Title:  Between the Darkness...
Author:  Rosemary Klein-Robbins
Status: Part One
Sequel: Part 7 in the Kinsey Series (Dreams, Nightmares and Shadows, Send in the Clowns, and the two drabbles: Man in the Window and Truth or Dare)
Rating:  PG-13
Spoilers:  General Seasons 4, 5, 7
Disclaimers:  Stargate SG-1 and all that entails is not owned by this author. This story is written strictly for amusement and no monetary rewards or concerns are received or dispersed with this story. It comes solely out of my imagination and the Producers and Owners of the Stargate franchise are not involved at all.
Author's Note:  This is the first part-obviously-of a two-part sequel to Dreams and Nightmares.

I would like to thank my outstanding Ghost Editor, Sarae, for her assistance and support in the writing of this story. I would also like to thank my 3rd eye in the UK Aud for her continued support-this story misses your touch girl, but I hope it doesn't disappoint.

To everyone who has followed the Kinsey Series so far - thank you and I hope you enjoy this.

Between the Darkness...
©2004 by Rosemary Klein-Robbins

"I am gray, I stand between the candle and the stars; we are gray, we stand between the darkness and the light."
Delann of Minbar, Minbari Ambassador to Babylon 5

The ghost-like apparition stood behind the man at the window.

"I can take it away, O'Neill," the vision said. It looked at the man that stood stiff and straight by the window. O'Neill was the tallest man he had ever met. However, he felt that if O'Neill had been no bigger than his smallest finger, he would still be the tallest man he had ever met. Jack had a strange sense of the absurd and could be extremely annoying, but he was loyal. That counted very much to the observer.

Jack turned to face his friend. Of all the alien allies that they had made in the last seven years, Thor was his favorite - more than that, a friend. The Asgard seemed more...Jack tried to come up with another word, but only this one fit..."human" than the others races they had come into contact with. Next to the secretive nature of the Tok'ra and the arrogance of the Tollan, the Asgard were refreshing.

Thor repeated his offer to take away the memory and with it, the pain.

Jack shook his head and in a soft and careful voice answered his friend.

"I know you can, Thor." He turned to look back out of his living room window. The moon was once again shining large and bright. "But I want to keep both the memories and the pain."

Jack was aware that Thor was confused. His friend's continued silence told him that.

Jack continued, "I *need* to keep both." His tone of voice was blunt and clear. "It is the only way that I will be able to finish this and find out who was behind what happened. If I forget, they win. If the pain goes away, they win. I won't allow that to happen."

The Asgard nodded and with a flash, was gone.

Jack turned back to look out the window and stare at the moon.

"I will get you, Kinsey, and those that helped you," Jack vowed. "No matter what it takes. No matter how long it takes."

Two individuals were walking to the parking lot of the Albertson's Supermarket. Neither one them paid very much attention to the other people or vehicles around them.

The driver of a dark colored sedan noted that the two appeared relaxed and almost oblivious. Now, the driver thought, was the time. He started up the motor and waited until they were halfway between the doors of the market and the parking lot itself. A motor gunned and the sound of a car coming at high speed put everyone in and around the market and the parking lot on alert.

The two individuals were barely able to register what was coming at them. The man pushed the shopping cart away and then knocked down the woman he was with. The woman landed awkwardly on her left arm and her cheek bumped clumsily on the curb. The driver did not wait around to see what happened, but continued, at a high rate of speed away from the scene. He didn't worry about whether or not anyone saw the plates. Where he was going, the car and the plates would be changed and the car would be untraceable.

Daniel Jackson stood up shaking and looked down at the shorthaired blonde woman on the ground. He noted the scratches and the beginnings of a bruise on her left cheek. He saw that she was guarding her left arm and that it was not facing in the right direction. He also noticed that her face was ashen and her teeth were chattering. Daniel knew that she was trying to tell him that she was okay, but he saw from they way she guarded her arm and gritted her teeth, that she was not all right.

"Sam, other than your left arm, what else hurts?"

He noted that her eyes were starting to glaze over because of the pain and the shallow breaths she took to control it, made it difficult for her to answer.

"Never mind," he ordered. "Don't move then," he said as he whipped out his cell phone to call Cheyenne Mountain.

Someone from the market brought out a blanket and put in over her. A crowd gathered around and a few people mentioned they had caught the plate numbers.

"Damn kids," Daniel heard one person say. He didn't answer the man but kept talking with Dr. Janet Frasier.

Finally the ambulance from the Air Force Hospital arrived and it took Daniel and Sam to the hospital, where they were soon met by Dr. Frasier and General Hammond.

The tall, heavily muscled man ran up the stairs to the front door of the Brownstone house owned by someone well known to him. Although in good shape physically, his breathing was short and labored; the respirations of someone running under great anxiety.

He didn't even attempt to use the key to the front door. He figured if it was open, fine, if not, kicking it open would be faster than fumbling with the key. His hands felt heavy and awkward as it was. He had been barely able to get the key into the ignition, much less shift the gears and steer.

The door was open and he raced inside calling out to the woman who lived there. No response. The silence itself was telling.

Commander Samuels felt like someone was squeezing his chest and his heart.

"Where is she?" His thoughts, like his actions, were frantic. He charged up the stairs to her bedroom and noticed what looked like crumpled laundry on the floor by her bed. Or, by what used to be her bed. The bedroom was in a shambles and it didn't take long for him to notice that the "crumpled laundry" heap was Dr. Elizabeth Greene.

Ben ran over to check her and found, to his relief, a faint pulse and respiration. He was thankful that he called for the ambulance from his car. He supposed his contact knew that he was in town this week and wondered how Blue Topaz was aware that they planned this attack on her to coincide with his being here. BT was a frustrating, but trusted source for information. Normally, BT talked a lot, but said a little. Today had been just the opposite. He didn't talk much, but he said a lot.

"Commander Samuels?" the distorted voice asked, when Ben answered the phone.

"Yes. Who is this?" Ben asked when he answered.

"You know who this is, Commander. We don't have time for twenty questions." The caller minced no words. "Your 'lady friend' is in big trouble and if you want to save her life, call the ambulance before you go to her place."

And then he hung up.

Ben stared at the phone and immediately called 9-1-1, gave them the information and told them he was heading over to her house.

"Beth! Beth!" Ben gently touched the still form of his girlfriend. Ben could feel his heart pounding inside of his chest. It was beating so hard, he wondered if it was going to beat its way out of him. He wanted to shake her, but he was afraid that if she had any broken bones or if her neck or spine were damaged, he would cause her further injury.

Leaning close to her he tried to hear if she was breathing and didn't realize he was holding his own breath while he tried to listen for hers. He only realized he had stopped breathing, when he heard her faint breath sounds.

It was then he felt his own heart begin to beat almost normally - almost.

Trying again to get a response out of her he called her name again. A small and slight moan came from her lips, but it was so faint, he was not sure it was her he had heard. The next sound he heard was the paramedics coming up the stairs and calling to him. As soon as they entered the room, he got out of the way and let them work. Soon they had her ready for transport. From the looks on their faces, Ben knew that it was bad, really bad.

Following them down the stairs was almost impossible for him. He sensed that the paramedics were wondering if they were going to transport one patient-or two. His feet felt like they belonged to someone else or were somewhere else and how he managed to get down the stairs to the curb, could be the subject of a scientific study.

He answered with alacrity when the paramedics asked him if he would like to ride in the ambulance.

"Fuck, yes," he answered. "Just let me lock up my car."

He locked up his car and climbed into the back and watched, as the paramedics worked frantically to keep her alive.

SG-1 and General Hammond were having their daily briefing when the phone in the conference room rang. To Jack's ears it sounded almost shrill and frantic in its ringing, and he wondered why he would feel that way.

"Hammond." General Hammond answered the phone and his face took on a hard look. He handed the phone to Jack without a word.

Jack looked at the change in George's face and wondered, but he took the phone from him. "O'Neill."

"Jack?" Ben's voice was on the other end. Jack could barely make out what Ben was saying. "Crying?" Jack thought.

"Samuels? What's going on?"

"It's Beth, Jack," Ben managed to say. "It's bad. God Jack, they..."

"Samuels!" Jack's voice took on the tone of a commander demanding control of his men. "Don't you dare wig out on me. Samuels."

Within a few seconds a female voice came on the other end.

"Colonel O'Neill? My name is Dr. Gwen Ryan. I'm a friend of Beth Greene's."

"What is going on? Jack demanded.

"There is no easy way to say this, Colonel," Gwen began. "Beth is in surgery right now at Walter Reed Hospital." The doctor waited a minute and continued. "Commander Samuels found her in her bedroom, Colonel. She was very badly beaten."

Jack went quiet for a moment. It was almost as if his brain was trying to decipher a foreign language. Finally, he mustered up the will to ask Dr. Ryan what she knew, which wasn't much. Then he asked her to tell Beth that he was on his way.

Dr. Ryan told him something he already knew: that his friend was a fighter, and that she hoped that he would be on time.

Jack made short work of telling his team and General Hammond what had happened. Seeing Major Carter for the first time since the parking lot incident, he noted that her left arm was in a cast and her face showed recent scratches and bruises. He looked her straight in the eye.

"Tell me again, Major," he began, "that the little hit and run in the Albertson's parking lot was an accident."

He didn't really expect an answer from her. He didn't like the way the whole scene went down and when he found that there was no record of the car, he liked it even less.

"Carter?" he then asked, "will the Goa'uld healing device help make Beth stable?"

He accepted her "probably, I'm not sure" response.

He looked down at the floor for a minute and then asked her to get it and also brushed off her questions about the wisdom of taking an alien device from a secure facility. "I won't let her die because of me, Carter. That ain't gonna happen."

Jack peripherally noted Sam's quick nod as she turned to leave the briefing room to get the object from the base's safe.

Jack was about to tell Daniel and Teal'c that he was going to take Carter with him only because she alone could operate the healing device. He planned to add that if he could operate it himself that Carter would be staying behind with them.

