Love & War

Author: Geonn

Rating: R

Pairings: Sam/Janet, established relationship

Disclaimer: Not mine. None of it. I even borrowed the letters that make up the words.

Spoilers: Foothold, Tin Man, Double Jeopardy, Into the Fire, Entity

Series: Ninth in the Ampersand Series

What Came Before: Life & Death, Search & Rescue, Forgive & Forget, Hide & Seek, Light & Dark, Now & Then, True & False, Cookies & Cream

Notes: This takes place approximately two weeks after the events in Cookies & Cream, and the play mentioned occured between True & False and Cookies & Cream. Several events in this story deal entirely with events that occured in past stories. Please feel free to ask if anything confuses, perplexes or downright makes you say 'huh?'

Summary: While Sam and SG-1 face an almost forgotten foe, Janet has to deal with the consequences of a bad decision.

Chapter One

Sam slipped into the house she shared with Janet Fraiser at a quarter past midnight. She had planned to be home earlier, but they had been delayed getting back to the 'gate and the briefing had seemed never-ending. She quietly stepped into the dark living room, noticing the small bump of Janet on one of the recliners.

The doctor had apparently covered her legs with the thick green comforter usually covering the back of the couch and had an open book laying on her lap. Her head was tilted to the side, her eyes closed and her lips slightly parted.

Sam paused, looking at the petite brunette in front of her. 'She waited up for me,' Sam marveled. 'No one has ever waited up for me... with the exception of Dad, but that was different.'

Careful not to disturb her sleeping lover, Sam placed the book on the coffee table. She was careful to mark the place with an unopened envelope from the stack of mail. Gently, she pulled back the comforter and placed it on the couch. Janet would have wanted it folded, but that could wait until later. Underneath, Janet was wearing a white t-shirt and socks. Sam smiled, gazing at the lovely woman's bare legs before continuing. Keeping in mind that this certain recliner creaked when weight was shifted, Sam expertly slipped one arm under the brunette's knees and the other around her shoulders. With a slow, deliberate heave, she pulled Janet out of the chair with minimal sound. Janet murmured in her sleep, curling against the warmth of Sam's body. Her hand came to rest innocently on the curve of Sam's breast.

Sam smiled and turned, heading for the stairs. She was halfway up when Janet's eyes opened and she looked at her lover. "Sam?" she whispered.

"Yes, love?"

Janet blinked. "Where we goin'?"

"Bed."

"Oh," Janet sighed, stifling a yawn. Her fingers played over the t-shirt where it laid. When Janet realized what she was groping, her lips turned up in a smile. "I missed you."

"Shh," Sam smiled, trying to turn the doorknob to their bedroom with her hand without dropping Janet. She finally succeeded and stepped inside, kicking the door shut with her foot. She crossed the bedroom in relative darkness, having only the streetlight filtering through the bedroom window to guide her. She could have made it in pitch black. She knew this bedroom like the back of her hand. She placed Janet on top of the blankets, slipping her arms free. Once Janet was on the mattress, Sam was able to rearrange the sheets so that Janet was underneath them.

The brunette rolled onto her side, pulling her knees up and cradling the pillow against her head. "Night, Sam." As she drifted off, she suddenly said, "We got' talk..."

"Tomorrow," Sam promised. "Good-night, Janet. I love you."

"Love you," Janet whispered. She was already gone. Sam moved to the closet and stripped out of her clothes. She had her hand on the faded flannel nightgown she wore when she was going to bed just to sleep, then decided against it. She found a pair of panties in the drawer and pulled them on, walking back to the bed and crawling underneath the blankets. Janet automatically rolled over, cradling her head in the warmth between Sam's neck and shoulder. She lightly kissed the skin there and repeated, "I love you."

"I love you, too, Janet." As she stared at the dark ceiling, she wondered what Janet wanted to talk about. 'Maybe she's changed her mind,' Sam hoped. She kissed the top of Janet's head, laying back against the pillow and succumbing to sleep herself.

---

Sam slowly became aware of the fact that she was alone in bed and sat up, rubbing her eyes and looking for her wandering lover. The bathroom door was open and from her vantage point, Sam could see steam on the mirror. Janet had already showered and was probably making breakfast.

She checked the clock, discovering it was half past six. The sun was beginning to peek through the window, faint rectangles of light spreading on either side of the bed. Sam turned, sitting up and lowering her feet into the fuzzy bunny slippers that Cassie had bought for her for Christmas a few years back.

She plodded to the dresser, pulling the drawer open and pulling out a pair of pink-striped boxer shorts and an old t-shirt. She was about to pull the shirt on when she remembered that Cassie was probably going to join them at breakfast. She put on a bra first, then the t-shirt. She pulled her boxers up and stumbled to the door, her feet tripping in the slippers that had always been several sizes too big.

Passing Cassandra's bathroom, Sam noted that the shower was running. 'Ah, Janet was here!' The fact that the girl was awake and mobile this early was a testament to the lovely doctor's parenting skills. Downstairs, she could smell the unmistakable aroma of bacon cooking, eggs scrambling and coffee brewing. 'The modern family,' Sam mused. 'The love of my life, my daughter... who could ask for more?'

The mantle over the fireplace was dotted with pictures taken of Sam, Janet and Cassie on various holidays. Sam's favorite was the one in front of a lake that was taken either on the Fourth of July or Cassie's last day of school. The girl was posing next to a duck, with her two parents standing behind her. Janet's face - which moments before had been a normal smile - was contorted in a wide 'O,' her eyes as wide as they had ever been. Only Sam knew why.

They had asked a kind man walking his dog to snap the picture and he had happily obliged. The moment the old gentleman had said "Smile," Sam had slipped her hand down Janet's back, cupped her ass, and squeezed. Janet had just enough time to register the assault as the shutter closed and the moment was captured in eternity.

Sam moved away from the mantle and stepped into the kitchen and paused, saving the tableau before her to memory.

Janet was sitting in her regular place, plate of bacon and eggs cooling in front of her. She had the newspaper open in front of her, the news section put aside, her attention focused on the comics. Her brunette hair was still mussed from sleep, her make-up not yet applied. She was dressed in a cotton robe, the sides of which fell apart and revealed her slender, bare legs. She had one leg casually draped over the other, one foot gently tapping the air. She was completely unmade, completely natural, completely Janet. She had never looked so beautiful.

Sam smiled, moving to the stove. "Hiya," she smiled.

"Hi," Janet said softly.

As Sam placed some scrambled eggs to her plate, she looked over her shoulder. She spotted Janet watching her, then look away. Sam smiled and put two strips of bacon alongside the eggs and moved back to the table, dropping into her seat. She picked up her fork, then noticed Janet watching her again. She smiled, suddenly self-conscious. "What?"

"Sam... we have to talk..."

At that moment, Cassandra decided to enter the kitchen. She wore her schoolclothes, her hair still wet from the shower. She trudged past Sam and Janet, moving into the kitchen to prepare her breakfast. "Morning," the girl yawned, heading back to the table. Janet arranged herself, giving Sam a look that said, 'we still need to talk...'

Sam frowned slightly, then went ahead and started eating her breakfast. They ate in relative silence, each woman occasionally stealing a glance at the other.

Cassandra finally broke the silence by saying, "How was the planet, Sam?"

Sam swallowed her mouthful of eggs and said, "Nasty. Even worse than the bathroom when you get done with it."

Cassie rolled her eyes at the jab, then smiled. "Glad you're back." She glanced at Janet, then looked down at her plate.

Sam frowned. "Cass? What happened while I was gone?" *brpp brpp*

Cassie jumped at the sound of the bus horn outside, jumping from her seat. She pecked Sam on the cheek, repeated the motion with Janet, then slipped out the door.

Sam watched her go, then turned her full attention to Janet. "Now... what was that all about?"

Janet picked the napkin off of her lap, carefully folding it. "The day you left for P2J-884, I got a call from Cassandra at school." She placed her hands over the napkin, not making eye contact with the blonde.

"She was in the principal's office. She had apparently gotten into a fight."

"A fight?" Sam said. "Who'd she fight? Why?"

Janet shook her head, dismissing the question. "It was the latest of many. Apparently, she's become quite the expert at fisticuffs."

"Our Cassie?"

Janet nodded slowly. "Four fights in one week. Since you've been off-world, she almost got into another one."

"That doesn't sound like her... Why would she be fighting kids at school?"

The brunette took a deep, shaky breath. "Do you remember the play that Cassandra was in at school about a month ago? She played the Martian?"

Sam's lips tried to smile at the memory, but found it impossible. "What does that have to do with this?"

"Backstage, we went to wish her luck. We were holding hands and, when you thought we were alone, you pushed me into a costume room."

Sam blushed. "Oh."

"We missed the first half of the play," Janet said, still avoiding Sam's eyes. "And, we thought it was just an innocent little fling. Turns out a couple of kids saw us."

"Oh, God," Sam whispered.

"They recognized us from school functions or... or something, I don't even know... But when Cassie started missing school to help Christine Reiner with her pregnancy, a couple of kids took notice of how close the girls were." Janet wiped her cheeks, dabbing them gently with the tip of her napkin. "They're so awful..."

"They're kids, Janet!"

"Kids our daughter goes to school with!" Janet said, wiping her cheeks. "Kids... that tease her that she'll be gay when she grows up. They're already calling her names," she shook her head. "Names I can't bear to repeat."

"What does this have to do with us, Janet? Cass is strong. You saw her. It doesn't affect her." Sam was standing now, slowly moving around the table.

"It's not how strong she is, Sam. The principal thinks that... that the relentless teasing might cause Cassandra to take drastic measures. Prove that she's straight."

Sam rolled her eyes. "He's afraid she'll start sleeping around just to prove she's not gay? C'mon, Janet..."

Janet stood. "It's not that unlikely, Sam. Remember when you were in school? People said you were the brain? They called you the human abacus? Do you remember what you did?"

Sam looked down at her bare feet, leaning against the table. "I bombed a science test," she said weakly. "But that's different..."

"You wanted to prove all those loudmouths wrong. What about Cassie? She doesn't bring her friends by because she's scared they'll walk in on us making out on the couch. She's embarrassed when we go out to movies and drink out of the same cup."

"She's... embarrassed by that?" Sam couldn't believe her ears. Where was all of this coming from, all of a sudden? As she stared at her lover, she slowly began to realize the brunette was hiding something.

"I don't blame you for being surprised," Janet said. "You're never home enough to actually have a heart-to-heart with her."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! This whole thing is about me being away too long?"

"It's been coming for a long time, Sam. I think... that it would be best for me and for her if maybe we... cooled it for a while."

"Cooled it?!" Sam almost shouted. "Janet, I love you. I love you more than life. If... if it's my job, I'll quit. If it's kids at Cassie's school, I'll go and knock some sense into their heads myself. But don't tell me that you want to break up with me because it's gotten too *hard*."

Janet was openly crying now. "Sam," she whispered. "When you were on Chahakae, I thought I would die. Now, we..." She shook her head, holding her palms out to indicate the kitchen around them.

"Now? What now? What is it about now?"

Janet stood. "After you were rescued, we vowed that we would never let the Air Force dictate our relationship."

"Right," Sam nodded. "I risked my entire career to rescue you from Almierta."

"Right. Sam, don't you see?" She took Sam's hands in her own. "We've gotten so concerned about the Air Force and our careers and our relationship... we haven't been paying any attention to how Cassandra is feeling. We can be more open in the neighborhood because it's non-Air Force. But it's affecting Cassie."

Sam shook her head. "I don't see what you're talking about."

Janet sniffed. "If we're affectionate at the base, we'll be discharged. Or worse, separated. If we're affectionate here, Cassandra is teased."

"So what? We just live together and keep our hands off when we're in pub..." She froze, immediately realizing Janet's intent. "You... don't want to live together?" The question was posed in a hushed whisper, her blue eyes wide with disbelief.

"I... think... it would be for the best."

Sam blinked at Janet, her arms crossed tightly over her breasts. "You... think it would be for the best."

She closed her eyes, then turned her back so that she was no longer facing Janet.

"Sam...," Janet started.

Sam held up her hands. "Do you want me to pack my things? Do... when do you want me out? Is this an eviction notice?" She turned, heading out of the kitchen. Janet was hot on her heels.

"Sam, please..."

The major froze, keeping her back to the brunette.

