Part 104
The small team shifted stealthily through the undergrowth. Jack, taking point, indicated silently to Carter to take the right flank then to Teal'c to take the left. Daniel, he indicted to him, was to follow him directly. The team split up, Teal'c and Sam slithered off into the wall of green fern-like fronds while Daniel and Jack weaved forward, stopping behind one tree after the next to check for hostiles.
Daniel's hands flexed on the handle of his M-9 as he eased himself back against a thick trunk of a tall tree. Jack peered carefully around the barrier and then disappeared from Daniel's view. The anthropologist wasn't sure if he should follow him or not. Normally Jack peered around the trunk then jerked his head for Daniel to know he wanted him to follow, but this time Jack disappeared without a signal, nor a whispered word. In fact, the forest surrounding him was deathly quiet.
Stretching himself as far around the trunk as he could, given he was still with his back against the bark, the young man eagerly searched what he could of the forest before he screwed his eyes shut tight, brought his gun up to the side of his face and straightened up once more. Jack was nowhere to be seen. While he remained motionless, trying to ascertain what his next move should be he heard a snap of a twig at a short distance away.
His heart thudded in his chest, his fingers flexed on the gun handle and he swallowed hard. As he prepared himself to peer around the trunk once more he suddenly felt a cold blunt object press to his temple. His head remained still but his eyes darted towards the touch and in a heart-stopping second he saw it was the barrel of a gun.
*
Over the clang of the heavy wood and iron door closing them in Jack could be heard growling, "Well, this is just peachy!"
The cell was small for one occupant, and absolutely too small for four of them. So narrow was it that Teal'c and Daniel could barely stand side-by-side, as their shoulder widths combined was almost wider than the room.
Sam ran her hands along the wall, trying to work out a way for them to escape, while Daniel went over to the high window, reached up on his tiptoes and managed to just get a glimpse of the outside world. As he dropped back down onto his flat foot again he slapped his hands together and said, "At least we'll have fresh air."
"Let's hope it doesn't rain," Sam muttered with a glance towards the windowless, barred hole in the wall.
Jack was inspecting the door for any clue as to how to open it, but there was no sigh of a handle on their side at all. "Talkative bunch, weren't they?" he sneered sarcastically about the aliens who stalked and caught them one-by-one then marched them to this cell without a word to them and only a handful of words.
More hopefully the major said, "They won't keep us locked up here forever.."
"Why not?" Jack asked, acerbically even though he didn't mean to.
She didn't appear to notice it as she made the point of, "I'm sure they'll have some kind of trial process..."
"For what?" Daniel asked then reminded her, "We did nothing wrong."
"Maybe they think we're the Goa'uld," she said with a shrug.
Jack looked at each of them in turn, swung around on the spot and started to hammer his fist against the door loudly. "Helllooooooo, excuse me.. I'd just like to say that we ARE NOT GOA'ULDS!!!" He thumped once more then sighed gruffly and allowed his hand to slide down the rough planks as he turned from the door.
Daniel gave him a blank stare. "Feel better?"
"Didn't hurt to try.." Jack retorted then winced when he looked at the side of his fist; it was red and angry-looking. "Well, actually.. it did!" he muttered.
"I don't think yelling is going to get through to them," the linguist stated as he slid down the white, powdery wall and sat with his knees bent due to the lack of room to stretch out.
"Really?" Jack sniped. "Have you come up with a language that 'might'?"
Daniel rolled his eyes and diverted his view from the man towering over him. "Considering they've barely 'spoken' a word-"
"No, then," Jack concluded bluntly.
Daniel glared at him, hugged his knees to his chest and stated pointedly, "Not 'yet'." Jack conceded that with a nod then looked at the blonde woman beside him.
"What do you make of this place?"
"I'd say its some kind of carved rock or stone. The walls seem very thick, if that window is anything to judge it by."
Jack and Sam watched as Teal'c reached up and shook the metal rods in the window fiercely. They didn't move.
"And obviously those aren't going anywhere.." the irritated colonel mumbled under his breath.
With his glasses perched up on top of his head Daniel's pressed the balls of his hands into his eyes. He sighed then rolled his head back and blinked at the three still standing in the tight cell. "Teal'c, have you ever seen these people before?"
Teal'c looked down at him. "I have not."