He knew by look that came into Daniel's blue eyes, a look that turned them from the color of calm sky into the color of ice, that trying to keep Daniel away would be pointless. Teal'c's focused stare at O'Neill almost dared him to tell him to remain behind. Jack just nodded at the two men and turned his attention to Hammond who told them to go and do what they needed to do.

Jack was certain that Daniel and Sam were almost run down on purpose and that now Beth had been attacked for the same reason. It solidified his opinion that someone, and he was quite sure who, was out to hurt him in the worst possible way - by going after those he cared about when he would be most unable to help them.Teal'c had watched in silence in the SGC's locker room, as he saw his friend gather up a bag of clothes and personal items for their trip to Washington. There was no way he would allow O'Neill to go alone, and Hammond had given permission for the entire team to go.

Teal'c, thinking back on his conversation with General Hammond, had been impressed with Major General George Hammond; Hammond of Texas, Bra'tac called him. Teal'c was sure that General Hammond did not realize how much of Bra'tac Teal'c saw in him. Both men had the sure handed confidence of military leaders. Both men also had that "fatherly" concern and demeanor that assured those under his command that he was watching out for them. Of all the Tau'ri leaders that Teal'c could have come into contact with or under the control of, he counted himself lucky that it had been George Hammond.

Teal'c watched and heard him as he spoke with Dr. Greene's father with a quiet, gentle and controlled tone of voice. That soft Texas drawl that Hammond used when there was something very serious to discuss was quite evident in his tone. Teal'c was quite fascinated by the different accents of the Tau'ri. He had known worlds that sounded different, but the Tau'ri was a world with different sounds and he wondered if he would ever be able to listen and to learn about all of them.Teal'c saw the sadness on the General's face as he hung up the phone and turned to face him.

"Is Dr. Greene's father at her side?" Teal'c had asked. His voice also holding a touch of sadness and worry, as did the others.

The slow nod that Hammond gave him as he wiped his eyes told Teal'c more than words did or could. Hammond had previously told Teal'c that he had known Beth's father for 40 years. They met when they were both young Air Force officers and stayed in contact off and on through the years. More off than on, but the last year had reinforced their friendship. Dr. Greene's temporary assignment to Cheyenne Mountain had re-opened their friendship and it continued.

Teal'c asked no more questions and made no more statements. He, like O'Neill, believed that the attempt to run down Dr. Jackson and Major Carter was no accident. This just, what was it O'Neill said, oh, yes, "upped the ante" a little.

The meeting room was the strangest place that Major Gordon had ever seen. The Air Force Major who served as liaison for Senator Kinsey was not an adventurous man. True, he had joined the Service, but not because he'd wanted to see the wide world. He'd joined because of the contacts it gave him. The sense of power that was inherent in the uniform was more overwhelming to him than his dislike of adventure. How, he wondered again, did he manage to get involved in a situation that gave him more adventure in the last year than his 25 years with the Air Force?

He was also not a "big man". Well, at least not in height. He was 5'8" tall and barrel-chested. His hair - what was left of it - was a light brown in color. He was not a man that people remembered seeing or meeting. That is what caught Senator Kinsey's attention. Major Gordon was a man that would be able to be invisible, even though he was visible.

What Major Gordon found attractive about Senator Kinsey was his power. He knew that the Senator was destined for great things. And he wanted to be a part of it. So he allowed himself to be attached to Senator Kinsey and the rest, as they say, was history.

However, the alien spaceship made him very nervous. This was a Goa'uld ship. He was here to represent the Senator's interests and to meet with the others involved. He had no idea who or what the other two members represented. He only knew that he had never met their kind before and the shudders were harder to hide after each meeting.

"Major Gordon?" The Major lifted his head from the folder he had been reading and looked at the Goa'uld who was speaking to him. The distorted voice always managed to give him a shiver.

"Yes?" he answered, his tone careful and respectful.

Major Gordon watched as the Goa'uld approached where he was standing. He thought that, for as long as he lived, he would never get over the dichotomy of two souls in one body.

This Goa'uld was tall, very tall; almost 7 feet by the Major's reckoning. That Goa'uld always reminded him of the Genie in the Disney movie Aladdin. He supposed it was because the height, the clothes and the look were the same. It was a shame he didn't have Robin William's comedic talent or personality. That would probably not make him feel any safer, but it sure would add some humor to the irony of the situation.

Gordon noted that the Goa'uld didn't even bother hiding his contempt for him. Was it personal?

Gordon didn't know or care. He only cared that he gave the Goa'uld the papers he was carrying for the Senator and the faster the better. The man could be speaking Klingon or Romulan for all he cared.

Gordon saw the outstretched hand and he placed the folder in it. The smile that crossed the other's face reinforced how not like Disney's Genie this "man" was. The Goa'uld gave his thanks, told him that the others would be reviewing this information and that the Senator could expect an answer within the week. The question that was asked immediately after startled Gordon. He didn't expect the Goa'uld to know or even care.

"Is she dead?" Gordon was asked.

Gordon shook his head and added, "The job your assassin had done was quite thorough. However, somehow Commander Samuels managed to get there in time. They are not certain she will live anyway."

That smile was there again and then with a nod, the Goa'uld left the room. Gordon walked to the rings and shuddered slightly. Maybe going after both women was a mistake. It was the devil's own luck that Major Carter was only slightly injured. Her companion was a fast thinker. Dr. Greene's miraculous escape mystified them. How had Commander Samuels known?

When Jack and the rest of his team arrived at Walter Reed, Dr. Ryan was waiting at the Nurse's Station. Gwen Ryan's fair complexion was even paler in appearance. It had been touch and go in surgery and they had just - just - managed to stabilize Beth. She shuddered slightly as she saw Jon O'Neill lead the way to where she was standing.

Beth had always told her that Jon should really wear a tee shirt that said, "I'm really not the village idiot, I just play one on TV." He is, Beth had told her, smarter and more dangerous than he lets on. Especially, when he is angry. And Gwen could see that he was angry; he was very angry. She had thought that no one could match Ben's fury, but Jon O'Neill had surpassed it.

His anger and his strength seemed to break over her in waves and she began to understand a little about how really potent that man was. Beth had told her, she just hadn't believed it.

"Dr. Ryan?" Jack asked. His voice as smooth a tone as she had ever heard.

"Colonel O'Neill?" she answered back.

They shook hands and Jack introduced the rest of team. Gwen did wonder about the tall African-American man with the hat pulled low on his forehead. Jon said his name was "Murray".

Gwen took a deep breath and brought them up to speed. Watching the play of emotions on their faces, she told them about how the surgery went, how Beth was presently and where she was - the ICU.

"You may go in and see her Co..." she began, but he interrupted and told her to call him Jack, or Jon if she preferred.

Gwen nodded and said, "Jon, you may go in and see her if you would like. Be prepared though, she is still unconscious and pretty badly bruised, if you get my meaning."

Jack nodded and asked if they could go in by twos. Gwen thought it would be okay, but asked them to keep the visits short.

Jack and Sam went into the room and noted that Ben Samuels and Adam Greene were already there.

While Jack briefly hugged Beth's father, Sam hugged Ben. Jack and Ben shook hands and then he and General Greene left the room for Jack and Sam to sit with Beth for a few minutes.
Jack's eyes hardened when he saw Beth. Sam noted the change, but it wasn't the same as if the Hunter had returned, this was different. Jack noted that Sam was watching him and he motioned for her to get in front of him. He was going to use his body to shield her use of the healing device. When he was sure that she was truly shielded he nodded for her to begin.

"Only enough to ensure she is stable. We can't let it totally heal her, it would be too hard to explain," Jack told her.

Sam nodded, indicating that she understood and focused the device. The hand device started to glow as a low hum was emitted. The ray of light that shone from the flat stone at first was directed on Beth's face and very slowly Sam floated the device down her body. It appeared that where the device was needed the most, the glow became more intense and the humming sound almost seemed to vibrate. Slowly the device was passed over the face, her chest and her legs. Sam stopped when the device suddenly turned it self off and Beth took a breath and opened her eyes.

Jack put his left hand on her forehead and whispered to her that it was okay now and not to worry. "I'm here now, Beth. It's Okay. I'm going to get your dad."

Jack noticed the confusion in her eyes and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "It'll be okay." He told her again.

Jack headed out the door and yelled for her father and the nurse. Adam Greene, followed by Ben Samuels and the Nurse, ran into the room.

The Nurse shook his head, called for the Doctors and did his thing until they came in. Everyone was shooed out while they examined her.

Adam's amber eyes were misty with tears and he looked directly at Jack. "It figures," Adam began, "that she would wake up when you showed up." He laughed a little and wiped his eyes. "She swore from a young age that you would never catch her napping."

Jack went over and hugged the older man and stared into Ben's two colored eyes. Adam pulled away and told him that he needed to call his wife. Avi and Gabe were with their grandmother and they needed to come.

Jack walked over to Ben, put his left hand on Ben's right shoulder and squeezed. "Stubborn woman, your girlfriend," Jack quipped.

Ben laughed and retorted that she had a fairly good role model for that.

Jack then walked over to his second in command and pulled her aside. "Thank you for that." His thanks was heartfelt. Carter was injured and tired, but she didn't ask any questions or make any protestations when he asked, well, ordered her to help. He gave her right shoulder a quick squeeze and she answered with a squeeze of her own to the hand resting on her shoulder.

The doctors soon came out of the room and told Ben that she would be moved, but that for right now, they wanted no visitors.

The waiting room smelled of long ago cigarette smoke, a hold over memory from the times when people could smoke anywhere, but not anymore. The sofas were designed to welcome the weary waiter. The signs of years of sleeping family members were evident in the bags and sags of the cushions.

"So..." Jack broke the silence. "How did you know?" He looked directly into Ben's eyes when he asked.

He watched Ben shake his head and tell how Blue Topaz had called him.

Daniel retorted that Blue Topaz seems to be everywhere when it came to them and Ben agreed.

"You still don't know anything about him, do you Samuels?" Jack asked.