Janet reached out, longing to grab Sam by the shoulders and spin her around... but something kept her from it. "I don't... we just... I'm sorry."

Sam gently tapped her finger on the bannister. After a long pause, she managed to choke out, "This isn't about Cassie, or the neighborhood kids or teasing at school. It's not about any of that. It's about me proposing, isn't it?"

Janet remained silent.

Sam nodded her head, turning to face Janet with red eyes. "So... It's over?"

Janet sobbed, turning away from Sam. Behind her, she could hear the blonde climbing the stairs and close the door to the bedroom.

---

Janet stared down at her knee, crossed casually over her left leg. She reached down, adjusting the crease so that it was even. Once her pants were satisfactory, she looked up and across the room. The yellow curtains were parted and she looked out over the lawn of the house. She could see her car parked at the corner, under the shade of the large poplar tree. A mail man walked down the street, sorting a handful of mail as he moved.

The woman seated a few feet away softly said, "Take as long as you want."

Janet sighed, trying to will the tears out of her eyes. She knew that if she started to speak, the tears would start flowing. She settled for another sigh.

"Do you want to just continue this another time?"

"No," Janet said, touching her forehead with the tips of her fingers. "No, I can do this."

"Okay," the woman said, nodding. "It's just that I know how difficult it is for you. Just... take your time. Put your thoughts together."

Janet closed her eyes. The psychiatrist, Sandra Coulson, was a well-kept secret at the SGC. After the Touched virus had broken out at the base, an Air Force lieutenant had visited Dr. Coulson in order to work through his feelings about his actions as a 'neanderthal.' He had tried to work his way around the Stargate, used euphanisms and metaphors, but had eventually broken down and told her about the entire project. Since she was a psychiatrist and her meetings *were* confidential, she would be fine as long as she signed a confidentiality agreement.

Ever since that day, she had been used by officers wishing to keep bigger secrets; get things off their chest that they weren't comfortable sharing with Dr. MacKenzie.

Janet pulled a Kleenex out of the box on the table, wadding it in her hand. "I told Sam... that I was scared of Cassie being forced to prove her sexuality... I told her that I was angry about her not being home very much. I told her it would be better if we... we didn't get married or even live together. She's moving her stuff out right now."

Dr. Coulson, stating the obvious, said, "I guess she took it bad."

Janet chuckled mirthlessly, dabbing her eyes with the Kleenex. "Took it bad... of course she took it bad... I mean, how could she *not* take it bad?" She dabbed her eyes. "I shouldn't have ended it."

Sandra shook her head. "Janet, you've been coming to me for weeks. Every session is about your fears of this relationship. Why do you put yourself through this?"

"What do you mean?"

Sandra tapped her pen on the top of the notebook. "Sam is forbidden fruit. The only reason you want her is because you can't have her. You have ample reason to stop seeing her, yet you remain. My advice is to kick her completely out of your life. Take Cassie, ask for a transfer to... I don't know, Alaska. Get rid of Samantha Carter completely."

Janet sat up, forcefully staring at the doctor. "No. I won't do that."

Sandra smiled. "Very good, Janet." She leaned forward. "To hear you talk about it, you'd think the entire reason you're with Sam was the knowledge you were doing something wrong. I've seen you with her, Janet. You showed up here in tears at the thought that she was leaving you. And the fact that you won't leave her, despite the pressure to do so, tells me one thing. You love her. The real question is... why don't you want to marry her? The Air Force? Regulations?"

Janet shook her head.

"Alan?"

The brunette froze, her fingers tightening around the Kleenex in her hand.

Sandra tapped her pencil against the arm of her chair. "This would take too long to finish right now. For your sake, and for Sam and Cassandra, go. Stop her before she leaves."

"But... but Cassie's fighting. I can't deny she's fighting kids at school."

"Which is something she needs to deal with. I'd be happy to talk with her, but not right now. We've established that you love Sam. You're happier with Sam than you've ever been. And Sam would be lost without you."

"That's just speculation."

"No, Janet. She's told me. You're the best thing that ever happened to her. I can only imagine what she's going through now." She set aside her notepad and pen and stood, kneeling in front of Janet. "Do me a favor? Next time, don't come to talk to me. Go upstairs, put away the suitcases and talk to Sam. Make love to her if she doesn't want to talk. Just work through it yourself. There's no need to complicate matters."

Janet dabbed her eyes with a Kleenex. "It... It seemed so huge this morning."

"It was. Because *you* made it huge. Next time, just look at the beautiful woman across from you and erase all the doubts from your mind. Now go home. Take a bath with her, crawl into bed with her, *fight* with her if you have to... just communicate."

Janet smiled. "Thank you, Sandra."

"The check is in the mail," she winked.

Janet chuckled. "Thanks..."

---

A steady, but light rain had started falling on her trip home from Dr. Coulson's office.

Janet's heart sank when she saw that Sam's car wasn't in the driveway of the house. 'Am I too late?' She parked in front of the garage door, stepping out of the car and opening the garage door manually. Sam's bikes were parked along the left side. Janet released the breath she had been holding. If Sam had left, she would be back. No way she was abandoning those motorcycles. Janet closed the garage, leaving her car parked in the driveway.

She went up the walk, wondering where Sam could have gone. She opened the front door, noting that it was unlocked. Sam was never that careless, usually. She went upstairs, calling out, "Sam?" even though she knew the blonde wasn't there. The bedroom door was open and Janet slipped inside.

A suitcase was laying open on the bed, but no clothes were in it. The sheets were rumpled and the pillow pulled away from the headboard. Janet lightly touched the slipcover of the pillow, feeling the tell-tale wetness of freshly shed tears. She felt her heart clench at the thought of Sam sobbing not long ago. She turned, looking over the bedroom. No drawers hung open, the closet doors were closed. She could see Sam's toothbrush laying on the sink. Had Sam run out to see a psychiatrist, too?

As she passed the nightstand, she saw the flashing light on the CallerID, indicating a missed call. She walked to it and pressed the review button. All that appeared were the words: Confidential Caller. She gasped. The only confidential number they would have received would be from the base... that would also be the only reason for Sam's hasty retreat. SG-1 had been assigned a mission and would probably be gone for who knows how long.

Janet turned, running down the stairs and fumbling in her pocket for her car keys. She couldn't just wait until SG-1 got back to tell Sam she was wrong. She had to catch her before she left.

Chapter Two

The road that led to Cheyenne Mountain was blocked by a large chain-link fence, usually manned by only one soldier. There were other checkpoints on the way to the entrance to the mountain, so it was really just a formality to keep lookie-loos away. As Janet approached it that rainy morning, she noticed that three men were posted at the first gate. Her pulse quickened slightly as she pulled to a stop and lowered her window.

A soldier approached, bending slightly to look into the car. "Morning, Dr. Fraiser. I didn't think you were expected until later."

She handed him her ID card, looking at the other two guards. "I thought I'd come in early. Has, uh, Major Carter come in yet?"

"Yes, ma'am," the soldier nodded, glancing at her ID before handing it back. "Around a half hour ago."

"Any idea what's going on?"

The guard shook his head, "That would be classified, ma'am. You can pull on through."

She rolled the window back up and pulled through the open gate. The only reason there would be extra security was if something was happening at the base. That, too, would be the only reason that Sam would leave so quickly. Something was wrong.

She passed all the other checkpoints and parked in her usual space, quickly heading for the elevators. Visions of Tok'ra, Goa'uld and Asgard emergencies from years past flew through her mind. She frantically punched the button for Level 28 and immediately began wishing the elevator was faster.

As she exited the elevator, she ran forward to the command area, where she could see General Hammond pacing nervously. "General! What's going on?"

He turned and saw her approaching. "Dr. Fraiser, I thought you were coming in..."

"I know, I know," she interrupted. "What's going on?"

"You'll be briefed in full soon. All I can tell you right now is that we have engaged an enemy and are preparing for a battle."

Her heart clenched. "Sir... the United States is already on alert..."

"I know, Doctor. We're dealing with bare-bones in regards to our soldiers. All we can spare is SG teams 1 and 3."

Janet peered through the glass at the gate room below. The Stargate was active, the event horizon shimmering a few yards away. At the bottom of the ramp, flanking a MALP, were the members of SG-1. Her heart leapt at the sight of the back of Sam's head, mostly hidden by the helmet she wore.

Jack O'Neill made a motion with his hand, indicating to his team to move forward. Sam started up the ramp without so much as a backward glance. Janet fought with all her might to resist the urge to rush into the gate room and grab the blonde.

After a few seconds, the MALP slipped into the wormhole and vanished, followed closely by Sam. As the major slipped out of sight, Janet inadvertently released a quiet whimper. The Stargate disengaged, separating her from her lover by billions of miles. She took a breath and asked, "What is going on, Sir?"

He sighed, then turned to her. "You'll be briefed in a moment, Doctor. Please, wait for me in the briefing room?"

"Yes, sir," she said, saluting him before walking off.

---

To her dismay, she found the coffee maker empty and the box of coffee grounds missing from it's usual position on the tabletop in the briefing room. She walked to the water carafe on the table against the far wall and tried to pour a glass, succeeding only in spilling water all over the glass surface.

As she sipped the lukewarm water, General Hammond entered with Major Davis from the Pentagon. He nodded in recognition before settling into his seat.

"Dr. Fraiser," Hammond began. "I wanted to wait until Major Davis arrived before I explained the situation. Better than explaining it twice."

She sat across from the dark-haired man. "I understand, Sir. Major Davis," she nodded.

"Dr. Fraiser. Nice to see you again."

Hammond slid two file folders to them, both marked with the SGC insignia and a marking that read: Classified.

"Last Tuesday, SG-9 came in contact with a friendly race known as the Cheletans. They were a peaceful people, willing to share what little technology they had in exchange for literature."

"Literature?" Davis questioned. "They want stories, sir?"

"Basically. It seems that they haven't developed a system of publishing. Much of their folklore has been lost over the generations and they're suffering from a severe lack of folklore.

"It doesn't seem that vital, Major, but they apparently feel it's important enough to agree to trade. SG-9 discovered that the Cheleta possessed a certain antibiotic that seemed to heal a variety of diseases. We were eager to develop diplomatic relations with these people. SG-9 returned five days ago and we immediately began accumulating some of the best literature of our world. Shakespeare, Hemingway, even some modern authors like Stephen King and JRR Tolkien were included. We had a few scholars go over the works and ensure that most Earth-based references were either deleted or re-worded so that the Cheletans could understand them.

"All in all, the procedures took a total of five days. When SG-9 planned their return to the planet, they were expecting a welcoming party. What they got was a volley of heavy weapons fire. Before the Stargate closed, we received word that SG-9 was rapidly running out of ammunition and Colonel Niccol was, unfortunately, killed in action. I sent SG-3 through at approximately 1000 this morning and they sent back word that SG-9 had been taken as hostages by the Cheletans. We've heard nothing from the front lines since."

Janet frowned. "What made the Cheletans turn on us? Did we offend them somehow?"

"It's uncertain what, if any, their motivation was. The Cheletans have refused to speak with us. Any call for negotiation is answered with more violence."

Davis looked up from his report. "I've scanned Colonel Niccol's report... he doesn't seem to mention anything about seeing any weapons during his time with the Cheletans. In fact, he refers to them as, and I quote, 'the most docile race I've ever come across.' How could they have reversed in... in a handful of days?"

"Many things can change in a week, Major," Hammond said. "They may have had allies who disagreed with the treaty and forced the Cheletans to attack. We simply won't know until this battle is over."

"And when will it end, sir?"

Hammond shrugged, sighing. "Colonel O'Neill has orders to return immediately as soon as they liberate SG-9. Unfortunately, the Cheletan society is rather vast. They may have to fight their way back to the Stargate. I think you should prepare the infirmary for heavy casualties, Doctor."

"Yes, sir," Janet nodded, standing with a crisp salute. Hammond returned the gesture, then headed back to the control room.

---

Janet nervously waited for the phone to be answered. Finally, there was a click. "Hi! This is the Fraiser and Carter residence. We're not home right now..."

She waited for the message to play out, then spoke after the beep. "Cass, baby, Sam and I are both stuck at work. I, uh, I don't know when we'll be back, but I think I'll hold off on calling Mrs. Davenport." She smiled, knowing that Cassandra would whoop with joy that she *finally* didn't have to have a babysitter. "Call me when you get this message, okay? I'll try to come home tonight but... I don't know. Be sure you're in bed by ten and try to wake up in time for school tomorrow. I love you, baby."