Jack sighed and glanced around the tight space. "Looks like we have to take turns at sitting down. Carter? Teal'c?" He indicated to what remained of the floor space beside Daniel and under their feet.
"I'm fine, thanks Colonel," Sam said.
"I, too, am quite capable of remaining on my feet for some time, O'Neill."
"Right, well I'll sit then," he muttered and squeezed next to Daniel.
They exchanged glances and Daniel said, "Guess you hate it when you're right."
"Meaning?"
With a swipe to his lips Daniel hugged his knees to his chest and said, "I was just thinking about what we were discussing in the locker room earlier."
Jack growled at the back of his throat, rolled his head back until he felt the wall behind him. "Yeah, Phil's definitely gonna have my balls for this!" He checked his watch but it was still only mid-afternoon on earth.
Sam turned around, folded her arms across her waist and pressed a foot against the door. "The good news is Stargate Command won't notice anything's wrong for another hour."
"That's *good* news?" Jack asked sardonically.
"If we can get out of here we can be back there before anyone has to start to worry about us."
"Or we have another hour to waste until the SGC realize we actually need back up out here!" He grumbled and closed his eyes.
Riling up, she said, "With all due respect, Sir.." She caught Daniel's eye and saw the way he was silently telling her to cut the conversation by making actions against his throat with his finger. With a heavy sigh through her nose the major turned her face away and stared at the corner of the room. The group fell into a long, strained silence.
*
Graham knocked briskly on the General's door, interrupting his meeting with Major Davis. "Sir," he said as he leaned in on the handle. "SG-1 have failed to return their probe on time."
The General exchanged looks with the Major and rose to his feet to follow the lieutenant to the control room. "Open a communication to P3x5891."
The young man sat in his chair and quickly tapped in the required coordinates, all the time keeping his concerns in check. Once the wormhole was established Hammond sent a message to the MALP, which remained on the edge of the dais on that world, and tried to reach his missing team.
*
The mood of the trapped team had not improved over the past few hours. No one had spoken since their initial conversation and each were quietly pondering their own thoughts and left to await a rescue that didn't appear to be coming.
Sam had slid down the wall a short while ago and, like the men, now sat with her legs bent and her arms resting on her knees. There was just enough room for Teal'c to join them on the dirty cell floor but he remained standing and appeared to be in a state of meditation. The light outside was fading, as was the light inside.
Jack was concerned about Philip at home - by now his lover would be aware that something had gone wrong and, despite all of Jack's promises less than twenty-four hours ago, the 'old man' wasn't coming home for dinner tonight nor would he be there to discuss the sketches Phil had probably been working on all day. His heart ached at the thought that Philip would be left alone and confused about this event. He was angry with himself for promising him something he couldn't give him and he regretted the argument they'd had last night about his job. Phil was right - it was stupid to think that not telling him anything made the waiting easier.
With a quiet growl the colonel rubbed his hand down his face as he rolled his head back and allowed it to thump against the hard wall. Daniel rolled his head to the side and looked at the man huddled beside him.
"You okay?" the anthropologist whispered. Jack's head jerked up and heavy eyes peered at him.
"Huh?" He didn't need him to repeat the question though. As he rubbed his face he bemoaned, "We're four hours overdue."
"They've probably sent a rescue party," Daniel offered hopefully.
"Who are probably in the very next cell!"
"Jack-" the voice was a low, whisper of concern. Jack met the very concerned blue eyes. "Are you *sure* you're okay?"
The attitude the colonel had been exhibiting throughout the mission had the rest of his team duly concerned. He sighed heavily now; aware his mood was transparent despite his silence. With a shake of his head he told Daniel, "I'm too old for this shit!"
"What's that mean?" Sam asked as she lifted her face from her folded arms.
"Yeah," Daniel asked too. Jack held his hand towards Daniel.
"Your partner knows where you go and what you do, to some extent. Her partner knows. I don't even know if Teal'c has partner at the moment..."
"I do not," the Jaffa said matter-of-factly, surprising them all that he was actually listening to the conversation.
"See! But mine..?"
"Graham will tell him something," Daniel assured him.
"Or Janet will," Sam added.