Jack watched the careful play of emotions on Ben's face when he started telling them about the first time Blue Topaz had contacted him and of the contacts since. Blue Topaz had provided him with some valuable information and helped break some really tough cases, especially some cold ones. Who he was, Ben had no idea. Male? Female? Human? As Teal'c had asked. Ben had wondered what the price for all of Blue Topaz's help would be. In this case, however, he would gladly pay it. Blue Topaz saved Beth's life.

"Well, Beth was not the only person close to me who was attacked." Jack proceeded to tell him about Sam and Daniel's near miss.

Then Ben asked if they were able to trace the car, and Jack had to tell him that it was almost as if it had never existed.

Daniel had tried, very seriously, to persuade them that it was some crazy kid who might have done it as a gang initiation. There were problems in Colorado Springs concerning gangs. Daniel proposed that the kid had ditched the car because he was really scared by the near miss. Teal'c's look, more than Jack's or Ben's, convinced Daniel that maybe it was one theory he ought to discard.

Daniel stopped talking and nodded to the others. Jack accepted Daniel's nod as acquiescence and walked over to the door of the waiting room. He felt the eyes of the other men on his back.

After a few minutes he saw the doctor in Beth's room come out and head toward them. In very few words, the doctor talked about "miracles" and "amazing", but Beth was stable and they were moving her to a room. They were going to put her near the nurses' station, as was a usual practice for patients about whom they were concerned. The doctor also asked Ben about Beth's father and sons and was told that they should be arriving shortly. The doctor nodded and left the room.

Fifteen minutes later, General Greene came in followed by Beth's two boys. They saw Jack as soon as they got off the elevator and ran to him. Jack was amazed at how the boys had changed since he last saw them, but then he had to remember that they were now 18 and no longer "boys".

Both boys, as Jack had remembered, looked exactly like their late father except for one feature - they had Beth's eyes. Jack hugged the boys and then closed his eyes and remembered his Charlie running with these two boys, who were two years younger than he was. The memory brought a sharp pain to his heart and then was gone as he held them away from him.

He never could tell them apart and even now, he couldn't. Beth, unlike her husband, could always tell the boys apart. Most mothers of twins could, Beth told him. It wasn't magic, more like cheating. Avi's right eye, as amber as his left, had a small green stripe. If you didn't look for it, you would miss it. Each twin was different, from their height to their style and personality. You just had to be aware.

Jack told the boys that what their grandfather had told them was true; everything was okay. She was being moved and they could go and see her in a few minutes. And true to his word a Patient Care Technician came over and took them to their mother.

Jack noticed Adam Greene watching the boys as they followed the aide. He saw that Adam's eyes were still misted over and knew that the older man was wondering who on earth would do this to his daughter. Jack also knew that Adam would leave no stone unturned in searching either and the first person he was going to ask, was him.

Jack looked over to Ben, trying to send a silent message for him to not say anything, but he caught the quick reaction from Adam Greene.

"And so we wait?" he asked Jack, who nodded back in response.

Not too long after, Adam Greene went to see his daughter, accompanied by Ben Samuels. Jack had told them that he would be in later to see her. He wanted her family to be there and although Adam told him that he was family, Jack gave a weary smile, said that didn't want her overwhelmed and that he would come in later, when it was quieter.

Ben tossed Jack the keys to Beth's house before they left and Jack took his team there.

A man watched the waiting room scene with amused detachment. He paid special attention to the female officer that stood quietly off to the side.

He smiled a slightly wolfish smile when he gazed at her. He remembered that female officer very well. He was aware that if she had any idea that he was watching her, or worse, remembering her, she probably would have shot him.

His memories of Samantha Carter were quite - what was that word? Memorable. He doubted that she would find these memories as pleasurable as he did, though. So he opted to wait for her to leave with the men she came in with and speak with General Greene about his daughter. He doubted that either the General or his daughter would think twice about him. He really did not know them well personally, although they did know each other socially and, he had been asked by the Senator to express his shock, horror and condolences about the brutal attack on Beth Greene.

He smiled. He did so enjoy hearing about it, though.

Jack sat on the sofa in Beth's townhouse and sipped his beer. Carter was on the phone with Janet. Daniel was sprawled on the sofa next to him, nursing his beer. Teal'c was on the recliner, enjoying being able to put his feet up and sipping on a soda. The three men looked up as Sam walked into the room, and sat on the floor between Daniel and Jack. Jack handed her a bottle of diet coke; he had already opened it for her. She leaned against Jack's left leg and the subtle sign of her connection was not overlooked by any of the men. Jack didn't, in this company, feel inclined to move his leg.

"So," Daniel began, "what does Janet have to say about all of this?"

"Janet," Sam began, "felt it was a good thing that we only stabilized Beth." She looked directly at her teammates and continued. "Injuries such as those Beth suffered would have really caused a lot of interest if she, suddenly, got off her 'death bed' and went home."

After taking a sip of her soda, she continued. "Janet had also theorized that it was possible to slowly heal her to the point where she could go home. But there would be a bigger problem in how to protect her once she got home."

"Well," Daniel noted, "Janet is certainly right about the last issue. How do we protect her?" He directed his gaze to Jack, whose eyes were dark screens. Daniel was aware that when Jack started watching people from behind his eyes, he was deep in thought.

Jack suddenly seemed to come to life. He shrugged, took a sip of his beer and wondered out loud if maybe Ben might want to just move in with her.

"That would protect her when he was able to be around, Jack," Daniel informed him, "but what about when she was at work, or doing rounds or..."

Jack's slow nod of acquiescence was not missed and the discussion then centered on what to do when Beth was eventually released.

Jack stared at the bottle in his right hand and his left was busy pulling the label off. After a few minutes of thought he spoke up. "Maybe," he started to suggest, "Beth needs to move to Colorado Springs and get back into working at the SGC?"

"Sir," Sam interrupted him. "Unless you intend to house her at the SGC and never let her out of your sight, protection would still be a problem. Beth would still have to make rounds, go home, shop, recreate, etc. And," she continued, "how do we know that someone within the SGC wouldn't try and attack her or, for that matter, us?" Her eyes were also a dark shade of blue when they pinned their gaze on Jack. "People come and go in that facility all the time, Colonel. How do we know who is safe to trust or who is not."

Jack could only acknowledge that it was true. What with the Pentagon and political visitors, anyone could and anyone had caused a myriad of problems within the SGC.

"So we do nothing?" Jack asked.

The other three could only stare at their own bottles and then look back at him.

Jack nodded and then "I am going to have to bring Commander Samuels into this. Ben will do whatever needs to be done."

The hospital waiting room was quiet, very quiet. General Greene had sent his grandsons back to his house and to their grandmother's waiting arms. He stood wearily looking out the window in the waiting room. He had a clear and direct view of the parking lot. At that time of night there were only a few cars scattered here and there. The lights bleakly cast shadows on various parts. Part of the lot was in darkness and some in light.

He abruptly stretched his arms over his head and then proceeded to swing them back and forth to get his muscles loose and his circulation going. He almost didn't hear the footsteps entering the room, but the faint creak caused him to turn quickly to see who was coming in.
When the visitor came into view, he could hardly contain his reaction to the man. There was something about him that caused a chill to go up his spine every time he saw him. The man did absolutely nothing he could point his finger at. He just felt such a deep-rooted reaction to that individual and after all the years he'd had reading his recruits, he never ignored that voice that called out danger.

"Salem." Adam went over, greeted him and shook his hand.

Salem Latham was Senator Kinsey's administrative aide. He was a tall man, but spare in his build; not thin, but not filled out either. He was 6'3" and "polished". His hair was blonde - not a yellow blonde, but more of a white blonde, almost platinum. His clothes were immaculate: pants perfectly creased, shirts perfectly pressed with just a hint of starch. His flare for matching colors, prints and plaids was legendary - almost as if he walked off the cover of GQ magazine. He was the kind of man who wore manicured nails with clear-coated polish and no one thought anything of it.

The most striking feature for Salem was, of course, his eyes. They were green. They were a clear green - no blue, no brown, no gold. Green. Some women had described them as the color of emeralds or even the color of moss, but a lot of the description of his eyes was determined by whether you liked the man or not. For a number of women it was one reaction or the other. You could be drawn to him, like a moth to the flame, or you could be so actively repelled that another galaxy wasn't far enough away.

"General Greene," Salem answered in the slow and cultured tones of a southern gentlemen. He no longer had the thick drawl of a man born and raised in the southern states, but it smoothed his voice and actually gave him an air of importance and danger. "I am so sorry to hear about your daughter, Sir."

Salem gave Adam a smile of regret and compassion that was not bought for a minute by the father of the patient.

Adam, however, returned the gesture and thanked him for his thoughts and words and then asked him why he had come.

"Senator Kinsey thinks very highly of your daughter, Sir," Salem began, mentally crossing his fingers. Kinsey hated her. "He very much regrets that vicious attack and wonders if there was any news or anything he could do."

That smooth delivery that Adam felt to be a lie would have fooled most people. But Adam Greene wasn't most people.

Before Adam could answer that obvious lie, Ben Samuels walked in. Salem had seen Commander Samuels before and also knew that he and Dr. Greene were an "item". He extended his hand. Ben shook it while looking sideways at Beth's father, who could only shrug.

"I am so sorry about your friend, Commander." Salem told him in a smooth tone.
Ben nodded and asked what business he had here concerning Beth.

"I am guessing," Salem answered him, "that you do not feel that Senator Kinsey is really concerned about your friend. I can assure you..."

Ben's terse "spare me" stopped Salem from continuing.

Salem turned smoothly to Adam Greene and once again expressed the condolences and offer of assistance in finding the individual that had performed the heinous deed. Adam graciously thanked him and asked that Senator Kinsey be thanked as well.

Adam watched Salem leave the waiting room and felt like he could finally take a deep breath. He looked squarely at Ben, his amber eyes darkened to the color of the stone they had been compared to. "I don't know what it is about that man, Ben," he said, "but I just don't trust him. He has always been the picture of a gentleman and has done nothing I could point to or put my finger on." He paused and shook his head. "But I just..."