She hung up and looked at the phone for a moment. In the closed confines of her office, she laid her head on the desk and began to sob quietly.

---

The first thing Sam heard as she stepped onto the alien terrain was a massive explosion. In front of her, Jack O'Neill dove to his right, disappearing over a gentle hill. She followed suit, noticing that the MALP had been hit by weapon's fire. She found herself at the bottom of the hill, along with Jack and Teal'c. Daniel joined them a few minutes later, his face marked by a few bleeding scrapes. He had apparently been hit by debris from the MALP.

"Well, they certainly know how to welcome their enemies, don't they?"

Sam ignored her CO's joke. She hated wars, especially wars fought on alien planets. The enemy always knew where they were going to be coming from, which meant ambushes were insanely easy to plan. She often marvelled at the fact that they had been so successful fighting the Goa'uld. She decided to inform Jack of her plan. "Sir, SG-3 sent back some intelligence on the layout here. There's a group of buildings just through those trees over there," she pointed. "That's where they were picking up SG-9's radio signal."

"All right," Jack nodded. "So all we gotta do is get there, bust them out, get back to the Stargate and dial home without getting killed in the process. Cake."

Sam nodded grimly.

Daniel groaned, brushing his hair out of his eyes and removing his glasses. The right lens was covered by a spiderweb of cracks. "So how do we get past our welcome wagon out there?"

Teal'c adjusted his grip on his staff weapon and used the butt end to draw in the sand. "We are here... there is a dense tree covering there," he said, pointing at the copse that Sam had indicated a few seconds ago. "I shall draw their fire. You shall find cover there."

"Sounds like a plan," Jack said. "Let's do it."

Teal'c crouched and prepared to stand, a look of grim determination etched across his features. His hands, looking like they had been carved from marble, clenched and unclenched around the staff weapon. Sam lined up behind Daniel while Jack prepared to lead the way. He peeked over the top of the hill, then nodded. "On three... one... two..."

He broke into an immediate run after breaking from his crouch, opening fire on the enemy. Daniel followed as the Cheletans began to return fire. Teal'c rose from his position and steadied his staff weapon, firing into the grove where most of the enemy fire was emanating from. The fire ceased for a moment, as if the Cheletans were trying to determine which target to shoot. Finally, they settled on Teal'c since he had their position locked down and was actually causing damage. The ground around Teal'c's feet kicked up as bullets dug into it. The Jaffa didn't halt in his cover fire, he simply stepped back and crouched slightly to avoid being hit.

Sam reached the tree cover and stopped, pulling a hand grenade from her belt. She pulled the pin loose, held the grenade tightly and locked onto where Teal'c had been firing. Once she had it pinpointed, she concentrated on all those Sunday afternoon football games with her father and brother. 'C'mon, Dad, there's no way she'll get that ball all the way down here!' Drawing on that power, she lobbed the grenade. It vanished into the trees and, mere seconds later, leaves and branches were thrown outward like kindling.

Teal'c ducked, making a break for the trees as Cheletans began flooding out of the tree line. As Teal'c passed her, she watched the Cheletans as they scurried from their hiding places, their skin and clothes burning. They pawed at their chests, pulling at something. Sam frowned, trying to determine what they could have been trying to remove. She shook her head and followed Teal'c into the undergrowth.

---

There was a light knock on the door, and Janet looked up to see Charlotte Parker standing just outside her office. "Charlotte! Hi..."

"Hi. Dr. Fraiser. You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I did. I was wondering how Dr. Roth was doing? She's called in sick the past few days. I just wanted to be sure it was nothing serious." The relationship between Charlotte and Amy was the source of much gossiping, but none of it was mean-spirited. Charlotte had been through a lot and the people who knew she had found happiness were happy for her.

Charlotte smiled. "She's fine, I guess. Her little alien parasite decided to learn what the flu felt like. She's been bed-ridden for a couple of days."

Janet smiled slightly. "Ah, well... tell her we miss her. Especially now."

"Yes," Charlotte said, her smile fading. "Any word from Cheleta?"

"SG-1 just went through... General Hammond tried several times to contact the MALP but he hasn't gotten any information."

Charlotte nodded. "I see... I know they'll come out of this without a scratch. How many times have we been certain they wouldn't be back..."

"...only to have them walk back in without a scratch," Janet said, nodding. "I know. But it only takes one, you know?"

"I know," Charlotte nodded. "Believe me."

Janet winced slightly. If anyone was an expert at the deadly nature of the Stargate, it was the woman in front of her. Two members of her team, her lover, and a good friend had all been killed in the line of duty in a matter of months. "Look, uh, if you want to talk or anything... I'd be happy to listen."

"Thanks," Charlotte smiled. "I'd like that... but I should go check on Amy."

"Right. I'll see you, Charlotte."

"Bye, Dr. Fraiser."

As the young girl left, Janet sighed and looked at the picture on the corner of her desk. It was a photograph of Sam and Cassie at the lake, sitting on the edge of the dock. Sam's feet were barely dipped in the water, her jeans rolled up to the knee. Cassie was sitting in her lap, staring out over the water. Sam's chin was resting on top of the teenagers, her eyes half-closed. A towel was wrapped around both of them. Janet picked up the picture, tracing the line of Sam's cheek. "I love you so much, Sam... come back to me..."

The pain wasn't entirely from the thought that Sam would die. It was mostly from the knowledge that, if the worst did happen, Sam would have to die thinking that Janet didn't love her anymore. Janet leaned back in her chair, holding the picture to her chest. Quietly, she repeated, "Come back to me..."

---

Night was falling by the time they reached the structures. Jack and Sam crouched behind a large bush while Daniel and Teal'c covered their backs. Jack pulled a pair of small binoculars from his jacket pocket and scanned the shadowy alleys between the buildings. "I'm countin'... three guards at each building. Maybe four... All armed. We're gonna have a hard time getting through there." He sighed and glanced at Teal'c. "Are you getting any signals from SG-9's radio?"

Teal'c checked the monitor on his belt. "It is very weak... but steady. I believe they are attempting to contact us."

"So they're alive," Daniel whispered.

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "But for how long? Sir, I have a plan."

"Let's hear it."

"I think I can attract their fire, Sir. If I make a break for that building," she said, indicating a shack set apart from the other buildings, "they'll try to apprehend me. You, Teal'c and Daniel will be able to get into the building holding SG-9."

"Negative, Carter. Can't have you risking yourself on a suicide mission."

"Sir... why not, Sir?"

He half-smiled, still watching the shadowy guards moving about a few yards away. "You're the only one of us with someone waiting back home."

Sam tightened the grip on her gun, fighting the urge to hit the colonel with it. "We talked about this, Sir. You said that you were fine with my relationship so long as it didn't have an effect on my ability to function as an officer. Well, you're making it an issue now."

Jack's smile vanished. "Teal'c would be better equipped to draw their fire, Major."

"You need him with you, Sir. In case you come across danger inside. And Daniel might be able to communicate with any peaceful Cheletan civilians you may come across... He said they speak in some weird Arabic dialect. Sir, I have to do this."

Jack sighed. "Anyone else have any brilliant plans?"

"Sir," Sam snapped. "This is the plan, like it or not. If we want to get our people out of this damned place, we have to move now."

"Teal'c?" he said, ignoring her. "You have any Jaffa stratagies we could pull out?"

Sam clenched her teeth. "Do what you want, Sir," she said, spitting the last word at him. "But you make damn sure this isn't in vain."

Before Jack could question or stop her, she had stood and was running across the field towards the abandoned building.

Jack hissed, "Damn it... okay, move in, guys."

The Cheletans were already shouting at each other, moving away from the small cluster of buildings to intercept the trespasser. Sam lifted her rifle, opening fire on the aliens as she neared the shack. She reached her destination and flattened herself against the wall, making herself as invisible as possible.

Jack and Daniel were moving towards the building housing SG-9's radio signal. Teal'c kept an eye out for Cheletans who weren't hunting Sam. Jack found the correct building and kicked the door in, rushing into the small building and sweeping the room with his gun. The four living members of SG-9 were sitting against the far wall, their wrists and ankles bound with thick rope. Lieutenant Scott Freeman, the ranking member of the team after Niccol's death, looked up and smiled. "Colonel O'Neill, you are a sight for damn sore eyes."

Jack knelt next to Freeman, looking around the small room as he loosed the knife from his belt. Plates of half-eaten meals and pitchers of putrid water laid nearby, some of it spilled onto the floor. "Where's SG-3?"

"Sir?"

Jack frowned. "SG-3. They were sent through a few hours before us... they never showed up here?"

"No, Sir. You're the first sign of hope we've seen since we showed up here."

"That's odd," Daniel frowned.

"Damn odd," Jack concurred, cutting the last of the ropes off of Freeman's wrists. "Let's free the rest of you and get you guys home."

"Colonel O'Neill!" Teal'c warned from outside. "The Cheletans return!"

Daniel left the building to help his teammate hold off the attacking forces while Jack and Freeman untied the remaining prisoners. Once the entire team had been liberated, they stood and moved towards the door.

---

Sam decided the shack was a pitiful cover and made her way back into the woods, the sounds of pursuing Cheletans hot on her heels. She was panting, her undershirt sticking to her back as she began to sweat heavily. Her heart was pounding, slamming against her ribs as she narrowly avoided low-hanging branches and tree stumps that threatened to trip her up.

A few twigs snapped in her face as she ran and she could feel blood beginning to seep from the small scrapes. If she could just evade her enemy long enough to circle around and make it back to the Stargate, everything would be fine. Her mind wandered to the last time she had been pursued through the forest, thinking the Stargate was her refuge. It had been on what she later discovered was a world called Chahakae and she was being pursued by a monstrous being called the Rakazsha.

A heavy branch slammed into her right shoulder, threatening to drop her. She winced and grabbed her arm, wondering what kind of tree it had to have been to hurt that bad. Another one whipped across lower back, making her entire side burn. Back? How could a branch of hit her in the ba... She looked down, inadvertantly slowing. A ragged hole had been cut in her jacket, blood seeping across the green material. Her shoulder had also been hit, the blood already running down her sleeve. The Cheletans had shot her. Suddenly, a massive body slammed into her from behind and she was tossed to the forest floor. She felt the unmistakeable press of a boot against her neck as strong hands gripped her wrists to keep her from moving. She assumed she was being held by at least three men, but it could have been more. All she could see were thick tree trunks and the boots of other Cheletan soldiers as they surrounded her.

One of her captors was speaking into a communication device. She could only hear one side of the conversation; the replies were probably coming in on an earpice.

"Cha oo'l ipta ree'oe... efeda."

He paused, the boot on her neck increasing it's pressure and forcing her face into the mud and leaves of the forest floor. The pain from her side and shoulder were throbbing now.

"Epre tenghre ad'yatic ke. Ke! Ad'yatic, Carter, Tau'ri..."

'He knows my name?' Sam marveled. 'How could he possibly know my name?'

Suddenly, the boot was lifted and she was hefted to her feet. The men holding her arms spun her around so she could see the man who had been speaking into the communication device. He was large, his skin covered with black camoflague paint. He hissed, "You ah a veddy 'portant prisonah, Majah Cartah." She noticed her only affected the odd accent when he spoke English. "I vill be highly re'arded fo' bringing you to our leadah."

He nodded at the guards and one of them slipped a mask over her face. She struggled against them, trying to break free. "Restrain her!"

She felt a small pinprick at the base of her neck. "No," she whispered. "Nonononono," she chanted as the burning liquid began to course through her veins. Her knees buckled as the poison began to take affect. As her mouth dried, she began to cough. "We... we... rescued S...G... G-9." She fell to her knees. "We rescued our team."

"You are worth four teams, Majah Cartah," he chuckled.

She felt consciousness slip away as the men began to half-carry, half-drag her through the wooded area. She was a prisoner of war.

Chapter Three

The answer to the mystery of SG-3's disappearance was sitting in plain sight in the Gate Room. Captain Charles Borden was sitting on the edge of the ramp, his entire right leg severed just above the knee. The rest of his team were in various states of disaster; Lieutenant Travis Sloane had been shot twice, Lieutenant Aubrey Welch was unconscious and bleeding from a head wound, and the leg of Sergeant Donna Welles' uniform was ripped and blackened with blood. Sloane and Welles seemed to be incoherent, staring into space and trying to catch their breath.

