.

"So you pick the dying and the homeless because no one would miss them?"

Hammond nodded.

"Yes. Though apparently someone is missing them."

"Well, it was one hell of a job tracking them to here and that was all. I got lucky." She thought for a moment. "The guys upstairs, they have no idea what's going on down here, right?

"No, they don't."

"Thought so."

"Why don't you all go to the briefing room while I study the reports and the explanation."

"Oh, General, could you call upstairs and tell them that all the tapes are in my safe and all the files on my computer. I can give them the combination and the passwords. I don't want them scaring my family. Or even better, let me warn them that people would be coming."

Hammond thought for a moment.

"Let me talk to General Fitzgerald first."

"Okay."

"Major, Carter, Mrs Morris, I like your explanation."

"Thank you, Sir," Carter said.

The door opened and Melissa entered.

"Sorry I'm late."

"Have a seat, Doctor."

"Thank you," Melissa said and took a seat.

"Well, now that we are all gathered, Colonel Samuels will be here soon. As far as he is concerned, the cloak was destroyed. As far as we are concerned, I have made arrangements with the Tok'Ra."

"You will lie to your superiors?" Melissa asked, surprised.

"Ah, yes, you don't know what is going on here. Yes, we will. Colonel O'Neill, you will fill her in when we're finished here."

"Yes, Sir," O'Neill said, rolling his eyes.

"Good. Next matter are the new hosts for the Tok'Ra. They will arrive in approximately two hours. General Carter will wait here and escort them to their new home."

"You're recruiting hosts for the Tok'Ra?" Melissa asked.

"Yes. But none of them is forced to become a host, they can say no."

"Oh."

Hammond looked at Alex.

"Mrs Morris, I need to know what you will do once we let you go."

"You're gonna let me go?"

"I would, but that decision is not in my hands. That's why I need to know."

"Oh."

"You realize that everything you have seen and heard here is highly classified?"

"Yes." She smiled. "Don't worry, General, I'm not crazy, I know the consequences if I the world finds out what you do here. It'll be one hell of a chaos and that's not something I want."

"I'm glad we agree on that." He looked at Melissa. "And now about you? I'm afraid we don't know much about you, the symbiont, I mean."

Melissa let Jesus take over.

"I am Jesus."

"As in the son of God? The one from the Bible and stuff?" Alex asked.

Jesus looked at her and smiled.

"Yes, I'm afraid."

"Afraid? Why?" Alex asked, confused.

"Because I caused so many religions to come to be. I never much liked being considered a god, but so many millennia ago, we were all considered gods and I got used to it more than I wanted to."

"Oh." Alex thought for a moment. "So you're the Jesus from the Bible?"

"Well, not exactly. I saved his mother's life and she named him after me. I watched over him as he grew up and since my host was old, I asked him to be my new host. He agreed."

"So you were both named Jesus?"

"Yes."

"And when he was crucified, you saved his life."

Jesus nodded.

"Yes."

"Mhm. So you're a doctor or something?"

"Yes. I learned a lot from Human philosophers, compassion was one of them."

"You knew Jolinar," Carter said.

Jesus looked at her, smiling.

"Yes. You remember?"

"Yes, I have her memories. You and Lantash were rivals and then… something happened and she thought you had died."

Jesus nodded.

"Yes."

"Jesus," Hammond spoke, "we need to know your intentions."

Jesus looked at him, thinking.

"We need to find out more about what is going on." She looked at Jacob. "Would the Tok'Ra be willing to allow us to fight with them should we decide to leave Earth?"

Jacob glanced at Martouf.

"Yes."

Jesus nodded.

"Good."

"Good then," Hammond spoke. "This meeting is adjourned. Colonel O'Neill, fill Jesus in." He looked at Jacob and Martouf. "Perhaps one of you could tell her more about the Tok'Ra."

Martouf nodded.

"I will."

"Good."

Jesus looked at Carter.

"Major, I would speak with you about Jolinar, if it is all right with you."

Carter nodded.

"Sure."

"Good." Jesus turned to O'Neill. "Colonel?"

"Oh. Yes," O'Neill said when he remembered that he was supposed to fill her in.

"How did it go, Sir?" O'Neill asked Hammond several hours later when Samuels, the Tok'Ra, the hosts, Jesus and Alex were gone. "Samuels made an ass of himself?"

Hammond smiled.

"He was very angry, yes. I think Senator Kinsey had something to do with it. But that explanation Major Carter and Mrs Morris put together made him shut up."

O'Neill grinned.

"And what did he say about the Morris woman and Jesus?"

"Well, he was very reluctant to let them go, but General Carter made it a point that the Tok'Ra had no interest whatsoever in letting a Goa'uld with perhaps important information about Earth just leave. And besides, she, I mean, he, had already proven that he is primarily a doctor, not a ruler."

"And Mrs Morris?"

"After her tapes and her notes have been found and she swore not to tell anyone and even suggested she could be our eyes and ears in the newspaper community, Samuels pretty much had to let her off the hook."

"So now it's up to Kinsey?"

"I'm afraid so."

O'Neill grimaced as he remembered the Senator.

"So am I," he said and walked out of the office.

The End