Ben nodded. He knew exactly what it was that Adam was talking about. He had heard stories about Salem Latham, but they only pertained to the work that he did. Professionally, he was most competent. Ben knew nothing about his personal life, but he wondered if it might not be worthy topic for a conversation with Blue Topaz.

Jack walked silently down the hall from the elevator to Beth's room. He hoped that as she got stronger, she would be able to tell him what had happened and more important, who had done this to her. As he got to her door he peeked in to see that Ben was next to her on the bed, and had her cradled in his arms. Beth appeared to be sleeping and the big man had silent tears running down his face. Jack made a noise and Ben turned to see him. Ben made no effort to wipe his face or hide that he was crying. If anyone would understand, he knew O'Neill would.
Jack walked in, nodded to Ben and pointed at the sleeping woman. Ben nodded and eased himself from Beth. He was relieved that she continued to sleep. The two men walked from the room and Jack turned his eyes, dark with his concern, to Ben's.

"How is she?" Jack asked.

Ben answered that she was improving and still had some memory issues. Everyone had been asking her the same questions. The only answers they were able to get from her was a shrug and that she just couldn't remember. Ben told Jack that, frankly, he felt Beth remembered more than she let on, but for some reason she just wasn't talking.

Jack knew that Ben didn't quite trust Jack's relationship to Beth and that his jealousy ran fairly deep. He watched Ben's eyes as he assessed Jack and made the decision to see if Jack would get Beth to open up. Ben was aware that Beth trusted few people and Jack was one of those that she trusted without reservation. Ben told him he was going to get something to eat and had a few calls to make. He would be back in about an hour.

"Thanks Ben." Jack started to turn into her room and then looked back. "You have to know that I won't allow anything to happen to her, nor will I allow anyone to hurt her."

"I know that, O'Neill." Ben's tone was a touch testy. He knew he was overreacting to Jack's presence, but he was not overly pleased with Beth's connection to Jack.

"Beth and I go way back, Ben. You have to understand..."

Ben held up his right hand and told Jack to go in. His patience right now was running quite thin and even when they forced him to leave while they assessed her was too long a time to be away.

Nodding Jack turned to go into the room and he heard Ben walk away.

Jack looked down at his friend. The bruises were starting to fade and thanks to the healing device, her natural healing ability was capable of working more efficiently.

He brought the desk chair near her bed. The cushions were of that cheap plastic designed to look like leather. The cracks and creases in the brown plastic showed that many a person had sat on it, just as he was, trying to be close to a loved one.

Jack, without much thought, took hold of her right hand and started playing with her fingers. He wasn't surprised when they twitched and then gripped his hand. He looked up from her hand to look at the gold colored eyes watching him.

"So tell me what you know, Beth." He had the feeling that she was holding back on what she knew. "And don't give that bull that you don't remember."

Beth closed her eyes for a minute and then opened them. They were dark now with remembrance. She told him that she was taken from her office. She was alone in the clinic, but that the doors were locked and the alarm was set.

Beth remembered a sudden flash of light and the next thing she knew she was gagged and blindfolded. No voices or real vision of who they were and then she was in her bedroom.
She remembered being quite pissed when they removed the gag and blindfold. She knew that she had seen the man who removed the gag and blindfold, but she just couldn't put a face to him. It was as if she just didn't want to remember. What Beth didn't tell Jack was that the one that beat her eyes glowed.

Jack didn't miss the obvious signs that she remembered more than she let on. He pressed her.
"Beth," he said in a tone that normally would brook no resistance, "I know you remember more."

Beth raised her eyes to him. In their depths he noted the glint that showed he was right, but he also saw that she was gearing for battle. He recognized that look as well. Jack got up off the chair and sat on the bed right by her right knee and kept a grip on her hands.

"Elizabeth, I am not playing here." He tried to be careful and calm in what he was going to say to her. "I know that at the very least, a human and a Goa'uld did this to you."

Beth shrugged and responded "If you are sure of that much, why are you pressing me?"

His chin lifted a little, and his eyes stared intently into hers. Then he smiled, slightly, but it was not one of peace and contentment and Beth recognized that he was gearing for battle as well. "I will get my answers out of you, Greene. I won't press you now, but be aware that this discussion isn't finished."

Beth acknowledged that comment and added " It may very well not be finished, but t maybe you need to let others do the digging, for once Jon."

Jack raised his right eyebrow and knew that she was holding back because she didn't want him to do what he felt was his responsibility. "If you are thinking that not telling me is protecting me, Beth, think again." He put her hands back down and stood up.

He then leaned over her and pressed his lips on her forehead. "No matter what you might think about it or even what you may want to do about it, this is my responsibility. We will continue this discussion when you are home." He gave her no chance to respond and left the room.

Ben returned to her room about 10 minutes after Jack left and found her crying. He sat down on the bed and held her. He had thought that Jack would have had sense enough not to upset her. That and his frustration at being kept in the dark was starting to build up Ben's own anger about the situation. As his hold on Beth tightened, the hold on his anger was lessening.

Thanks to a judicious use of the Goa'uld healing device, Beth was able to come home after being in the hospital for a week. The doctors were certainly concerned, confused and condescending. Essentially the truth was that Beth proved the maxim that medical professionals make the worst patients and she pretty much demanded that she go home. She could walk, eat and do other bodily maneuvers pretty much without problems and so they released her. However, they insisted that she have some assistance at home and that she follow her Doctor's instructions.

Beth refused to have Ben move in with her and refused to move in with her parents. She also insisted that the boys go back to school. They were making her crazy with their hovering and she announced that she was mother to two boys, not two helicopters. She also flatly told John that she was not going to Colorado Springs and that if he didn't stop acting like a she was an invalid she was going to slug him.

"They told me to have some assistance at home." Beth told them quite plainly, "and I have a housekeeper and Ben will be here most of the time anyway." She said the last part with a sideways glance at him. Then she turned to Jack. "Jon, I need to speak with you." She took his hand and led him to her bedroom.

The others guessed that she was going to talk to him about what happened. Sam had spoken with her and told her that no matter what she may decide to tell him, Beth knew that the Colonel was going to do what he felt needed to be done. Well, she was going to talk to him, but not quite the conversation his team felt she was going to have.

"It's not like I don't understand your anger, Jon. I do." she told him quite heatedly, "but I don't like the fact that you are not caring at all about yourself or what this will do to you."
Beth had sat down on her bed and was proceeding to empty out her overnight bag. She was pulling out her robe when Jack responded to her.

"Whatever gave you the impression that I don't care about myself or anyone else?" His question to her showed some puzzlement. He thought she understood that he would never put his team or anyone else in jeopardy, no matter what he was thinking or feeling.

"Oh, I don't know," Beth said. "Could it be that little trip to the unknown you took seven years ago?"

Jack frowned and wondered what his involvement with the Stargate program had to do with her question.

Beth saw he was puzzled and reminded him. "You know, that little suicide mission to Abydos?"
"And that has what to do with now?" he asked her. "I don't see your point."

Beth threw down the robe next to her bag. "Ok - how about letting me think you were dead?"

Jack was taken aback slightly that she would bring that up. He had thought they'd quit beating that horse. "I thought we were finished with that."

"Yeah, we're finished with that, but what you are doing is the same thing." Beth stood up from the bed rather abruptly and wobbled for a minute, Jack went over and grabbed her upper arms and steadied her.

"Okay, Greene." Jack looked her directly in the eyes. "What the hell does that mean?"

Beth blinked once and then stared at a point beyond Jack's left shoulder. There sat a stuffed unicorn, an old and very much loved stuffed animal, a memento from a long ago and younger time. She then turned away from it and looked at him.

"What the hell does that mean?" she repeated "It means, as it always does, that you make decisions for others without regard to what they may feel or want."

Jack opened his mouth to respond, but Beth put the fingers of her right hand on his mouth.

"Shut up and listen," she told him. "I want you to think about what you did after Charlie died. Do you remember?"

"That Charlie died by my gun?" He let go of her arms and walked to the bedroom window. It looked out onto her backyard. He saw the oak tree and the area surrounding the tree that, depending on the weather, had plants, flowers or lawn decorations. He knew she loved playing in the dirt and that it relaxed her. "How can I forget that?"

"Jon," Beth started, "I am not going to listen to you tell me that you killed your son. But," and here she paused, "you did kill your marriage."

He turned to face her. "I killed my marriage? Sara left me."

"Yes she did," Beth answered him, "after you left her. The Air Force came calling with a suicide mission and away you went without a second thought about her."

He stiffened and turned back to the window. Beth continued. "You decided, albeit with the help of my husband and my father, to allow me to think you died on that mission. I would say that you are fairly good at unilateral decisions."

He didn't reply. "And here you are, again, making a unilateral decision," she finished.

He turned to look at her. She was still standing by the bed and he walked toward her. His whole manner was stiff and angry.

"Thank you so much for reminding about that." His voice held a slight edge of the pain her words had caused him. Really, intellectually, he knew that she was right. Those were unilateral decisions made without thought, but for her to think that he was doing that now without regard to the danger to the others...

"But let me tell you something," he said, starting to allow his anger to come out. "Did you think you were anymore concerned when you allowed yourself to be a target for that serial killer on Talbot or allowed yourself to be bait when Angra had me?" He was now standing close to her, so close that she could feel his anger radiate from him. "Did you not consider what could have happened, would have happened in each of those situations?" He gently put his hands on her upper arms. "Did you not consider what I could have done to you when you used yourself as bait? And you're telling me about my reckless decisions?" When she didn't respond he continued, "Yeah, I heard that you volunteered to be bait, untrained, unprepared and pretty much unprotected. What does that say about your decisions?"

Beth's anger came forward. "I made the only choice available to us."

Jack laughed. "You're a child playing soldier, Greene. Carter would've been able to handle the situation."

"Oh right," Beth responded. "How does one handle a rape then, Jon?"

He gave her a sharp look. "I didn't..." he began.