As Janet Fraiser wrapped the stump of Captain Borden's leg, she looked over at Lieutenant Welch. The young woman was beginning to come to. "Aubrey? Lieutenant Welch, can you hear me?"

Aubrey looked up, her eyes glassy. "Doc Frais... errr?" the girl slurred.

"Yes, it's me... you made it back. Lieutenant, I need you to tell me what happened out there... if you can, that is." She raised one finger in front of Borden's face, slowly moving it from one side to the other to gauge his response as Aubrey responded.

The girl shook her head, light brown locks shaking back and forth against her porcelein features. "They forced us to head back to the Gate before we even had a chance to find SG-9's signal. But as soon as we were within range of the DHD, they surrounded us. We were close to succumbing when SG-1 came through and diverted their attention."

"So what's all the damage?"

"Someone on SG-1 threw a grenade to distract the damned Cheletans. It landed right next to Captain Borden's boot and... well... did that."

"All this damage is friendly fire?"

"Looks like it, ma'am," Aubrey said, weak. Her eyes were locked on the blood-soaked bandage on her CO's leg. "Do you want me to go to the infirmary?"

"Good enough... Nurse, get Captain Borden on a gurney and take him to the infirmary. See that the on-call nurse takes care of him."

As Borden was tended to, Janet knelt next to Travis Sloane, checking the bullet wounds, he was frowning at the control room. "We went through the Stargate?"

"Yes, you made it back through the 'gate. Can you follow my finger please?" She lifted her index finger and began to move it slowly from left to right. Sloane turned his attention to her, following it with ease. "Very good," Janet smiled. "We'll get you back to the infirmary and patched up right away."

As Borden was lifted onto a gurney, he laughed suddenly, shaking his head. Janet turned. "What's so funny, Captain?"

"After SG-1 threw the grenade... I just remember pain. I don't even remember how we made it to the DHD."

Janet smiled. "Sloane and Welles don't seem very hurt... maybe they dialed."

Borden shook his head. "They were out before the grenade was even thrown. There's no way either of 'em got the whole team to the 'gate." His smile had vanished. "We were in enemy territory," he suddenly realized. "How'd we get to the DHD? It's... it's impossible."

"Apparently it's not impossible, Captain. You're here. Let's just get you to the infirmary and see what we can find out, okay?"

He nodded weakly, laying back and closing his eyes. As he was wheeled out of the room, he muttered once more, "It doesn't make sense..."

---

Dirt. Dirt in her mouth, in her nose. Rocks. Scratching her cheeks. Stopping. Water running. A creek, or river. Water... in her nose! In her mouth! Drowning! No! Back to air! Dirt again, but now mud. Finally stop. Rest.

Sam weakly opened her eyes, the effect of the drug wearing off. Strong arms picked her up and dropped her onto her back. Shadowy outlines floated in the sea of air above her. The night was black as pitch now, no stars or moon visible anywhere.

One of the images knelt and caressed her face, pausing over her eyes. "She is awake."

The second figure knelt and brushed her neck with his fingers. Suddenly, she felt a syringe being violently jabbed into her neck. She gasped, wanting to scream but unable to find the strength. The burning sensation was stronger and lasted longer this time around. When it finally subsided, Sam's entire body went limp. Her vision faded as her captors began to light torches around their camp.

---

"The hell we are!" Jack O'Neill snapped.

"Sir, please," Scott Freeman pleaded. "We're within range of the 'gate, we have a straight shot... we should take it."

"Carter is still out there," Jack returned. "I'm not leaving her behind on a hostile planet."

Lieutenant Manuel Galegos, one of the rescued members of SG-9, muttered, "She could be dead for all we know."

Jack tensed. "I don't think I heard that, Lieutenant. Care to repeat?"

"I believe he is correct, O'Neill," Teal'c intoned. "She would not have remained out of contact for this period of time unless she was being forced to maintain silence. If she is not dead, she is captured. It would do little good to endanger ourselves to attempt a second rescue at this point in time."

Daniel sighed, his shoulders sagging a bit. "I have to agree with both of them, Jack. It's our only choice; go home and get help."

Jack gripped his radio. "Carter?" he hissed. "Carter, do you read?"

Freeman clenched his jaw and said, "Fuck this. Men, move out. That's an order." He stood and started across the dark field towards the DHD. The rest of SG-9 followed. Teal'c cast a backward glance at O'Neill, then followed.

Daniel shook his head. "She's not going to answer, Jack."

Jack made a fist, looking like he needed something to punch. Finally, his hand loosened and he hung his head. The Stargate roared to life and he stood, following Daniel across the field. As they made a break for the 'Gate, Cheletans burst from the sides of the clearing, weapons blazing. Jack returned fire, giving Daniel enough cover to get through the event horizon. SG-9 was already long gone.

As he backed towards the Stargate, his P90 spitting tongues of fire at the enemy, Jack screamed, "I'm sorry, Sam!" He stepped through. Seconds later, the Stargate disengaged.

---

Janet sat behind her desk, nervously adjusting the papers in front of her. Damn physicals. Damn paperwork. "Damn everything," she spat, shoving the work aside and leaning against the back of her chair. Her feet were bare beneath the desk, her shoes tossed off as soon as she had entered the office a few minutes ago. She stood, walking to the filing cabinet and thumbing through old files for something that might waste some time.

As she was going through the files marked 'B,' she found a small envelope that she didn't remember seeing before. She pulled it out and saw that Sam's handwriting on the front had declared this envelope "For Dr. Fraiser's Eyes Only." Janet frowned, moving to her couch and sitting down. She tucked her legs underneath herself as she ripped the side of the paper open and slid the contents into her palm.

Four small white flowers, followed by four small yellow flowers. Janet's jaw dropped and she raised the envelope to smell inside. The heavy scent of jasmine rose to her nostrils. She emptied the envelope, finding only a small piece of paper folded once. She opened it with trembling fingers and read Sam's semi-sloppy handwriting.

"Janet,
Thank God You're Mine.
Samantha"

Tears welled up in Janet's eyes. Her fingers closed around the eight tiny flowers as memories began flooding her mind.

***

Janet looked over her shoulder as she slammed the car door, looking warily at the two-story house she had parked in front of. All of the front-facing windows were dark and no light poured forth from the backyard. Adjusting her jacket, the doctor looked down the street one way, then the other. There didn't seem to be an abundance of cars, but she couldn't be too careful. Of the cars parked on the street, she recognized the majority from years of living in the neighborhood.

Finally, with a sigh, she headed up the driveway to meet her doom. "Give me Goa'uld," she muttered. "Give me hallucinating SG-1 members or Touched viruses... but please, God, spare me the surprise birthday party."

Sam had promised - no, SWORN! - there would be no surprise parties. Janet had vowed to withhold sex if the blonde had lied. But then the on-leave major had called several times during that day just to 'shoot the breeze.' Casual "Any emergencies today?" turned to "When are you getting home?" quickly evolved to "You're SURE you'll be home at eight? Absolutely positive?"

She unlocked the front door and closed her eyes, ever-so-slowly pushing it open and stepping into the front hall.

No lights sparked to life, no so-called friends screaming 'SURPRISE!' at the top of their lungs. Blessed silence. Wonderful darkness. She dropped her purse on the floor, looking through the mail on the hallway table. At the bottom of the stack, she found a small post-it note written in Sam's scrawled handwriting.

"Cassie is at her friend's for a sleepover. I'm out on the bike to give you some alone time. Do yourself a favor and take a nice, long bath. Love, Sam. PS, Happy Birthday!'

Janet placed the note and looked up the stairs. Something seemed odd. It was a trap, she decided. But a bubble-bath trap with no Cassie meant... Janet's face quickly spread into a smile. A night alone with Sam. The doctor moistened her lips and whispered, "Happy birthday to me."

She started up the stairs, noticing that yellow and white flowers marked each step. Jasmine flowers, if she wasn't mistaken. The trail of flowers turned sharply and headed into the bedroom the two women shared. Janet smiled and opened the door, examining the interior. Everything *seemed* in place, except for the closet door. It stood slightly ajar, when usually it was completely closed.

Janet decided to ignore that point and entered the room, shutting the door behind her. She followed the trail of flowers to the closed bathroom door and eagerly turned the knob.

The bathroom was completely lit by dozens and dozens of scented candles. The soothing smell of jasmine and sandalwood drifted past her as she gazed at the filled bubble bath. Jasmine flowers floated on top of the thousands of bubbles. A silk robe hung on the far wall, obviously for after the bath.

She heard the closet door close behind her and she turned, her eyes widening.

Samantha Carter, her hair curled and dotted with white flowers, was standing at the foot of the bed wearing a velvet-colored silk robe that barely reached her thighs. The collar stood open wide enough to reveal a generous amount of cleavage. Her feet, usually buried in combat boots or sneakers, were now accented by a pair of red high heels. She was smiling broadly, her teeth bared and her tongue sticking ever-so-slightly between them.

In one hand, the blonde held a bottle of wine. In the other, two glasses. She laughed quietly and said, "Happy birthday, baby."

Janet began to blush in the candlelight, letting her eyes trail down Sam's body. The blonde placed the glasses and wine on the foot of the bed, then approached Janet. When their bodies were mere inches apart, Sam began to coo, "Happy birthday... to you..."

Her fingers skimmed the material of Janet's uniform blouse until they locked onto the small white buttons. She undid the first three before singing, "Happy birthday... to you..."

The major finished undoing the buttons and untucked Janet's blouse. "Happy birthday, Dr. Fraiser," she cooed as she slipped the blouse off of Janet's shoulders. "Happy birthday to you." Their lips met in a slow, searching kiss. The brunette moaned into her lover's mouth, her hands instinctively going for the belt of Sam's robe.

The blonde swatted Janet's hands away, pulling out of the kiss and stepping back. "Ah, ah, ah, Doctor Janet. Not yet. Let's get you out of the rest of your clothes."

Janet reached behind her back, finding and releasing the clasp of her bra and letting it fall to the floor. Sam licked her lips, eyeing the doctor's erect nipples. "Why, I think I may be exciting you, Doctor Janet."

"You have no idea," Janet whispered.

Sam knelt, caressing the soft flesh of Janet's stomach before roaming along the hem until she found the zipper. A small tug and the skirt was in a pool around Janet's feet. Sam stood, taking a step back and examining her lover. "Panties and high heels... I like this new look."

Janet hooked her thumbs in the elastic of her panties. "How about this look?" She slipped the cotton down to mid-thigh, letting gravity take them the rest of the way. She stepped out of the panties, hooking them on the end of one high heel. With a cherubic smile, Janet kicked and sent the underwear flying in Sam's direction.

The blonde caught them, immediately bringing them to her face and inhaling. "Mmm... I do believe the person wearing these had recently become aroused."

"Always such a scientist," Janet giggled.

"Out of the heels," Sam ordered. "And the...," she paused, her eyebrows slowly rising to meet her hairline as she realized what was missing. "Why, Janet Fraiser! You're not wearing any pantyhose?"

Janet's grin widened. "You promised there wouldn't be a party and... well, I wanted to surprise you when I got home." She winked.

"Okay...," Sam said, her eyes still glued to Janet's bare sex. "Off with the heels and into the tub. I want to give you your first present of the night."

Janet obediently removed her shoes and moved into the bathroom, still amazed by the candles and flowers. "It must've taken you ages to do this."

"Not long," Sam promised. "I just needed to make sure I knew when to start."

Janet smiled, dipping a toe into the bubbles. "Ahh... hence all the phone calls."

"Yeah," Sam said, moving in from behind and putting her hands on Janet's shoulders. "Sorry about that."

She placed a kiss just below Janet's ear, suckling the skin she found there. Janet shivered under Sam's lips, sinking her foot into the water up to the ankle. "The water feels incredible, Sam.... not too hot, not too cold... Perfect."

"Just like you," Sam whispered.

The doctor raised her other foot, preparing to place it in the bath as well. Unfortunately, her wet foot had bad traction on the porcelein and she slipped, almost falling into the bubbles. Sam reached out, grabbing the doctor around the waist and helping her stand. Janet's near-slip caused the water to splash, hitting some candles and flowers. It also splashed across the bottom half of Sam's robe.