"Peachy! I can picture the call right now. 'Where's Jack?' - ' For reasons of National security I can't tell you that' - 'Is he all right?' - "For reasons of National security I can't tell you that' - 'When will he be home?" - 'For reasons of National security -'."
"We, ah, get the idea, Jack." Daniel frowned and slotted his eyes towards Sam, who said nothing but widened her blue eyes in a subtle response. The younger man went on to say, "And it's not like it's any easier on our partners, just because they know.."
"In fact," Sam spoke up, "It's probably more difficult for them. Knowing what really goes on out here."
"And it's not like Janet or Graham are listed as our next of kin, so that means that should anything ever go wrong with us-"
"They'll know though, won't they?" Jack said flatly.
Daniel argued, "*When* they come on to work."
"Actually, Janet's already there, so she's probably worried sick right now."
Passionately, the anthropologist said, "And Graham would have been faced with the news when he came on at six o'clock for the night duty. He'll have to work through his shift as if there's nothing wrong."
Jack held his hand up and growled, "I get the picture! For crying out loud!"
Daniel pressed his lips together and glanced over towards Sam once more. Neither looked impressed by Jack's attitude.
"It would appear as though the situation is not enviable from anyone's point of view," Teal'c commented calmly, "Except... mine."
The three team members exchanged looks then all three of them diverted their eyes or lowered their head to rest on their folded arms once more. Once again the group fell silent.
*
Graham entered the Infirmary cautiously, his eyes screwed up against the bright light in there. As it was night now on Earth the Base often closed down some areas and the whole place took on a more muted, dimmer look. All except the Infirmary, which was kept bright to assist the Medical Team with their consultations.
Janet was reading a medical record of one of the members of SG-12 when she heard the Nurse go up to the lieutenant and ask what she could do for him. Janet pressed her tired body up from her seat and stepped out from behind the desk. Graham's slotted eyes shifted in her direction and she placed her hand on her nurse's back and quietly dismissed her before slipping her hand into her pocket and pulling out her pen torch.
"Any more news?" she asked under her breath. "I heard SG-3 found nothing?"
He shook his head carefully. "SG-2 are gearing up now to join them for a Rescue mission."
The nurse returned with Graham's medical record and handed the folder to the Doctor. In a quiet voice Janet dismissed her again then placed the folder onto the bed beside Graham. "Let me guess. Headache?"
He rubbed the back of his neck and blinked in response. "Huge."
She nodded then went over to the medicine cupboard and pulled out a bottle of pills. She passed it over to him with the instructions; "Take two now and two in four hours. And.." She said as she clicked her pen and lifted his folder up to record the dispensed pills, "Try not to worry."
Their eyes met and without words both knew that was going to be an impossible task. She gave him an encouraging nod and then bowed her head to write in his record.
*
Jack looked across the dark room at the three huddled together in the corner of the cell. Teal'c was right in the corner while Sam was asleep on his right shoulder and Daniel was asleep against his left shoulder. Jack was now with his back against the wooden door with more room around him than the other three seemed to have. Night had fallen hours ago and the light of the moon, or many moons, Jack couldn't be sure, filled the room with a dim blue light. The team had been locked up for hours; no food, no water and no relief as far as 'personal needs' went. It was as if they'd been locked in there and forgotten. They decided to sleep for the night and try to rouse someone's attention in the morning, if they hadn't encountered anyone else.
When Teal'c shifted his head slightly Jack realized he wasn't the only one awake.
"Hey big guy," he asked in a low whisper. "You okay there?"
"I am all right, O'Neill," the Jaffa responded in a deep voice.
"Want me to take one of them off you hands?"
"They are not on my hands, they are against my shoulders."
Jack's brow arched then he said, "Same thing where I come from."
"How would this work with us here and you there."
"I'm not a football field away, Teal'c," Jack muttered, "Just nudge Danny and when he stirs I'll guide him over here."
Teal'c looked at the man asleep against his left arm then turned his head to look at Sam. "I am most comfortable with Daniel. Perhaps Major Carter.."
Jack growled softly. "Well Sam, you know... drools in her sleep.."
"How would you know this, O'Neill?"
"I have it on good authority.." he quipped.
"I do not believe you."
In the blue light Jack could see the shadowy face of the dark man. "Teal'c, forcryingoutloud.."