"No you didn't," Beth acknowledged, "but you almost drowned me when you had me."

Jack gave her a look that spoke of murderous intent if she finished her comment. He suddenly laughed. It was not a sound of humor.

"What is so damn funny, O'Neill?"

"You are," he responded. "It's exactly the same, Beth. You're just too stubborn to see it."

"I'm stubborn?" Beth answered him. "Did they grow all the O'Neill boys to be stupid, or just you?"

Jack pulled her closer to him, his eyes stormy and he gave her a small shake and sat her down on the bed. He stood over her and pointed the index finger of his right hand at her.

"Understand this," he said. "There is absolutely no way in hell that I am going to sit back and let others do my job. Whether you like it or not, I am the one responsible for this and I am the one who will finish it."

"Ass!" Beth hissed at him. He then leaned his body over her body, and placed his arms on either side of her supporting him so that his body was not laying directly on her.

"Yeah, I may be one of those, Elizabeth." His voice held that soft and dangerous tone he saved for when he had a point to make. "But you know better than most that getting in my way is a very bad idea." And then he stood up and looked down at her, his eyes softening.

"Look, I really do believe that you understand me sometimes better than I understand myself." His voice taking on the gentle quality it had when he managed to focus on what was really going on. What was really going on was that Beth loved him and was afraid. And countering that, he loved her and he was afraid.

"You're afraid for me. I know that. I'm afraid for myself as well. I won't pretend that all of this doesn't scare the hell out of me." Jack then pulled her up and sat next to her, still holding her hands. He didn't miss the sheen of her tears. "Beth." He let out a small sigh. "You and Daniel and Carter were almost killed. They came closer to killing you than I care to remember. You will just have to trust me and believe that I can maintain the necessary emotional distance to finish this. Most of all, I have to finish this."

Beth blinked away the tears and felt the brush of his fingers helping to wipe them away.
With a quiet voice and more than just a hint of the tears she was shedding in its tone, she asked. "Jon? Do you really think this will ever be all over?"

Jack slowly shook his head. "Maybe not. But we have to believe that we will not only win the battle, but the war."

He leaned over and held her. He thought sometimes it would be just easier to have let go of the people he cared about - emotionally safer for them and for him. However, he knew that it was just not possible. There were few people he could open up emotionally to and Beth was one of them.

They pulled back from each other and Jack told her that he was going to get his crew together and head for the airport.

"I'll send Ben up," he told her and left.

Beth looked briefly at Ben when he walked into the room and turned away from his unspoken questions, but he saw the tears. She knew that he was curious as to what it was Jack had to do and how Beth and Major Carter played into the situation. It frustrated and angered him further because she would not share with him what was going on. Sooner or later he, Beth and O'Neill were going to have it out. What he didn't tell her was that Blue Topaz had been leaking little snippets of information to him. He hadn't been able to piece it together, because it just seemed a little too fantastic to him, but he was going to. You don't start doing 100 piece jigsaw puzzles at the age of 4 and not be able to figure things out.

"What did he do this time?" Ben ground out finally.

Beth turned to him, a puzzled look in her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Damn it!" he said angrily. "Why are you still protecting him?"

"I'm not protecting him, Ben," she answered him. "I have no idea what you're asking me."

"This is the second time he has left and I have come in to find you crying over him. Of course you are protecting him."

The people downstairs could not miss hearing Ben's voice. Sam, Daniel and Teal'c looked at Jack. Jack just turned away from them and looked at her fireplace mantel where pictures of Beth's family stood.

Beth turned to Ben and asked him if he'd lost his mind.

Ben walked up to Beth and took her face in his hands. "I know exactly what I am talking about. You've been standing up for him since you could stand."

Beth smiled slightly and chided him for his sarcasm.

Ben let go and stepped back. "My God! He can do almost anything and you would forgive him. Even hurt you."

Beth's chin went up a measure and she very bluntly told him that John was not responsible for what happened to her and that, as he well knew, there was more involved here than just someone with a major dislike on for Jon.

Ben let out a sigh and walked to the bedroom door. "Elizabeth, you have a decision to make."
She could only look at him, the questions in her eyes. "Me or O'Neill, Elizabeth. I need to know just exactly what our commitment to each other is and is it stronger than your tie to O'Neill." He then walked out of the room. Everyone downstairs heard the sound of something solid crashing against the wall of her room.

Jack looked at Ben and started to laugh. "Samuels, you're a putz!"

Ben mimicked Jack's laugh and answered back, "I'm a putz? If I'm one of those, what does that make you, I wonder?"

"She loves you, you idiot. And you're just going to throw her away."

Jack turned to tell his team to pack up and head for their hotel. Their return flight was early the next morning.

Ben made a rather sarcastic comment about Jack being a strange one talk about throwing people away.

"What the hell is your problem Samuels?"

"You, O'Neill. You are my problem. I have been having to pick up the pieces you leave her in since I've known you."

"What?" Jack's tone expressed surprise. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about taking this outside and settling it. I've just plain had enough."

Jack laughed and took off his jacket. Ben then did the same.

"Okay, Samuels. Let's do this."

"Bring it, O'Neill."

Both men headed out the door to the street. Sam and Teal'c started to head after them, but Daniel held them back.

Sam looked at Daniel, her eyes wide and her pupils dilated. "Daniel?"

"Let them go. They need to do this."

"I can't believe you actually intend to just stand here while they go and beat each others brains out," Sam said.

Daniel smiled slightly and told Sam that is exactly what they were going to do, for a little while at least.

Sam looked directly at Teal'c, appealing to him with her eyes, but he only shook his head and told her that he agreed. "They are two stubborn and passionate men," Teal'c told her, "that will not allow themselves to work together on this."

"I just don't believe this." Sam's voice was starting to raise a trifle in its volume. "Their stubborn and passionate nature is a good thing right now?"

Teal'c looked at Sam. His eyes very carefully conveying the measured stance he was going to take in answering her. "The Colonel," Teal'c informed her, "blames himself totally for what has happened. He appears to forget, sometimes, that he has a team behind him that does not blindly act according to his wishes. "Commander Samuels," he added, "appears to believe that Colonel O'Neill is some kind of pied piper and that everyone dances to his tune. Both men," Teal'c finished, "seemed to forget there is such a thing as individual choice and that others are capable of making one."

Sam looked from one man to the other, made a sound that was half groan and half cursing before going outside.

"Teal'c was right about both men, though," Sam thought to herself. "Stubborn and passionate," and as she looked toward the street, "most certainly beating the hell out of each other."
She ran down the stairs to the sidewalk and started trying to get Ben's and Jack's attention. Failing that, she yelled for Teal'c and Daniel and promised some dire consequences if they didn't get their joint hineys down there and break them up.

Daniel and Teal'c ran down the stairs and it was only because Sam looked up toward the house that she saw her friend looking out the window of the second floor landing. Beth was white faced and was holding her hands to her mouth. Sam turned back to the men and saw Teal'c grab Ben and Daniel reach for Jack.

Daniel pulled Jack away and in a very direct tone told him to get into the car.

Jack started to argue, but Daniel pulled open the car door and told him tersely, "Get in the car, Jack." He pulled on Jack's arm one more time. "Jack, get in the damn car!"

Going over to Teal'c, he signaled for the big man to let Ben go and attend to O'Neill. Daniel took hold of Ben's left arm and started pulling him toward the steps to Beth's house. Ben was slightly resistant, but Daniel yanked again and told him that he really didn't want Beth to see anymore of this than she already had.

Ben's "like she cares" comment caused Daniel to stop at the door to the house and grab Ben's other arm.

"Samuels, you really are a putz," he ground out. "The two of you still seem to act pretty much as you did when you first met."

Ben asked him sulkily how he knew what they were like when they first met.

"Because," Daniel answered him in a tone used on a recalcitrant child, "you two sure aren't acting like adults. Fighting over who is responsible for what is happening."
Ben retorted that they were not fighting over who was responsible or not for any of what was happening.

"No," Daniel answered him, "it is more like who gets to be the 'big man', to play the hero, by taking the blame for what happened to me, Beth and Major Carter."

Pushing Ben down onto the sofa, Daniel stood over him with his arms on his hips. "Listen to me you big dumb ass," Daniel began. "You're right. This really doesn't have very much to do with who loves who, or who is responsible for what."

Ben's eyes narrowed and darkened and Daniel took note at how really disturbing it would be to have to look into two colored eyes, but he continued on.

"The fact of the matter is that something is happening to all of us. Something bad. We, all of us, are in someone's way. It doesn't matter whether or not any of us are actively involved, we are connected to those that are."

Daniel then sat next to Ben on the sofa. "You feel put out that you don't know what is going on?" Daniel stopped and stared directly into Ben's eyes, "That is too bad. If you care anything at all for that woman upstairs, you will haul ass up there and tell her that you will do your best to help and protect her. Because Jack is right about that one thing: the fact is, she may love him, but she is in love with you. If you can't take that and hold onto it, maybe you ought to just stand aside and let her go. If you love her, you have to trust her. Quit being part of the problem and become part of the solution."

With that Daniel got up and left the house. Ben sat on the sofa with his head in his hands. He had heard that trust lecture before, many times, from Beth, from Jack, from Beth's father.
Daniel hurried down the stairs to the car and saw that Teal'c was sitting in the front passenger seat, leaving Sam and Jack to sit next to each other. Sighing he got into the driver's seat and started the car.

The drive was a quiet one. Daniel noted the semi-amused expression that Teal'c had. He marveled at how Teal'c always managed to look amused while watching humans interact, like he had a joke to tell, but preferred to keep it to himself. In the rearview mirror he watched while Jack and Sam worked very hard to ignore the other. "Talk about Putzs. Jack has some strong feelings for her, but won't let on. Sam has some strong feelings for him, but won't pursue it." Daniel smiled slightly, "one of Jack's favorite expressions is 'life's too short'. Yup, sure is," Daniel thought, "maybe someone ought to practice what he preaches."