The two women held each other, both trying unsuccessfully not to smile. Janet looked down, seeing the wet material of the robe clinging to Sam's hips.

"Oh, Sam, I'm sorry."

"Don't be, baby," Sam said, nibbling Janet's ear. "I was already wet."

Janet shivered in Sam's arms, allowing the blonde to lower her into the tub. As the brunette settled against the wall of the tub, she let her eyelids drift down and she relaxed. The bubbles and warm water curled around her small form like a cloud. Sam removed her high heels while next to the sink, then moved to a position behind Janet's head, sitting in the small area between the tub and the wall. She frowned slightly, not opening her eyes. "Sam? You have enough room back there?"

"Of course," Sam promised. "I made sure to check. This was not a spur-of-the-moment idea, you know." She leaned forward and kissed Janet's bare shoulder. As Janet soaked, Sam picked up a large, open-mouthed pitcher and submerged it in the tub next to the brunette. She brought it back up, full of water and sat it on the floor next to her.

"What're you doing?" Janet asked, her voice quiet and dreamy.

"I'm going to wash your hair."

"Okay," Janet smiled.

Sam gently pushed Janet forward to avoid spilling water onto the floor and kissed the back of her lover's neck. She picked up the pitcher of water and warned, "Close your eyes."

Janet complied and felt the warm water begin to pour onto her head. Wet torrents traced streams down the doctor's back, racing back to their home in the tub. Janet's hair was flattened against her forehead as Sam continued to slowly drench her with the water from the pitcher. She felt several rivulets roll down her temple and past her ears, dripping off of her chin and finding her breasts. The continuing stream of water also managed to find and moisten her shoulders, arms and nipples.

She felt the end of the shower was coming, so she raised her face, keeping her eyes and mouth closed. The water splashed down on her forehead, wetting her cheeks and mouth and eyelids. Sam emptied the pitcher, setting it aside before placing a hand on each of Janet's cheeks.

The brunette finally opened her eyes, looking up into Sam's blue pupils. To each woman, the other appeared to be upside-down. Slowly, they brought their lips together in a passionate kiss. Sam finally broke the kiss and said, "Sit up, hon. You'll get a crick in your neck."

As Janet straightened, she smiled, "Now who's the doctor?"

"Hush, hush," Sam admonished. There was a squirt as Sam placed a dollop of shampoo into her hand, then the sound of the blonde spreading the goo on her palms and fingers. Finally, Sam reached forward and began to administer the sweet-smelling shampoo into Janet's brown locks. Janet inhaled, smelling the jasmine scent. "I think I see a pattern tonight," she chuckled.

"Well," Sam explained, managing to focus entirely on her task, "You did tell me jasmine was your favorite flower... and we have that garden of jasmine flowers in the backyard anyway."

"We do?" Janet asked, confused. "Where?"

"Oh," Sam giggled. "Did I forget to mention? Jack, Daniel and Teal'c came by earlier. We planted you a whole garden of jasmine."

Janet gasped. "You didn't! Can jasmine even grow in Colorado?"

Sam's finger paused, entwined with the dripping strands of Janet's hair. "I... don't know. I'm sorry, Janet. I thought it would be..."

Janet grinned. "It's okay, sweetheart... we'll make it work. And if we can't, we'll salvage what we can and bring them inside."

"I love you, Janet." She kissed the spot between the brunette's shoulderblades, causing the smaller woman to shiver. When she finished massaging Janet's scalp, Sam said, "Okay, now we need to rinse."

"Another shower, perhaps?"

"Not this time. You'll have to trust me, Janet."

Janet frowned, half-turning in the tub. "Trust you? Over shampoo?"

Sam sighed, then said, "Take a deep breath and hold it."

Janet did as she was told, turning back to face front. Sam put a hand on each of Janet's shoulders and slowly pushed the brunette's head under the water. The pressure was enough to slide the small woman, but not so much that she couldn't fight back if she wanted. Once her head was submerged, Sam began to work the shampoo out of Janet's hair.

Under the surface of the water, Janet felt Sam's fingers tangling and untangling in her hair, could vaguely smell the scent of the bubble bath her lover had used. Her entire body was encompassed by a feeling of weightlessness, her skin tingling in the warm water. She felt like she was in her own private world.

Sam finally finished, moving to the side of the tub as she said, "Okay, done."

Janet rose out of the water, her mouth opening for air as she surfaced. Water cascaded from every part of her body, her hair sticking out at odd angles. She sat straight up, her breasts poking out of the water with remnants of the bubble bath clinging to them. She reached out, snaking an arm around Sam's neck and drawing the blonde closer. Their lips met in a fiery kiss, their hands busily exploring. As Sam reached under the water to play along the skin of the doctor's thigh, Janet managed to subtly undo the blonde's belt and pull the robe open.

Sam leaned back, sliding the robe off of her shoulders. Underneath, she wore nothing at all. Janet's eyes widened and she extended her hand. "Come to me."

Sam didn't hesitate; she stood and threw her leg over the side of the tub and dropped down, sitting on the doctor's thighs. As they pulled together for another searing kiss, Janet slipped her hands down to cup Sam's ass and draw the taller woman forward. Their chests were pressed together when they finally broke for air. "This is the best birthday present anyone could ever hope for. Thank you, Samantha."

"I love you, Janet. I just want to make you happy."

"You're here when I get home. That's more than enough."

"Oh, so I don't have to go through all this trouble next year?"

"I expect this and more, missy," Janet grinned. "Now... how about some birthday cake?"

Sam kissed Janet's nose, then said, "Where would you like your cake served?"

"Is 'your body' an option?"

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Always, my love."

They climbed out of the bath, taking the time to completely towel each other off, before heading downstairs hand in hand.

***

Janet looked up, noticing that Dr. Amy Roth was standing in the doorway of the office, a frown etched on her features. "Janet? You okay?"

Janet reached up, touching her cheeks and discovering they were wet with tears. "I'm, uh... I'm fine, Amy. Just worried is all." She suddenly realized who she was speaking to. "Amy! You should be in bed, resting!"

Amy entered, sitting next to Janet on the couch. "I'll be fine, Janet. Remember, I have the same medical training you do." She paused, brushing a strand of hair out of Janet's face. During Sam and Janet's previous separation, Janet had pursued a relationship with Amy. The raven-haired doctor sighed, "I'm sorry she's out there," she said. "I know she'll come back to you."

The alarm klaxon began to sound, filling their ears with it's repetitive drone. Both doctors shot to their feet as the intercom announced, "Incoming traveler! Medical team to the Gate Room!" Janet dashed out of the office, pausing to grab a medical bag as she ran.

---

Sam woke on a soft, pillowy mattress, her arms and legs bound to the bed. She could feel something pressed against her left temple, eerily reminiscent of the Tok'ra memory devices that had been attached to her during the past few years. She tried to sit up, discovering that her torso was also bound to the bed. She looked down, seeing the strap across her chest. She also saw that her uniform had been removed and her wounds tended to. With a heavy sigh, she lay her head on the pillow, trying to remember what the hell had happened. The attack in the forest... she had lured the enemy away and the rest of SG-1 had moved in to rescue the prisoners. If they had succeeded, they would have gone back to the gate and returned home, mission accomplished... and she was stranded. If they had failed, they were prisoners, too. General Hammond probably wouldn't risk another team and would probably try to think of another way to extract them. In that case, she was still stranded.

She craned her neck, trying to see if anyone else was in the room with her. A white curtain was pulled around her bed, obstructing her view of anything else. She chuckled quietly, noting how much the curtain looked like those used in the infirmary.

Quiet voices approached on the other side of the curtain and she lifted her head again, trying to hear what the voices were saying. "Hello? Who's there?"

The voices stopped. The curtain was pulled away and one of her captors entered the small area between the curtain and the bed.

"Well, how are we feeling today?" Janet Fraiser asked, checking her clipboard before laying it on the mattress.

"Janet?" Sam gasped. "What... what're you doing here?"

"I work here," the brunette chuckled. "It's the SGC, Sam. You made it home."

Sam stared at her ex-lover, dumbstruck. Something didn't quite add up here. "Where are Jack, Daniel and Teal'c? Where is SG-9?"

Janet sighed. "I'm afraid you were the sole survivor of the mission, Sam. We sent a MALP through after you arrived unconscious. They were all killed by an attacking horde of Cheletans."

Sam's mind was reeling. Janet approached, brushing away an errant strand of blonde hair and placing a toe-curling kiss on Sam's lips. "Welcome home, my love." With a wink, Janet turned and disappeared around the curtain.

Sam licked her lips, watching the curtain where 'Janet' had disappeared. The kiss made no sense. They had broken up... Sam blinked. And the restraints. If she had returned to Earth, why would they restrain her so thoroughly? Not to mention the fact that she was completely nude. There was no way Janet would allow that in her infirmary.

Wherever this place was, it wasn't Earth. And whoever that person was, it was not Dr. Janet Fraiser.

Chapter Four

Sam didn't realize she had fallen asleep until she woke up. She sat up, testing the restraints across her chest and limbs. They seemed to have been loosened a bit, so she began trying to free herself of them as she examined her surroundings. The curtain had been moved aside slightly, so she could see a little more of the darkened infirmary. From what she could see, it *was* the infirmary. She felt a shiver run down her spine, remembering the last time she had been in a faux-SGC... the prison created by Hathor.

She squinted, turning her head away from her right hand. Moving quickly, she popped her thumb out of joint. Trying to ignore the flash of pain, she wriggled it free of the band and proceeded to free herself from the other restraints. Sitting up, she grasped her thumb and quickly popped it back into place. The sickening sound as the joint shifted grated on her ears, temporarily numbing the pain. Once they had been dealt with, her entire hand
throbbing with dull pain, she reached up and grasped the small attachment they had placed on her temple. She winced as she pulled it free, turning it over in her palm. It had felt like a Tok'ra memory device, but it didn't look like a Tok'ra memory device. There were barbs and odd-shaped protrusions all over the surface of the small instrument... some kind of cheap recreation. She laid it aside and slipped out of the bed, eager to find some clothes to cover herself with.

Her prayers were answered when an unsuspecting airman walked past the opening in the curtain. She straightened and snapped, "Soldier!"

He looked up, distracted, then did a double-take when he saw the beautiful nude woman standing a few feet away. "Ma'am?" he asked, taking a step forward.

She grabbed him by the collar, yanking him into the curtained area as she brought her head forward. Their foreheads connected with a sharp 'thock' sound and the airman's knees buckled. Sam kept her grip on his jacket, heaving him onto the bed and quickly stripping him of his jacket and pants. She also procurred his weapon, hooking it on her belt and slipping into the infirmary.

Three other beds in the infirmary were occupied by members of SG-3. They all seemed to be hurt pretty badly. Sam approached Captain Borden's bed, noticing his amputated leg. His face was wrinkled with pain, beads of sweat lining his forehead and upper lip. Checking his IV, Sam noticed all he was being given were sedatives. 'Keep him unconscious, with no pain-killers? Definitely not Janet's infirmary...,' Sam mused.

She looked at the other two soldiers, noticing that a member was missing; Lieutenant Aubrey Welch was nowhere in sight. Sam decided this mystery could be solved later and turned, heading for where Janet's office would most likely be.

She turned the corner, finding herself in the familiar hallway. A few yards down, she saw light pouring out from an open doorway. She grabbed her pilfered weapon and moved to the door. No one bothered her as she approached the office; apparently this area was off-limits to some personnel. Sam had a sinking sensation what the answer to this mystery was, but she had seen no evidence.

But besides Hathor, there was only one alien race that had spent long enough within the SGC to duplicate it to this degree...

She entered the office with as much authority as if it really belonged to Janet Fraiser. The look-alike was seated behind the desk and looked up as Sam entered, a vague smile vanishing from her lips as she registered the gun in the blonde's hands. "Sam? What's going on, hon?"

"You're not Janet Fraiser. Who are you and why are you keeping me here?"

FalseJanet looked again from Sam's eyes to the gun, then back again. The smile returned, spreading wider. "You... are an extremely worthy opponent, Samantha Carter. You're right. I'm not the Janet Fraiser you know. I am her replacement."

---

Janet nervously tapped her fingernail against the finished wood of the briefing room table. Lost? How could Sam be lost? Sam would never have done what Colonel O'Neill was suggesting. It was reckless, stupid. There was only one possible reason for her actions; she thought their relationship was over.