But before Jack could protest any further Teal'c had gently aroused Sam and she woke with a start. "Colonel?" she startled with a groggy concern.
"It's okay, Carter," he said as he reached for her and eased her towards his shoulder instead. "You go back to sleep." The blonde muttered something against his short sleeve then slipped back into her slumber.
Jack wondered if Teal'c could feel his glare across the small room. He watched as the Jaffa shifted his arm and wrapped it protectively around Daniel's shoulders, and then cupped the shaggy-haired head gently. There was a wash of unease that swept through Jack's body and settled in his stomach uncomfortably.
"Bringing back memories for you?" he asked after Daniel had shifted and snuggled against him further.
Teal'c tilted his head. "How so?"
"I was just noticing how ... comfortable you look..."
//Not to mention the possessive way you wouldn't pass him over to me..// Jack finished in his head.
"I am unsure to what you are implying, O'Neill, but Daniel and I are merely friends."
"Yeah, I know that.." Jack said like he didn't fully believe him. "Pretty big talk you two had back on base earlier." When Sam shifted against him he lowered his voice to a harsh whisper and said, "Anything you wanna tell me here, big guy?"
The dark head tilted in the opposite direction than it had been inclined. "There was a misunderstanding," Teal'c told him.
"Seemed to take a while to talk through."
"It did not."
"Daniel said.."
"If you have spoken of this with Daniel already, why are you asking me now?"
"I.. just.."
In the dark Jack couldn't see the way Teal'c's lips had curled in a smile. "He did not reveal the nature of our conversation to you, did he?"
With a flippant wave of his hand Jack mumbled, "He might have mentioned it was a small... singular .. issue."
"That it was."
Again Jack's brow arched. "Pretty long singular issue, all through lunch and then into the mission brief?"
Teal'c made no immediate response except to turn his face when he felt Daniel stir slightly under his arm. He gently cradled his friend's head again.
"Was it about.. this?" Jack asked, again waving his hand towards the two men and implying that their position might indicate that all was not 'ex' in this relationship.
Teal'c returned his gaze to the shadowy corner that Jack was lost in. "It was a small, private matter that we worked out as friends, O'Neill. I do not need to, nor do I wish to, discuss this any further."
There was a long pause and then Jack asked, "Sure?"
"I am most certain," Teal'c stated.
There was another pause then Daniel spoke up; "Thank you, Teal'c." His comment surprised both Jack and Teal'c as they had assumed he was asleep.
"Aww crap, Danny. Give a guy some warning next time!"
As he struggled to sit up Daniel slipped a finger under the lens of his glasses and rubbed the sleep from the corner of his eye. "How thoughtless of me, not to declare my state of consciousness to you so that you wouldn't be caught pumping Teal'c for information I had already refused to give you earlier."
"Well, who woke up on the wrong side of the cell then!" Jack groused quietly.
"If I'm on the inside of it, it's definitely the 'wrong' side," the anthropologist grumbled as he grappled to get to his feet and rub his numb butt from sitting too long on the hard floor.
After a quick moment Jack shifted and muttered, "And if you'd given me Daniel when I asked for him I'd be free now to stand up!" Then he sighed and added, "I need to pee!"
"NO!" The other two men said together.
"I didn't mean 'here'!" Jack grumbled. "But if we don't get out of here soon I'm gonna burst."
"Great!" Daniel sighed and tried to pace in the confined area.
*
The sun was barely kissing the rose bushes on the garden path leading to Jack's house in the early hours of the morning as Graham passed by them and trudged his way to the front door.
When he'd called Philip yesterday to tell him that Jack was not going to make it home for dinner the young artist had immediately sensed something more sinister was wrong. When Graham called again after midnight to tell him that there was still no further news Philip had insisted that he come by as soon as his shift was over if Jack and Company were *still* not back by then.
Having lived with Graham for many years he knew the exact time to expect him and had heard the car pull up out the front and climbed out of bed to greet him.
"Have you heard anything yet?" he asked as soon as he opened the door but Graham shook his head as he stepped into the house and slipped his heavy coat from his shoulders.
"We've got ....people.. looking for them.." It wasn't quite the truth. Two teams had been out and returned and one was preparing to go out again but no one was out at that exact moment. Still, Philip was worried enough and Graham wasn't about to add to that.