While on the plane Teal'c and Daniel discussed taking pity on Major Carter and trading seats with her. However, neither one really wanted to talk with O'Neill at the moment either. Discretion being the better part of valor, they figured he wouldn't pick a fight with her to make himself feel better.

Beth ventured down the stairs two hours after Jack and his team left for Dulles. She was surprised, and yet not, to see Ben asleep on the sofa. She quietly approached it and perched herself on the armrest of the right side. From there she was able to really look at him. She noted the shadows under his eyes, along with the lines and creases around them. His face was somewhat relaxed while he slept, but the unmistakable signs of stress and worry still showed itself very plainly in the restless movement of his sleep.

Her staring at him somehow managed to rouse him and he opened his eyes to find her looking at him intently. The play of the light from the lamp just over her head caused her eyes to change from their golden color to that of a deep yellow and brown topaz.

Beth got off the sofa as Ben started to stretch "like a giant cat," she thought. It was the one trait he and John had in common. Jack was built more like a panther, lean and sleek. Ben, like a lion, big and muscular. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, if she continued along those lines, thinking about Ben's body, they weren't going to get much talking done.

"I'm going to get a glass of Sabra. Do you want one?" she asked him, trying to keep her voice and tone level.

Ben nodded and watched as she walked over to the cabinet under the television.

It was a silence that the two of them had gone through before, when Beth ended their engagement long ago. He watched as she quickly poured two glasses of the orange liquor and walked back towards him holding out a glass in her right hand.

They toasted each other and sipped. At least Ben sipped. Beth proceeded to rub the index finger of her right hand around the rim of the glass.

"So..." she began, "that was one hell of an exit line."

Ben steadily kept his eyes on her.

"Nothing to say?" she queried. She then put her glass on the coffee table and sat on the recliner next to the sofa.

"Well, I have something to say," she said, her eyes never leaving his. "I am tired of feeling as if I am the prize in a competition between you and Jon. Or at least the competition you think there is between the two of you."

Ben settled back into the cushions. Their last conversation started this way as well.
"As I told you many times..." Her voice now shook slightly with some controlled anger. "I will not explain my relationship with Jon or anyone else for that matter, to you. I don't ask you about your remaining in contact with Rita."

Ben gave a startled reaction.

"What?" She tilted her head. "You didn't think I knew that she continually calls you?" Rita calling Ben had been a sore point with them for the last six months. She hated it when she responded viscerally to it, but she couldn't help but throw it at Ben.

Ben responded that he tried to keep Rita out of their relationship, but Rita was quite persistent. "I only told you about her," he answered, "because I didn't want you to be surprised. I only wish that you would return the favor."

"Return the favor? What the hell are you talking about? I don't have an ex in my closet calling continually. I, at least, try to understand that she feels connected to you. You were married for a while. You still want to talk to her and whether it makes me happy or not, that is your choice. My relationship with Jon is not the same. He is, however, a part of my life - past, present and future. And if you and I are going to have one, you need to get a grip. That little fight with Jon was entirely unnecessary."

Ben gave her a puzzled look and responded "*I* need to get a grip? Your good buddy Jon doesn't appear to be helping matters when he hides things and expects you to go along with it. You are not part of whatever he does Beth. You aren't obligated to buy into his actions. And your continual 'goodie two shoes' actions concerning him are really starting to annoy me. Hell, it has been annoying me for years."

Beth tried to take a steadying breath. This talk about Jon and Rita was apples and oranges and besides that, it wasn't the point. There was bigger fish to fry.

She shook her head and her tone became more sarcastic. "'Goodie Two Shoes'?" she started, "Is that how you see me? As some little mealy-mouthed little girl?"

Ben didn't answer, he just waited. And he didn't have to wait long.

"I have never presented myself to anyone as a paragon of virtue. Or as someone that is always mild and pleasant. I have the devil's own temper. And yeah, I shoot my mouth off sometimes before my brain has had time to register what just came out of that mouth. But that little scene with Jon on the street? What the hell was that? A continuation of the two 12 year olds jockeying for position?"

Ben laughed. It was a short laugh, but had a small amount of humor and regret to it.

"Is that how you saw us? As adolescent males fighting over a perceived position."

"Yes," she answered. "Exactly how I saw it. Just as you saw me do it with Rita right after you were married."

Ben sat back against the sofa cushion.

"I hated her Ben," Beth told him flatly. "I still hate her. I hated the fact that you turned to her immediately after we broke up. Almost as if I wasn't worth a second thought to you."
She looked back down at her hands. They were clasped tightly together. "It made me feel as if I was just a means to end, instead of being the end. Maybe my attachment to the boys...ok...especially one boy in particular was a bit difficult to swallow. But I was 19 and scared and couldn't make you understand."

"Ben, we all know more than what is good for us right now." She paused. "And I probably know more about what is going on than you do."
Ben's harsh laugh startled Beth.

"What?" she asked.

Ben told her that Blue Topaz had brought him up to speed on a lot of things. That report BT gave him during Jack's Court Martial, the information about the kidnapping and the attempted attack when she was at Sam's place, did give him more questions than answers. But the one answer that was always present involved two men, Jack O'Neill and Senator Robert Kinsey. Whatever had happened to Dr. Jackson, Major Carter and her, involved those two men. Did he to need to know more? Sure he did. Did he want to know more? Well, that was the $64,000.00 question.

"We are just going to have to trust each other and Jon and his team," Beth responded. "There is no help for it. Which leads us to..."

Ben finished the sentence. "Us"

"You have to trust me Ben, or we have nothing."

"You know, Beth..." Ben was trying very hard to pick his words carefully. He knew that she had a volatile temper. Something she had managed to contain through the years, but still simmered underneath the cool and competent physician veneer. "It isn't that I don't trust you."

"You don't trust Jon?" she asked him. She took a sip of her drink and raised her eyes to him.
Ben shook his head and answered slowly, "That isn't it either." He put his glass down and stood up and walked toward her. He knew that she hated it when he used his height to make a point, but he wanted her full attention now.

Standing in front of her, he placed his hands on his hips and spoke. "It's the secrets, Beth. It's the deliberate intent to throw me off the trail." He paused. "Hell girl, you can keep all the secrets you want. But I won't be lied to."

Her gold eyes went wide and she started to speak, but he forestalled her. "No, you will hear me out."

Ben then walked over to the mantle over the fireplace and picked up the picture of Beth's two boys.

"You are right when you say that we know more than what is good for us. And you, Dr. Greene, know a lot more than you are telling me. Things that are probably best left unknown to me. But..." He put the picture down and turned to her. "There are bigger and more important things involved right now than petty secrets. If you can't be straight with me, then I don't know if there can be an 'us'."

Beth stood up and went over to him. Ben could have sworn that her eyes glowed for just a second.

"So, you think that whatever other secrets I know, I should tell you, because?" She faced him with her hands on her hips.

"You tell me," he answered her.

"There is no way in hell I am going to tell you every secret that I know, not even if it means our relationship. There are some things that just aren't told." She searched his eyes when she said those words.

"When it comes to people's lives, girl, you have to decide what is more important."

"Fuck you."

She turned to walk away but he grabbed her left arm with his hand and spun her towards him.

"Don't use that mouth on me, Elizabeth. I can out swear you any day of the week. But you need to listen to me."

Beth wrenched herself free from him and raised her right hand as if she was going to slap him, but he easily caught her arm and pulled her to him.

"Can you feel me?" he asked her, his voice tight.

Her pupils widened a fraction and he took that as an affirmative.

"Angry or calm, you have a most powerful affect on me. I love you. But sometimes you scare me half to death. You have almost no sense of personal safety." His voice was soft and silky. The softness of his tone belied the absolute turmoil going on inside his gut at that moment.
He shook her just once and then held her back from him a fraction. "First you go on some rescue mission and almost die. I heard the talk. And now, some Senator arranges to have you beaten half to death. You know..." there was a pause, "the doctors were convinced you weren't going to live. The beating was that bad. Then all of a sudden, certain injuries just disappeared. How is that possible, Doctor?"

He saw the flare in her eyes and knew that she was going to give him some story about miracles and he shook his head.

"There is no possible way that you should be standing here right now, Elizabeth. None." He let go of her left arm and with his right he led them to the sofa and sat them down.

"I saw your x-rays and your father shared with me the extent of your injuries. I should be burying you right now, not thinking about taking you to bed. I don't understand how it happened, but I bloody well what to now why."

Beth put her head down and looked at her hands. Tears starting to leak out of her eyes.

He closed his eyes, sighed and then sat up and opened them. The marked contrast between the two colors was muted by the fact that his face was in the shadows, so that both eyes showed up dark. He didn't want them to have nothing, he told her, but she needed to understand that he was no longer going to be kept in the dark. No matter what was going on or what was involved, he was going to be a part of it. Need to know, no longer applied.

Beth nodded and picked up her drink. She mentally crossed her fingers, though. As much as possible, there was one secret she was going to keep. She hoped that Ben's keen sense of observation, honed by being a JAG attorney, would be blind to that one secret. Hell hath no fury like the military scorned.

The offices in the city of Washington DC seemed to reflect the personality of its inhabitants: flashy and bright on the outside cold, dark and secretive on the inside.

There were many inhabiting the offices of the power base in Washington and many whose façade ran deep. But very few ran as deep as the man sitting in the shadows of the office of Senator Robert Kinsey. This man understood all to well the mask that one wears running with the bulls in this town.

A small desk light was lit, otherwise the room was shadowed in darkness.

The blonde head could not be missed, would not be missed, by even the most casual of observers, like the Security Guard that peeked in and wondered why on earth anyone would be sitting in an office in almost total darkness at midnight. The man at the desk didn't even lift his eyes, much less his head when the guard made a conversational comment. He didn't even wave to acknowledge the man. The guard shook his head and shut the door. He was glad he didn't have to see that man often.

Salem Latham suddenly stretched both of his arms over his head and then rolled his neck and his shoulders. He had been at this for hours now and was no-where near finished. He very dimly noted that he was hungry. But another hunger gnawed at him and it didn't have anything to do with food. He looked down at the folders in front him. The photo he had been looking at had triggered that other hunger he was now feeling. He knew that if he stared at the picture of the person whose file he was reviewing, food would be the least of his cravings.