Daniel was staring at her from across the table, but she was doing her best to ignore the archaeologist. SG-9 was filling Hammond in on their treatment while they were held prisoner by the Cheletans.

Lieutenant Freeman shook his head. "I don't have an explanation for it, Sir. I spent a lot of time with the Cheletan High Chief. There was nothing in their behavior that would have indicated this kind of response. It's like they're a completely different race."

"What are the odds of that being true? Perhaps the world has two Stargates and you accessed a different location."

"No, Sir," Freeman disagreed. "The field was exactly as I remembered it. The Cheletans who held us captive wore the same kind of uniform as our friends did. It was them... it's just that it wasn't. I'm sorry, I'm not making much sense."

"Perhaps..." Teal'c started. He clenched his jaw, thinking, then leaned back in his chair.

"Teal'c?" Jack prompted. "What's on your mind?"

"I do not know if this is possible... but I believe that we are once again at odds with the alien race first encountered on P3X-118."

Jack looked down at the table, then shook his head. "I'm, uh... I'm no good with numbers. Is that Ree'tou?"

"I do not recall ever hearing the name of their race. They successfully seized the SGC with SG-1 was off-world in search of the Harcesis child."

"The shapeshifters," Janet said. "The... the ones with the web."

"You mean the ones who stole our faces and memories?" Jack winced. "Great... It'll be good to see those guys
again."

"I don't know, Teal'c," Freeman said. "I didn't see evidence of a web anywhere on the Cheletan world."

"While here, they made a valiant effort to conceal the existence of their web. Undoubtedly it is again in an inconsequential location."

Janet nodded. "In which case, the Cheletans would have had devices on their chest to maintain the facade." She glanced at the returned SG-9. "And they probably would have attempted to infiltrate Earth again."

Freeman caught her drift and stood, pulling his shirt completely up to the neck. His chest was bare. "I'm willing to undergo a complete physical, Dr. Fraiser. They didn't try to do anything to us."

"I'll be the judge of that," she said.

"No, you won't," Hammond stated, standing.

"Sir?"

"You've been killing yourself all day, doctor. We have SG-9 and they all appear to be well. Go home, get some rest. I'll make sure you're contacted if SG-3 or Major Carter return."

Janet hung her head slightly, then said, "Yes, sir."

As the teams shuffled out of the room, Daniel approached Janet and touched her arm. "Hey... why didn't you tell me things were bad?"

She shook her head. "I was... scared, Daniel. Sam and I... started talking a few weeks ago and I got scared."

"Scared of talking?"

Janet checked over her shoulder, realizing they were in a rather public area. "It's what we were talking about. Sam..." She shook her head. "Sam made me a promise. She said as soon as she got some leave, we were going to go somewhere and get married."

Daniel smiled slightly. "Married? That's great, Jan..."

She stopped him. "Need I remind you what marriage means to me? Everytime I think about the word 'I do,' I think about Alan... I think about all those horrible years of marriage and how good it felt to finally get rid of the bastard. And then," she shrugged, "I remember how much I loved him when we got married. I remembed how he made me feel... and how I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him."

"You're afraid of being Sam's wife?"

"No, Daniel... I'm afraid of being her *ex*-wife..."

Daniel put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Janet, she loves you... You don't know how much she talks about you off-world. She'll see a flower and mention how pretty it would look in your hair... or how she wished she could see you wearing some beautiful ceremonial gown from some civilization we've come across. She loves you with all of her heart."

Janet wiped a tear away, reminding him, "So did Alan... I was frightened. So I started to withdraw from Sam. I turned her down for..." she blushed, looking up at Daniel. "For things she wanted... and then used that against her when we broke up. I made excuses, just to use them as reasons to break up. And now she's been captured because she thinks I don't love her."

Daniel embraced the doctor, holding her close. "It's all right, Janet. It'll all be okay."

---

Amy coughed as she placed the stethoscope prongs in her ears, approaching Lieutenant Freeman's bedside.
"That's a nasty cough," he commented. "You sick?"

"A little," Amy admitted. "But I'll be fine." Freeman had removed his shirt and took a deep breath. Amy placed the ice-cold stethascope against his upper chest and listened. She moved it a little to the side, then frowned. "That's odd..."

"What's that?"

"I'm... not finding your heartbeat."

"Damn it," Freeman said, shrugging. "I knew you'd figure it out."

She looked up, noticing he had locked onto something over her shoulder. She turned in time to see Major Ben Coslett, one of Freeman's team mates on SG-9, approaching with a syringe. By the time she had time to register what she was seeing, Freeman had one muscular arm wrapped tightly around her throat while his free hand tugged the sleeve of her blouse until it separated from the shoulder. She gasped as Coslett buried the syringe in her flesh, injecting her with a luminescent golden liquid.

Freeman released her, letting her weakened body collapse in a heap on the floor. He slipped off the bed, then knelt next to Amy's unconscious form. To Coslett, he said, "Take her to an unused room, probably on Level 18. Make sure she's out of sight until the drugs take effect."

Manuel Galegos and Terry Cochrane, the other two members of SG-9, slipped out of their beds. "What do we do now?"

"We wait. When Dr. Roth wakes up, she'll be under our control. She'll tell Hammond we're fine and we continue as planned. Agreed?"

The two men nodded slowly.

---

"Replacement?"

FalseJanet moved around to the front of the desk, leaning against it and crossing her arms across her breasts. "Yes. I'm planning to replace the Dr. Fraiser currently living on Earth. Once I have control of the SGC, I'll begin to bring the rest of my forces through the Stargate."

Realization dawned on Sam. "You're... you're one of those... those chameleon aliens, aren't you? The ones who tried to take over the SGC two years ago."

"Correction," FalseJanet said, holding up a hand. "We *did* take over the SGC. You and that damned Jaffa ruined everything for us. We've spent the years between then and now rebuilding. Becoming stronger. We've brought more forces from our home system to assist us."

"They'll stop you," Sam asserted. "No matter what you try, you'll never make it past the Gate Room. We have defenses now."

"I've scanned your memory, I know about everything that has occured on Earth since our ill-fated attempt at invasion. I learned of your harmonic generator, but had already formed another plan that would render that defense useless."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"Your people easily discovered we were not what we appeared. I believe it was due to the image projectors on our chests." She pulled her blouse open, popping several buttons off, to reveal her regulation bra. There was no small device on her chest. "We no longer need those devices, or the web, to create doubles."

"Then," Sam blinked, trying not to stare at Janet's chest. "Then how do you look so much like Janet?"

"In our travels, we stumbled onto a mechanical world. When we first discovered it, the world appeared to be desolate. Thousands of machines, running on century-old commands. We began to learn the language of the programmers and soon learned that he had a machine to create mechanical humans. We had just discovered the robotic creation device when the sole inhabitant returned. He was... an odd little man named Harlan."

Sam gasped, recognizing the name immediately. He was the robot who had created doubles of SG-1 five years ago. The time of his absense was, presumably, when he had gone to the SGC in search of his robotic SG-1 team.

FalseJanet continued with her story. "We easily manipulated him into helping us. We accessed his memory banks and came across very detailed accounts of his time spent on Earth, as well as the major events of your world. Since I had taken the form of Janet Fraiser on our prior mission and retained her thoughts and memories, I chose to become her once more."

Sam shook her head. "You were one of the aliens who made it through the Gate? I always assumed you were connected to the self-destruct."

"No," FalseJanet laughed. "We felt the pain of their destruction, but we survived. We've spent the last few months building strength, hoping to find the perfect opportunity to sneak past Earth's defenses."

"The Cheletans."

"Exactly. We kept our radio signals operating and discovered that an Earth team was planning to visit Cheleta after a short period. We moved quickly, replacing the Cheletans and setting up an ambush."

"Oh, my God," Sam breathed. "SG-9."

"They are not dead. They have been imprisoned on an uninhabited world, their memories and thoughts being fed to their doubles."

"Their doubles... who were rescued by SG-1."

"Correct. You went on a mission to bring home the enemy."

Sam closed her eyes, her grip on the gun waivering. When she opened her eyes again, she saw that FalseJanet was inches away. Sam gasped, moving to steady the gun, but FalseJanet grabbed it and ripped it away from the blonde.

Unarmed, Sam swung at the double of her ex-lover, trying to cause some damage to the perfect replica of Janet's face. Unfortunately, the alien/android was too quick. It caught Sam's fist and forced the major to fall backwards, sprawling on the couch cushions. FalseJanet straddled Sam's hips, pressing her hand against the blonde's mouth and fighting to keep her still. "Now, now, honey. It'll all be fine. You haven't heard my plans for you."

Sam glared at the double.

"You never had a replica. We were never able to complete the procedure. I want you to remain just as you are... human. I want you to be my second-in-command."

Sam's eyes widened and she began to fight again.

"Think about it!" FalseJanet hissed. "Think about the power you'd have! This is the only option you have, Samantha. You have a choice... between going home and risking your life day in and day out, living without the love of Janet Fraiser. C'mon, how long do you really think you could last under those conditions? Your second choice is this: Help me take over the world. Help me transplant my people to our new homeworld... and you can live by my side as vice-ruler. You will have Janet Fraiser, and you will be the second most powerful woman on Earth. What do you say?"

Sam stared up into the familiar chocolate brown eyes and felt something deep inside her. The alien was making sense. She fought it with all her might, but she *wanted* to help this... this look-alike.

FalseJanet slipped her hand away and sat up straight, her legs still planted on either side of Sam's torso. "What do you say?"

Sam bit her lip. She looked like Janet. Had Janet's voice, Janet's thoughts. But would she replace Janet? Could loving this woman be the same as loving Janet?

Finally, Sam closed her eyes. "What... would I have to do, exactly?"

FalseJanet smiled.

---

Dr. Amy Roth dropped the file on General Hammond's desk with a smile. "SG-9 has been cleared, Sir. They're fine, other than a little malnutrition and dehydration. Apparently, their captors didn't believe in three solid meals a day. I've ordered them to take a day off and eat a healthy dinner." She grinned. "Is there anything else, Sir?"

"No," Hammond said, placing the file in front of himself. "That will be all. Thank you."

Amy nodded, turning to leave. As she stepped into the hallway, her knees buckled and she fell against the wall. Her skull was throbbing, her skin felt like it was on fire. Then, in an instant, it was gone. Passed as if it had never happened. She shook her head, wiping the sweat from her brow as she steadied herself. Pretending to check her watch, she looked around to see if anyone had witnessed her little episode. Finally, she headed down the hallway.

---

Sam examined herself in the full-length mirror. "What are you doing, Carter," she whispered. FalseJanet, who was apparently also known as Xua'quil, had ordered her new second-in-command dressed in the finest silks. She wore long white pants and a long-sleeved blouse, both of which clung to her body like a second skin. She also wore a white trenchcoat that reached down to her knees and had three large buttons over her stomach. She smoothed the material against herself, turning to see how she looked in the outfit. "I'd say this is worthy of a planet co-ruler," she mused.

"What?"

The voice had come from one of the bunks behind her. She hadn't bothered to check the barracks FalseJanet had pointed her to; she had just assumed they were empty. Aubrey was sitting up in one of the far beds, her hair mussed from sleep. She was nude, as Sam had been upon arrival here, and had a bandage wrapped around her head. She threw the blankets off and sat up, apparently not caring that she was naked.

"What did you just say?"

"It's not like it sounds," Sam promised. "The alien pretending to be Janet offered me a post as her... her second-in-command when she takes over Earth."

Aubrey stood, approaching Sam angrily. "And you agreed to that?!"

"Yes... sort of. I just did it to get out of here. As soon as we're back on Earth, I'll turn back against her."

Aubrey sighed, looking at herself in the mirror. "How long have we been here?"

"Who knows," Sam sighed. "You were captured a few hours before I was, I suppose. But I could've been unconscious for days. I don't even know how long she had that memory device attached to me."

"Memory device?"

"Yeah, apparently she was 'reading up' on recent Earth events so she would be caught up when she got there."

"How long do you have to pretend you're on her side?"

"Just as long as it takes to get to Earth."

Aubrey nodded. "And, uh... when can I look forward to getting some clothes?"