For a moment all Philip could do was sigh and then he bit his lips together and lifted his eye to the ceiling. He gathered his wayward thoughts and fears then looked at his brother. "So they're *really* lost?"
Graham was too shattered to come up with a plausible excuse so he gave a slight nod instead.
"Can I ask where he's lost?"
Graham turned dull eyes onto his brother and the younger man caught his breath shakily. "Son of a bitch.." He muttered at the futility of the situation as he walked away, his hands over his face.
Graham's heart ached to see him like this and when the hands finally came away, revealing red, watery eyes, he choked on the lump in his throat. "I'm sorry.." he whispered hoarsely, then in a pain-filled voice he said, "God, I wish I could tell you!"
"I know.. I know.." Philip whispered thickly then coughed and swallowed his brimming tears. "The stupid thing about this is... Jack and I argued about this very thing.. the other night.." He wet his lips then bowed his head and sighed out loudly. "Oh God! He has to be okay.."
Graham hugged his distraught sibling from the side and whispered, "We've got one of our best teams joining the search. That makes three teams going in after them.."
The news made the slight man shiver with growing concern. "Three?"
"We'll bring them home. Every man going in there this morning lives by the Colonel's number one rule - we don't leave our men behind!"
Phil blinked to clear his eyes. "Alive or dead?"
Graham stared directly at him. "Alive *or* dead, but they are going to be all right."
"You can't promise me that!"
"I have to believe it for myself!" Graham told him bluntly. Philip held the intense gaze screwed his face up and twisted to hug him more tightly.
After a few moments the two men pulled out of the embrace.
"You look exhausted," Philip told him as he smoothed his hand down the older man's cheek.
"It's been a hell of a night," he admitted shakily.
Philip, who'd managed a few hours sleep, shook his head and said, "Grae, I'm so sorry. It can't have been easy for you. Pretending nothing was wrong.." He smoothed his hand over the short black hair and then offered him a tentative smile.
Rubbing his eye with the tips of his fingers Graham turned and went over to the dining table. "You know what really surprised me? When I was about to go off duty the General came up to me and asked about you."
"Me?"
"Asked me how you took the news that Jack was missing."
"And you said .. badly..?"
A weak smile fluttered over Graham's lips. "I said you were probably struggling with it... much like I was.."
"You said that to him?"
"He sort of stared at me a moment, nodded then told me to go home. As I turned away he whispered that he'd let me know as soon as possible how Daniel was.."
"Daniel? Does he know about you and Daniel?"
Shaking his head slightly the older man said, "I guess.. he must." He frowned then added, "I thought he was going to say he'd keep me informed for your sake.. but he really threw me a curve ball with the comment about Dan.."
"Did you say you were coming over here?"
"I did. I told him to contact me here if there was any news."
"Then maybe, while we wait, you should try to get some sleep."
"As strange as it sounds I think I could actually sleep at the moment."
"You probably need to shut down a while. Come on," He slipped his arm around his brother and led him towards the spare room. "You can sleep here and I'll wake you if the phone rings."
In the spare room he helped Graham to the bed then reached down and removed his shoes for him, eased him into the bed and then pulled the comforter over him. Almost as soon as his head hit the pillow the exhausted young officer was asleep. Philip stepped out into the hall way and quietly closed the door behind him. His body shook with a tearless sob as he tried hard to catch his breath then he expelled all the air in a low breath out.
As he climbed back into his bed Philip reached for Jack's pillow and hugged it to his chest and with a heaving sob tears sprung to his eyes once more. He lay awake, his mind too frantic and fraught with worry to settle but after some time, what seemed an eternity to the young man, he slipped off to sleep again.
<End of Part 104
Stories on this page are the property of Nessessitee and Slida. Please do not copy these without the written permission of the Author. All Rights are acknowledged for MGM, Gekko and Stargate Productions as to the Copyrights of the characters within this story and no infringement on the copyrights are intended. For the Bombshells Series the character of Philip Simmons is entirely the creation and intellectual property of Nessessitee and Slida.
While the performances given by RDA and MS help to fuel the author's desire to write for their characters in a niche that she feels is present on the actual show, the portrayal of their characters in loving relationships in no way reflects the Author's opinion of the men's private life, nor should it be construed in that manner.