He suddenly closed the folder, grabbed it and the others, shoved them into case and stood up. He made sure the desk and all it's contents were neatly in place and placed, as opposed to shoving, the chair under the desk. He turned out the desk light and then left the office, careful to make sure the door locked behind him.

He figured that if he left with the folders and picked up some take-out, he would be able to satisfy both of his cravings. Well, close enough to satisfying, anyway.

An hour later Salem opened the door to his apartment. Prestigious location. Prestigious apartment. Clean. Neat. Sterile. Just like it's occupant. Furnished with meticulous eye for detail, but barren. The furniture reflected the sparse and Spartan style of its occupant.
Salem went into his utilitarian bedroom, changed into his sweats and then went to his kitchen. The chrome and stainless steel kitchen reflected back the Spartan style of the rest of the apartment- state of the art appliances, but spare in appearance. If one were to visit his house, the cleanliness of the kitchen would leave one to believe that he must eat over his sink. They would be wrong. Salem sat at a table like everyone else - placemats, utensils, and napkins - just like ordinary folks. But his habit to clean most thoroughly left behind no traces of his meals.
Finishing his meal he walked to his study, sat at his desk and turned on the energy efficient desk lamp.

He opened the file that interested him the most. The face of the picture on the inside left cover of the file had obsessed him for years. He had fantasized about that face for years. It was always her face he would see whenever he would look at other women, whenever he romanced other women, dominated other women. She was the one woman that he had failed to romance and to dominate. She had very clearly seen his needs and decided that she hadn't needed him.

Salem sat back in his chair and grimaced. She was the one woman that he was unable to control. She was too independent, but not for too much longer. He held her future in his hands, and if she didn't comply, well, he felt certain he could find a way to ensure her compliance this time. He intended to have her back and under his control.

The shrill sound of a ringing phone roused the man from his bed. "Coming. Coming." His voice was a mixture of sleep and irritation. It was, after all 5 a.m. and only mad dogs and, well, mad people were up at this hour.

"Gordon." Harris Gordon answered with the mixture of curt irritation and professional demeanor. One never knew who was on the other end.

"Good Morning, Harris." Senator Kinsey's voice was alert and smooth. "I have an assignment for you."

Gordon inhaled softly and then reached for the portable phone nearby. He padded into his office and sat at his desk. Obtaining a pad and pen he then spoke. "I'm ready sir."

Fifteen minutes later Harris put the phone down and stared at the notes he had made. This would entail another trip to Goa'uldville - the floating village in the sky. Si'serra had wanted them to meet with the other three members. That meant calling Salem away from whatever he was doing. Lately, Salem was scaring him. Scaring him more than usual, he thought. Harris had told him, quite frankly, that his obsession with that woman was going to be their downfall. Salem just laughed. He had dealings with her before. She wouldn't be any trouble once he had her under his control.

Harris remembered shaking his head and remarking that the man in her life might have something to say about that.

"Him?" Salem said with a contemptuous laugh, "He has no say in what she does with or in her life. He may think that he has some say, but I can guarantee you that no man understands her as well as I do."

Harris felt a chill roll down his spine. He had felt, and not for the first time, that they were badly underestimating the people they are dealing with. Not just the Goa'uld, but the humans as well. And if Salem didn't get control of his obsession... He closed his eyes. An unbidden vision swam before his eyes and the words 'He will kill you. You know that.' echoed in his head. He swallowed reflexively and shook his head to remove the image.

Major Harris Gordon-USAF-wondered just exactly what he was doing involved in this. Walking away from the desk his phone was on, he returned to his bedroom and from there to his bathroom. Opening the medicine cabinet he reached for the large bottle. Laughing slightly as he opened the bottle and shook out two of the white pills the words from an old Rolling Stones Song, 'The Shelter of Mother's Little Helper' seemed to mock him. Taking a Dixie cup from the dispenser, he filled it with water and swallowed down the pills, hoping that they would settle his nerves and give him the courage to continue. For a man that really wanted to be invisible, the lure of power proved to be too much so he ran for the shelter of 'mother's little helper' and then went to shower and dress.

Salem stood before the elevator in the Senate Office Building and kept checking his watch, a Rolex - one of the expensive ones; one that he had coveted since his days as a poor and shabbily dressed teenager in a neighborhood of expensive homes and expensive children. He shook his right arm again and straightened out the cuff of his shirt and Hong Kong made suit jacket. Harris, as usual, was late. He wondered why Kinsey put up with that man. But then lackeys as loyal as Harris Gordon were not easily found. So Salem tamped down his impatience and felt his endurance was rewarded when Harris walked into the building.

"Harris." Salem's tone was cordial enough, but his irritation did show through.

"Salem." Harris responded. He tried to pretend that he didn't notice Salem's tone or body language. They had to work together, but one of these days...

"Did the Senator call you?" Salem asked as they entered the elevator. Salem would never get used to the combination of steel and oak in some elevators. What a waste of utilitarian piece of equipment.

Harris looked at Salem and nodded. In an undertone Harris said that they needed to take a little ride.

Salem lifted his lime green eyes up to the ceiling of the elevator and Harris nodded.

The rest of the ride to their floor was in silence and neither one spoke again until they were in Salem's office.

Harris swiftly brought Salem up to speed. Looking into his empty coffee mug, Harris began to tell Salem what he was told.

"We are to go to Roswell and from there we will be 'transported' to see Si'serra and the other two representatives, a woman and a man. The man, from what the Senator told me, is familiar with SG-1." Stopping for a minute, he looked directly into Salem's bottle lime eyes and continued. "More specifically, Major Samantha Carter. It seems he holds her responsible for an accident he was involved in some time ago."

Salem leaned back in his chair, and put his arms behind his head. His smile did not reach his eyes.

"So, a nice little cold dish of vengeance?" Salem said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Well," Harris responded with a cold little smile of his own, "they do say that vengeance is dish best served cold. Whatever the reason, SG-1 has severely pissed of more than just the good senator."

Salem sat forwarded and put both of his hands on the desk. "So, once we meet with Si'serra and his people, what then?"

Harris smiled a genuine smile. "Why, we visit Cheyenne Mountain and convince them to release Angra to us."

Salem nodded his head and indicated that Harris should continue.

"Once we have Angra, we have access to what he managed to learn from Colonel O'Neill while he had him and..." here he paused and his smile got bigger, "we have the means to control him and through him, everyone else in the SGC."

Salem's eyes lit up. "How?"

Harris then proceeded to tell him.

Colonel O'Neill wandered around his office. Although his team still spoke to him, there was a hint of reserve in their manner around him. He knew that they were still confused and unhappy about his fight with Commander Samuels. Hell, even he was confused and unhappy about it. He and Ben acted like children and that whole deal was totally unnecessary.

A few times, he knew, Carter tried to approach him and talk to him about it. That however, led to nothing and nowhere. He shrugged his shoulders around and decided that he was going to, once more, approach General Hammond about talking to Angra and see if he would be able to get some information from him.

General Hammond and Jacob (along with Selmak) had nixed the idea. They were afraid that Jack might be compromised by Angra's ability to bring out the 'Hunter' persona. Jack tried to argue that is exactly who needed to be the one to approach the Goa'uld, but Hammond wouldn't budge.

Jack remembered how he felt standing at the two-way mirror watching. He knew that Hammond was right about the 'other' part of him wanting to come out when he saw Angra. What he couldn't make anyone believe is that he had control over that part of him. After all, he had those tendencies before Angra got a hold of him and was able to control it, he could still do so.

Jack looked at the door to his office and then, having made a decision, he strode towards it, opened the door and left his office. A determined stride matched the look in his eyes and SGC personnel seemed to part before him, as the sea of reeds did for Moses. He reached Hammond's office and knocked. At the General's direction, he entered.

Hammond noted the stiff and determined carriage of his Colonel. Jack's eyes bored directly into his, he noted. No flinching. No self-doubt.

"Have a seat, Colonel." Hammond pointed to one of the two chairs in front of his desk.

The General noted that the Colonel even sat down with an economy of movement. George spent a few minutes to regard the man sitting in front of him. Jack was determined, he'd give him that.

"What can I do for you, Colonel?" Hammond came to the point. He figured that O'Neill would as well.

"I want to interrogate the prisoner, Sir." Jack's answer was equally as direct, as Hammond knew it would be.

George sat back in his chair and didn't answer for a few minutes.

"Give me your reasons, Jack." Hammond knew that if Jack could articulate his reasons in clear and concise terms, than it wasn't just emotions driving him. If he couldn't, Jack could quite possibly go in there and kill Angra without a second thought. Well, not immediately, Hammond amended.

"I am really the only one who can reach him," O'Neill argued. "He still thinks he can control me."

George watched as Jack's eyes almost seemed to turn the focus inward. He waited it out. He knew that the Colonel had more to say.

"He thinks that he re-made 'me'," Jack explained. "He thinks that the 'killer' in me is the strongest part of my makeup. He thinks and maybe even believes that by causing it to come, I will turn my back on everything I believe in and was brought up to believe in."

Jack suddenly stood up and paced the area in front of the desk. "I have to go in there and show him that I am in control and that he will get no help from me. That I am the one he has to be afraid of, because of what I can do to him, because of who I am and what he had managed to unleash inside of me."

Jack stopped his pacing and looked Hammond directly in the eyes. "I can make him afraid. He has a lot to be afraid of where I am concerned. I am an unknown to him now."

Hammond wondered if Jack was right. Jack was, at least to the Goa'uld, a wild card. Could Jack's unpredictability as far as Angra was concerned be an ace in the hole for them?

"General...please." Jack was feeling very uncertain at this point. His whole future really did depend on whether or not he could beat Angra at his own game.

"Colonel, I know that you feel that you can face up to him. I believe you. I do." Hammond tried to consider his words carefully. "But we have to make a deal. You and I." George motioned between the two of them. "If I feel that you are in danger, and I am not talking physical, then I step in. NO questions. Or arguments."