---

Amy knocked lightly on Colonel O'Neill's door. Her brain was on fire again, her vision swimming. She knocked again, more insistent this time. Finally the door swung open and Jack stood before her, a robe sloppily thrown over his form. His hair was mussed from sleep. He blinked at her, then rubbed his face in an attempt to wake up. "Dr. Roth? What's, uh... what's up?"

She winced, leaning against the doorframe. "Colonel O'Neill, I must insist on speaking with you."

"Now? Uh... does it have to be now? It's kind of the middle of the night..."

"It is imperitive that we speak now, Colonel O'Neill."

"Look, Dr. Roth..."

"Please, Colonel O'Neill... Dr. Roth has been put to sleep for the moment. I am Natoris."

Jack froze, recognizing the name of the alien who had brought the doctor back to life a while back. "Natoris? I thought you were kinda the silent partner in the relationship."

"Normally, that is true. But I felt it was of the upmost importance that I take over. Dr. Roth is planning something insidious."

"Insidious, huh?" Jack muttered. "Like what?"

"She, along with the members of SG-9, have been compromised. They are planning to subvert the SGC from within while other forces attempt to infiltrate from without. I believe they will be successful."

Jack blinked, then ran a hand through his hair. "Well. That is big."

Chapter Five

Daniel Jackson carefully adjusted his glasses, peering down at the 'gate room. "Jack, are you sure?"

"Hey, don't look at me," Jack sighed. "Natoris is the one who said it."

Daniel turned, examining the faces in the room. For once, the ever-present airmen weren't lining the walls near the entrances and exits. It was a completely confidential meeting; only those in attendance knew it was occuring. Teal'c and Jack were seated at the table, the latter attempting to stay awake. On the other side of the table, Janet was picking at her loose brown hair. She had been called out of bed, although the phone call didn't wake her up. She was dressed down, wearing a sweatshirt and jeans.

Amy was seated at the head of the table, her spine ramrod straight and her hands steepled on the table in front of her. It was obvious someone else was in charge of her body and mannerisms.

The door swung open and General Hammond entered, his uniform slightly rumpled. He had also gone home for the night and been forced to return at a moment's notice. He dropped into his seat and examined the people who had summoned him. "Is this a fact?"

"Indeed, General Hammond," Amy/Natoris stated. "I became aware of an unknown substance in Dr. Roth's bloodstream. I predicted that it would impair her judgment and attempted to take over for her own good. It was then that I realized my host had been compromised."

"Compromised by whom?" Hammond asked.

Janet slid a report across the table. "I did a quick exam and found a match for the unknown substance in Amy's blood. It appears to be similar in composition to a drug used by the chameleon-like aliens first encountered on P3X-118."

"The aliens who took over the SGC for a time?"

"We believe so. We've theorized that the ones who managed to escape through the Stargate were not affected by the self-destruct the ones trapped here initiated. Since this theory has now proven correct, we shouldn't be surprised that the aliens are trying a second wave."

Jack rubbed his face, still only half-awake. "I thought we installed a... a thingie that would disrupt their... uh, look-alike... stuff..."

"Yes, in a manner of speaking," Janet nodded. "We adjusted our harmonic generator to emit a high-powered blast every time a team returned. This should have alerted us immediately that SG-9 wasn't who they appeared to be, but..." She stopped, sighing deeply. "Almost a year ago, an Entity came through the 'gate and ended up taking control of Major Carter's body. The arrival of that Entity caused a major power shut-down in the Gate Room. When we got power back up, it... it slipped our minds to reset the harmonics."

"Damn," Jack sighed. "Talk about your bad timing."

"It would not have mattered, O'Neill," Amy/Natoris stated. She still hadn't moved from her original position. "It appears the aliens have adapted to a more sophisticated level of masquerade. They transfer their consciousness into cybernetic organisms."

Jack groaned, "Oh, man... not cyborgs! You know how I feel about sci-fi!"

"This is anything but science-fiction, Colonel,"

Hammond growled. To Natoris, he said, "You're sure that even if the harmonics generator had been working, we would've been completely unaware they weren't who they said that were. What about Dr. Roth's exam? They tested normal."

"Dr. Roth was under their control at that time. She falsified the documents so that SG-9 could continue on their mission."

"And what mission would that be?"

"Preparation for invasion."

---

Aubrey had gone back to sleep, but Sam was lying awake in her bunk, staring up at the ceiling. After an indeterminate time, the doors slid open. She sat up, straightening her coat. The politically incorrect man who had initially captured her was standing in the doorway, smiling at her. "Majah Cahtah. Xua'quil wishes ya presence in hah private chambahs."

As Sam stood, she suddenly remembered who the soldier reminded her of; Miss Cleo, that damned TV psychic whose commercials were on every five minutes. She followed the man out of the cell, casting a glance at Aubrey's sleeping form. 'I'll come back for you,' she silently promised the younger woman. 'I will...'

The soldier led her to the familiar elevator, pressed a button and stepped back. Instead of the standard elevator car, as the doors slid open Sam saw a long, dark hallway extending from the opening. She had found the rabbit hole out of the Wonderland of the false SGC. She stepped through, noticing that her escort didn't follow. "Tha door is at tha end of thes hall," he told her. "Lahge double-doors mahked with the head of a lion. You cannot miss it."

Sam nodded and started down the hall, a bit intimidated by the slate walls and vaulted ceiling of the corridor. Looking back, she saw the elevator doors sliding shut. It was a peculiar feeling to see something so familiar in such an alien environment. She slowly continued, her slippers making quiet scraping sounds on the marble floor.

She followed a gentle curve in the hallway and found herself face-to-face with a stone engraving of a lion. The cat's head was caught mid-roar, it's eyes bejeweled with emeralds to make them sparkle in the dim light. She lightly rapped her knuckles against the stone surface and waited for a response.

The doors slowly slid open, giving her just enough room to slip through before they snapped shut once more. She jumped, spinning to make sure nothing had been caught in the rapidly slamming doors. Deciding she was trapped in this room, at least for the time being, Sam turned and examined the room. 'Awe' didn't begin to describe her response. The ceiling, easily two or three stories high, was criss-crossed with black support beams. A soft white glow was being produced from within the stone that made up the top of the room. The walls gently curved, making Sam feel like she was inside of a very, very large egg. On the far side of the room, there was a bank of video monitors and screens showing different parts of the Cheletan landscape. The central monitor, she noticed, was locked onto the Stargate. Between her and the video wall was a huge hot tub, filled to it's stone edges with bubbling waters. The steam from the tub rose, filling the air and giving the entire place an etheral feel. Sam walked to the railing that surrounded the hot tub, then she turned and examined the rest of the room. To her right, in a small alcove and separate from the rest of the room, a large canopy bed was sitting in the shadows. A see-through curtain hung over the front of the entrance of the alcove, offering a modicum of privacy.

"I am pleased to see you are wearing the clothing I picked out for you."

Sam spun, looking for the speaker. It was Xua'quil, the alien masquerading as Janet. She stood in the doorway, obviously having just arrived. Sam's jaw inadvertantly dropped at the sight of the impersonator.

FalseJanet had shed the Air Force regulation uniform. She now wore a powder blue brassiere and panties. Her black boots hugged the flesh of her calves, ending just above her knees. The brassiere was partially obscured by a see-through shawl that hung across the brunette's shoulders and clasped in the front. Her hair hung loose, lightly brushing against her shoulders as she walked across the room to the video screens. From behind, Sam could see that the shawl extended all the way down the alien leader's back, almost reaching the floor. The final touch to the outfit was a thin, blue crown that looked more like a headband. It was affixed just above her ears and wrapped around, coming to a point between her eyes and then plummeting to cover her nose. It looked like a medieval facemask.

She pressed a button on the control panel and the screens all simultaneously went black. With another swipe at the controls, the entire bank of monitors slid out of sight and was replaced by a long wooden bar.

Sam grinned in spite of herself. "What, did you have someone research swanky bachelor pads?"

FalseJanet half-turned, a smile lightening her features. "We came across some very interesting design specifications in the minds of several male humans during our initial... I suppose you would call it an... inhabitation. I decided to adopt several different styles so I would be comfortable when we finally claim Earth."

Sam nodded, approaching her nemesis. "Why are you holding me prisoner?"

FalseJanet turned. "I'm not. You're free to leave at any time."

"You held me in that cell... for who knows how long."

"It was only 13 hours. And besides, we were just taking precautions." She handed Sam a snifter of golden liquid. Sam sniffed it, then took a sip. It tasted a bit like ginger ale, mixed with 7-Up. She swished it around in her mouth for a moment, then swallowed. It wasn't that bad.

"Taking precautions?"

"You didn't attempt to escape. That made us feel confident that you were being honest in your desire to help us. There were other things pending as well."

"Oh?" Sam asked, taking a large drink of her liquor. She swallowed, this time feeling the alcohol - or whatever was in the drink - as it began to take effect. "What were... were you waiting on..." She felt extremely light-headed, but took another drink anyway. "We had to make sure your initial drugging had taken full effect."

"In... itial drugging?" Sam took another mouthful of the ambrosia, quickly following it and finishing off her glass.

FalseJanet topped her off as she smiled, "Yes, my dear. We had to prepare you for your complacency drug."

"Com. Pla. Cent..." Sam murmured. She finished her drink in one gulp this time, leaning against the wall as FalseJanet smiled welcomingly.

"Yes. We have to make sure you're complacent when we brainwash you."

"Oh." Sam's fingers were numb now and she dropped the glass. It shattered on the marble floor. She looked down, pursing her lips. "Oopsie-daisy," she chuckled. "I broke your glass."

"No problem, love. The brainwashing will just ensure that you don't try to trick us, okay? We don't want any turncoats in our ranks." Sam shook her head, her blonde locks trembling as her body shook. The golden liquid was beginning to take full effect. "Let's begin right now," FalseJanet suggested. "Would you like that?"

Sam smiled. "I would like that a lot," she whispered. "Good. Let's begin."

---

Freeman poured himself a cup of coffee, then held it up to the light. Frowning, he sniffed the concotion, then poured it back into the pot. Across the room, Terry Cochrane grinned. "Still can't get used to the coffee, huh?"

"Damn humans," he muttered. "Drinking sludge..." He walked back to the table and dropped into a chair. Manuel Gonzalez and Ben Coslett were in a separate room, sequestered from their teammates. "Why are we even being kept here?"

Cochrane sighed. "They said they found something odd in our medical reports. They're just holding us until Doc Fraiser can determine what it is."

"Fraiser," Freeman shook his head. "Why'd they have to call her? Roth had everything tied up in a neat little bow... now we have to rearrange our plans. Again."

"Take it easy," Cochrane sighed. "We just sit tight for a while and Fraiser'll have us cleared in no time. Then we can continue as planned."

The door to the quarantine room opened and O'Neill entered, looking at each man carefully before he spoke. "Hey, fellas. What's new?"

"We're being locked up by our own people," Freeman snapped. "That's what's new."

Cochrane stood. "Any word from Fraiser about our condition?"

"Oh, yeah, she figured out what it is."

Freeman smiled. "So we can leave?"

"No, not exactly. See... she found out that you guys are robots. Care to... explain that?"

Freeman grinned. "You've gotta be joking, Sir. Y-you're joking right? We can't be robots."

"Cut the crap, Lieutenant," Jack said. "We've been monitoring your conversation. We heard everything you guys have been talking about." He stepped forward. "Where is Major Carter being held? I want to know, and I want to know now."

Freeman sighed, "Unless she's someone important - which she's not - she's already been harvested for flesh."

"What?!" Jack gasped.

"Harvested. You think it's easy making massive amounts of cyborgs?" He shook his head. "It was so much easier when we would just stick people in a web."

Jack was across the room in an instant, slamming Freeman against the wall. "You better be lying to me, you rotten son of a bitch. Cause if we don't get Sam back, you're in for a world of hurt. I don't care if you *are* a robot, I will find a way to make sure that you feel every damn thing I do. Trust me on that."

Cochrane approached Jack from behind, but was stymied when a powerful hand closed on his shoulder. He spun, finding himself face-to-face with Teal'c.

"An attack would not be wise," the Jaffa warned.

The alien construct, being of sound mind, refused the advice and tried to punch Teal'c in the stomach. He had been hoping to puncture the symbiote pouch, but there was no such luck. Teal'c dodged the blow, grabbing the smaller man's wrist and snapping it backwards. Cochrane screamed as his hand bent backwards so far that his fingers touched his forearm. He stared at his mutilated limb in horror, then gasped, "I'm glad I'm not human..."