He watched as his officer considered the offer and wondered if Jack would turn it down.

"Done." Jack said as he stuck out his right hand.

Hammond and O'Neill walked swiftly down the corridor to the area with the specialized cell that held Angra Mainyu.

Teal'c was standing by the two-way window watching Angra pace his cell. Every once in a while Angra would lift up his head and appear to gaze into the distance. Then he would stop and continue to pace.

The SF's at the door stood silent and stiff. Having a Goa'uld so close to their gate and their secrets made them uncomfortable. They felt better when Teal'c was on watch with them, but not very much.

At the approach of the two officers, the two men stood at attention and saluted.

"Stand aside." Hammond told them. "Colonel O'Neill is going in."

The two SF's started to stand aside, and their movement caused Teal'c to turn in surprise.
"You are not." Teal'c came forward and was going to get between the door and Colonel O'Neill.

"It's ok, T." Jack tried to assure him. "I know what I am doing."

Teal'c's dark eyes grew darker and his face took on a serious look. "Are you certain O'Neill?" Teal'c's voice had a deep timbre to it normally, but this time the tone held more than a touch of question.

Jack nodded.

"Very well, O'Neill." Teal'c appraised his friend and then handed him his Zat.

Jack reached out and patted Teal'c's left arm and opened the door.

Angra turned to face the door as he heard the knob and then his face lit up and he smiled. It was not an ordinary smile of welcome. It was one of triumph.

Jack immediately caught the implications of that smile and returned it with one of his and then shot the Goa'uld.

It was lucky for Jack that Teal'c stood between the door and the others. Short of a bulldozer, no one was getting by him. Hammond immediately ran to the window and watched the play unfold. He very clearly heard all that Jack had to say to Angra.

Jack kneeled on his left knee next to the fallen Goa'uld. He rested the Zat on his right thigh and then spoke, "I found out something really interesting about these things." He brought the Zat into the line of vision of the Goa'uld. Jack smiled a very tight smile. "Would you like to know what it is?"

Angra was still trying to recover from the shot and was also attempting to speak.

Jack nodded with satisfaction. "I thought you would." He then stood up and pointed the Zat at the Goa'uld.

"One shot may stun. And the second may kill. But funny thing about these things." He lifted the gun and examined it and then turned back to his former 'Master', "I can shoot you a second time and you will live through it. I can shoot you a week from now, a day from now or an hour from now. It is two quick shots in succession that will kill you."

He then kneeled down on the floor again and leaned close to Angra's right ear. "I don't plan on doing that..." He stopped. "Not yet, anyway. You see, the pupil learned quite a bit from his master. We're going to play a game, you and I. And the rules are, there are no rules."
Jack got back up again. "I'll be back." Jack told him. "You'll just never know when."

Jack turned and left the room and Teal'c re-locked it. The stunned SF's resumed their position and as Jack left the area and a look passed between Teal'c and Hammond.
The question hung. Was what Jack told him true?

Sam looked at Jack with her eyes wide and almost black. "You want me to design what?"

"A tazer that looks like at Zat." He answered. His eyes showed how very serious he was with his request.

Sam looked at her CO, her eyes taking in the stone cold look of his eyes and the serious set of his face.

She considered his request absurd at best, interesting as well. Walking over to her laptop, she sat on the stool in front of it. She had a CAD program on it and booted it up. She stared at the screen for a moment and then started typing instructions on the keyboard.

When he left, she didn't hear him. She heard nothing but the clicking of the keys for the next few hours. After a few hours, she stretched to work the kinks out of back. She had a look on her face that one would describe as a cat just finishing a bowl of rich cream. Sam wasn't sure that they could do that. But if they could, it just might work. Lifting the phone near the door to her lab, she called the Colonel.

A few hours later, smiling in triumph with her eyes shining she presented him the hybrid zat. She watched as he hefted it in his hands and turned it this way and that. She watched as Teal'c did the same and saw a slow and appreciative smile light up those inscrutable eyes.

"I can't promise you that it will work exactly the way you want it to. Or..." she paused for a moment. "...if it will fool him."

Jack nodded. His dark eyes held a grim look to them. "Oh, it'll work Carter." His eyes bored into hers, the dark determination very clearly imprinted in them. "It'll work."

As Jack left the lab, the two members of SG-1 could only look at each other. The Colonel was playing a dangerous game with the Goa'uld. One he hoped they would win.

They knew that others were involved with this. Angra Mainyu couldn't have done all of this without additional help. The question was, who? Or as the Colonel would correct them, whom?Salem hated being on the ship. It made him nervous and afraid. He hated feeling like he was not in control. The Goa'uld Si'Serra was every bit as arrogant as he had been told the Goa'uld were.

'Well,' he thought scornfully, 'pride goeth before the fall', his late grandmother always told him. His father told him that 'the bigger they are, the harder they fall.' He knew he had to play the game with these people. The Senator hoped to gain something from this, from them. What? He had no idea, nor did he care. He only hoped to come out of this rich, and more importantly, alive.

The metallic voice called to him and he turned. The door to the meeting room was now open. Salem took a steadying breath and headed in.

There were two others with Si'Serra. Both of them were in the shadows. Salem was never able to get a good glimpse at them. One of them was quite slight in build and small in stature as well. He could never quite get the idea that ET was talking to him. Sometimes he wondered how he managed to not say "ET phone home" when he spoke with the alien.

The third alien intrigued him the most. He was not Goa'uld. This much he was told. The third alien had a mask over the right half of his face. Not that Salem could see very much of him either. The third one always stood deep in the shadows. But his hatred of SG-1 was palpable - in particular, his hatred of Samantha Carter. Salem wondered what she had done to earn his enmity. Not that he truly cared. She certainly hadn't earned any brownie points from him either, but he was curious.

"Mr. Latham," the third man spoke to him. " Have you made the arrangements to go to the mountain?"

Salem nodded. "Yes, it is in place. Senator Kinsey is in charge of 'Intelligence' affairs and this works into his control."

*ET* asked him if anyone was suspicious of this sudden visit.

Salem shook his head. The green depths darkened a little and took on the hue of an emerald. "It would make no difference. They would have to comply. Our president has ordered it as well. He thinks..." Salem said with the scorn evident in his voice, "that we are there to 'learn' something of importance."

The three others in the room nodded.

Suddenly the masked one laughed and turned his one good eye onto Salem.

"When you do finally bring it all down onto them, will you do me a favor?"

Salem looked at the masked man for a minute and then nodded and asked what it was he wanted.

"I want to be there when you face off with Major Carter. I want to see her face, when she finds out what we have done."

Salem was taken aback. The request was given so casually. No real rancor was evident in the words, but the pain, the anger, the need for vengeance was so very clearly telegraphed.

Salem nodded. "As you wish," he answered. He was curious. Maybe he would find out what it was the man was hiding. Maybe if he knew what it was he could play the card to his advantage and make her beholden to him for her life. It was an interesting thought.

Salem left soon after the meeting. He was curious about this strange triad; curious about how a U.S. Senator would be involved in this as well. He was well aware of how much the Senator hated the members of SG-1. He particularly knew about how much Colonel O'Neill was loathed by the Senator.

Well no matter, Salem thought to himself, it would soon be over.

Once transported back into his office, Salem wondered how he would be able to use what he knew to his advantage. A certain AF officer had caught his fancy years ago and he wanted the challenge of having that officer back in his life.

Angra Manyu was beaten. He knew it. His 'Hunter" was as good as his word.

He wondered how it could be that he was able to use the zatnikatel the way he had. Angra never knew when "he" would come into his cell to ask him about how all of this had started. The shot would not come right away. Sometimes his Hunter would place his face very close to his ear and whisper that maybe he would see if other Goa'uld weapons would be good to use. It was, the Goa'uld thought, frightening to see how very powerful the Hunter had become in that Tau'ri.

The others had not thought that the Tau'ri would be so strong as to control the changes. They had thought wrong. And not for the first time, he began to wonder if they had all been wrong in taking on the Tau'ri. The Tok'ra were not as powerful as the Tau'ri in their fight for freedom. The humans had become quite a force in the millennia since they ruled the Earth.

In the quiet aftermath of his "meetings" with his former slave, he wondered if he shouldn't just tell him everything and get it over with. He could, he thought, bargain for a place to hide or perhaps for a different host. He shook his head and knew that they might give him a place to hide, but not another host. These humans did not consider it a great honor to be host to a Goa'uld. They did not regard being a Tok'ra host a great honor either. And that truly amused him.

Jack stood at the window that looked into Angra's cell. He wondered what Angra was thinking. Jack was amazed that the ruse was working so well, but it still had not provided them with the information they needed. Angra was becoming afraid and confused and maybe with a little more time... But Jack wondered if they would have it.

They had heard that Senator Kinsey was sending some of his "boys" to visit the SGC. He didn't want Angra there and so they were moving him to a Tok'ra planet. The Tok'ra were amused and amazed at the adjustment Major Carter had made to the Zat. The ruse was to continue and Jack intended to continue to visit Angra, whenever he would be able to get away.

Salem Latham and Major Harris Gordon were two of Kinsey's creatures. They would be the ones to visit. They'd been given some high fallutin' reason for a visit - some security crap that Kinsey convinced the president about and now, Hammond had to follow.

After a few more minutes of watching Jack turned and headed to his office.

The Asgard vessel hovered in the night black sky above Earth. The Supreme Commander of the fleet sat reading the report his officer gave him. Thor looked up at the officer as if he didn't believe what he was reading.

"How can this be?" Thor asked. It was rhetorical. He did not expect an answer.

Standing up suddenly he paced the area near his chair still holding and looking at the report.
"We must return home, quickly," he ordered.

As he watched his officer leave Thor turned his thoughts inward. "O'Neill," he thought sadly, "will not like this. Not at all."

Shaking his head, he put the report down and went over to his console to contact his homeworld. His leaders needed to know this and to plan a response.

TBC

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