Teal'c closed his hand around Cochrane's throat, lifting him off of the ground. O'Neill turned and warned, "Don't kill 'im, Teal'c!"

He glanced at his friend, then tossed Cochrane across the room like a rag doll. The doctor slammed into the wall, falling to the floor in a heap. Jack turned back to Freeman. "So? You gonna talk or are we going to have to make Teal'c take out his frustrations on you?"

Freeman swallowed, then looked at the black statue standing a few feet away. Finally, the lieutenant sighed. "Whaddaya need to know?"

---

Sam woke slowly, feeling soft fingers brushing her hair. She smiled, rolling onto her side and snuggling against the warm body sharing her bed. "Morning," came Janet's soft voice.

"Oh, Janet... I had the strangest..." She sat up, realizing suddenly that it wasn't a dream. FalseJanet was sitting in the bed, her shawl gone. Sam's eyes inadvertantly traveled down the smooth slope of the other woman's chest, focusing on the creamy skin revealed by the blue bra. "It... this was all real."

"It was," FalseJanet nodded. "Are you feeling any different?"

Sam put a hand to her forehead, closing her eyes. "I feel... ugh..." She clutched her stomach, falling back onto the mattress. She felt FalseJanet's hands resting on her shoulders and she slowly crawled up into the brunette's lap. Resting her head against Janet's thighs, Sam cleared her throat. "I still feel a little woozy. Dizzy... Where's Aubrey?"

"Being convinced that our way is the right way."

"What if she doesn't agree?"

"Flesh harvesting," FalseJanet said, her voice completely devoid of emotion. "It's difficult finding enough raw material for our doubles."

Sam frowned. "You never said what happened with Harlan..."

"We killed him. We were forced to recycle his flesh to form one of my foot soldiers." She brushed Sam's hair gently. "Do you feel like you can sit up?"

With a gentle cough, Sam nodded and pulled herself up. She leaned against FalseJanet, looking into the alien double's chocolate brown eyes. "I have a question...."

"Anything, my love."

"When are we going to invade Earth?"

"Soon, dear." She brushed Sam's cheek with her lips. "You just can't wait, can you?"

Sam embraced FalseJanet. "I have a request. When we get to Earth, I want to give Cassandra a chance to join our cause."

FalseJanet pulled back. "I thought we discussed this. If she resists, she will die. We can make a perfect duplicate of her.

"Duplicates aren't the same..."

"Oh. Does that mean I'm not the same as the real Janet?"

"No, honey, no," Sam said, gently kissing the brunette's lips. "She... she doesn't love me. You do. It's just that Cassandra has done nothing to me. I don't want her to die without a choice."

"What about your friends? Jack O'Neill, the archaeologist?"

Sam bit her lip. "It hurts me, but they made their choice. They decided they were against you... which makes them against me."

"When the time comes," FalseJanet asked, "will you be able to watch them die?"

"If the need arises," Sam said, "I will kill them myself."

FalseJanet smiled. "Excellent, my love. Sleep... we will begin plans for invasion in the morning."

---

Aubrey looked up as Sam returned to the cell. It had been several hours since the blonde had disappeared; Aubrey surmised that she had slept elsewhere and it was now morning. The major was dressed in the same white outfit as before, only now she held a glass of something that resembled champagne. "Major Carter? What's going on?"

Sam sat on the bed, indicating the young girl to come closer. Aubrey reluctantly obeyed, sitting next to her superior officer. "I brought a drink for you," Sam said. "You must be parched."

Aubrey took the glass, eagerly downing the liquid. She had swallowed almost the entire contents before she gagged and coughed, spilling the drink over her chest. "Oh, God! What is that?!"

"Shh," Sam smiled, brushing the girl's auburn hair out of her face. "Just let it take effect."

"Effect? What, is this some kind of drug?!"

Sam pushed the girl down onto the mattress, straddling her. "It won't take long to work, honey. Just let it work it's magic." She lowered her head, gently brushing her lips across the lieutenant's.

Aubrey gasped, turning her face away from Sam. "Major Carter! I'm not... I... I'm involved with Captain Borden!"

Sam chuckled, trying to kiss the young girl again. "Borden? Borden is dead."

"What?" Aubrey's voice came in a shocked whisper, her eyes wide with horror. "It can't be true!"

"It is," Sam muttered, placing a series of soft kisses along Aubrey's cheekline. "He was too badly injured. The rest of your team was beyond help as well. Xua'quil didn't see the purpose of duplicating them, so she used their flesh to build more duplicates."

Aubrey was gasping for air now, her eyes wide with horror and disbelief. Sam finally placed a kiss on Aubrey's lips, her tongue delving into the warm depths. Aubrey fought back, biting down on Sam's tongue and shoving the shocked blonde off. As Sam rolled across the bed, Aubrey jumped up and bolted for the door. She didn't care if she was nude; she just wanted to be gone. The doors thankfully slid open and she escaped into the hallway, deciding at the last second to turn right. To her delight, she saw that no guards stood in her way.

Behind her, she could hear Sam's running footsteps, coming ever-closer. Aubrey turned a familiar corner and found herself in the middle of an alien stronghold. She froze, shocked at the sudden end to the SGC. Sam tackled her from behind and both women fell to the ground in a pile. Sam pinned Aubrey against the floor, panting. With a slight smile, the major chuckled, "Normally, I'd enjoy tackling nude women... C'mon, Aubrey... this is the chance of a lifetime. Just declare your allegiance to Xua'quil and everything will be fine. She'll let us live and rule by her side on Earth."

"Rule Earth? Sam, are you listening to yourself? What happened to the plan of just playing along?"

"Plans are made to change," Sam said. "Don't make us kill you."

Aubrey spit in Sam's face.

"Well. I suppose that answers *that* question." Sam stroked Aubrey's face. "Such beautiful skin... Perhaps Xua'quil will allow me to use it to construct a concubine. I'd want her to have your face, though. You have such the cutest little face..."

Aubrey struggled against Sam, but the drug was beginning to take hold. Her vision swam and she felt the strength seeping from her muscles.

---

The Gate Room was abuzz with activity. A MALP stood motionless on the ramp, prepared to go through. Directly behind it stood a group of Marines, specially trained for hostile situations. Their uniforms were a traditional camoflague, better allowing them to blend into the forest. Shoe polish darkened their features. Behind the Marines was the specially formed SG-SF, Special Forces Unit. It had been put together for just this mission and would most likely be disbanded afterward.

Colonel Jack O'Neill was leading the troops, dressed all in black, along with Daniel and Teal'c. Making up the rest of the SG-SF were Major Mark Burdett, Dr. Charlotte Parker and Natoris in the form of Dr. Roth. General Hammond approached the MALP, placing his hand on top of the probe. "Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to embark on an infinitely dangerous mission. The enemy you will be engaging is a crafty one, an enemy who came within a hair's breadth of defeating us at one point. I want you all to be on your guard at all times. Your orders are to engage the enemy, destroy as many as possible, and bring home our people. Godspeed, soldiers. And good luck."

The Stargate began to dial on those final words, the inner ring spinning as it always did. From the back of the control room, Janet watched as the large group prepared to speed across the galaxy to bring her lover home. She was sitting on the spiral staircase that led to the briefing room, her hands tightly clasped. She closed her eyes, resting her forehead on her fists. "Please let her come back to me... Please, don't take her away from me."

As the Stargate roared to life, she opened her hands and peered down at the small golden circle laying in her palm. The stone had dented her skin just below her middle finger, but it didn't hurt at all. Slowly, she reached up and turned the diamond ring over and over again. She held the ring to her lips and softly whispered, "I will marry you, Sam... just come home to me..." Tears rolled down her cheeks as the first wave of soldiers headed through the Gate.

Chapter Six

FalseJanet stood in front of the monitors, watching her troops as they prepared for the inevitable invasion. Her right hand held a wide-mouthed wine glass, filled with a faux champagne. She parted her lips slightly, pressing the glass against her mouth and tipping her head back. She caught a small amount in her mouth. She swished it back and forth, savoring the texture on her tongue before finally swallowing. She turned, whipping her cape around her lithe legs.

"Your planet truly has some wonderful concoctions. I simply cannot wait until I can taste the true texture of... what is this drink called again, my love?"

Sam, standing next to the bed, replied, "Champagne." She gently brushed a loose strand of hair out of Aubrey's face. After drugging the young lieutenant, Sam had brought her to the room and laid her out on the bed.

FalseJanet sighed, looking at the slight form underneath the blankets. "Samantha, we must speak of this insane battle you are fighting."

"What... what do you mean?"

"First you ask me to spare Cassandra's life. Now, you feel guilty for drugging this one. How many more will you request salvation for? I must know that you will not turn your back on me. I need to be certain that you are faithful to our cause."

"It is," Sam nodded, moving out of the alcove and kneeling in front of FalseJanet. She took one of the alien replica's hands in her own, kissing the fingers. "I trust in you completely. I swear."

FalseJanet smiled, stroking Sam's hair with her free hand. "Then you must be given a test of faith."

"Test?"

The duplicate hooked a finger under Sam's chin, tilting the blonde's head up until they were looking into each other's eyes. FalseJanet said, "I want you to kill Aubrey. Personally."

Sam's smile faded. "Myself."

FalseJanet produced a knife from one thigh-length boot. Pressing the handle into Sam's hand, she demanded, "Kill Aubrey Welch."

Sam reluctantly closed her fingers around the handle, looking at the curved blade in shock. "Kill... her? But I... I've never killed anyone in cold blood."

"Get used to it, love. Go. You can do it now."

Sam slowly got to her feet, hesitantly approaching the bed. She pulled the blankets back, baring Aubrey's bare chest. She adjusted her grip on the knife, testing the weight. She locked onto the girl's closed eyes and mouthed, "I'm sorry." She raised the knife above her head...

And alarms began to blare.

Sam spun around, dropping the knife in surprise. FalseJanet was already approaching the monitors, a look of anger passing over her features. The main screen was displaying the Stargate, as usual, but instead of the idyllic scene it had been showing for the past twenty-four hours, the clearing was buzzing with activity. Three camoed Marines were making a run at the treeline, making excellent progress as their two teammates laid down cover fire. Fanning out from the Stargate, using the MALP as cover, a group of black-clad SGC officers were heading in the opposite direction... straight for Xua'quil's compound.

"Damnation," FalseJanet spit, "How the hell did..." She slapped the monitors in anger, then spun around. "Samantha, my dear... we have a situation. Our plans must change accordingly."

---

Jack O'Neill dropped flat against the ground as weapons fire began to fill the air. Behind him, Daniel stopped to readjust the MALP calibrations from it's onboard control panel. Jack coughed, then turned so he could face the archaeologist. "Brilliant idea, Daniel, but I take it their cameras are operational again?"

"Uh, yeah... that would be a reasonable assumption. The EMP only blocked the camera signal for a couple of seconds." Daniel closed the control panel, having obviously given up on trying to recreate the EMP. He pulled the UAV off of the MALP and began to assemble it as quickly as possible.

Jack nodded. "Thank God it was enough. We gonna be able to make that treeline?"

"If we get enough cover from the Marines... then yeah." He laid the UAV on the ground, aiming the rockets away from the team, and fired. The small machine rose into the air quickly, drawing fire from several confused Cheletan look-alikes.

To Natoris, Jack asked, "This compound where you think they're holding Sam and SG-3... how far is it from the Gate?"

Natoris looked at the treeline, then gazed into the sky. "I believe it is approximately two miles. That is only an estimation."

Jack nodded. "Okay... Teal'c, you and Burdett cover us and the Marines. Danny, Natoris, you're with me." He rose into a crouch, looking for hidden enemies in the nearby shrubbery. Finding none, he waved forward and Daniel and Natoris ran for the trees. Jack followed, opening fire on unseen enemies that may have been targeting the Marines.

Once they were safe in the woods, Jack sighed, "Let's go bring back our people."

The team surged through the woods, occasionally pausing to seek cover behind a wide tree trunk. Troops of the chameleonic aliens, disguised as Cheletans, were on patrol in the woods and had been alerted that invading humans were in the midst. Jack steadied his gun, fixing his sights on one of the masquerading creatures. His finger tensed on the trigger, then pulled. The gun bucked in his hands and a bullet roared through the shrubbery.

The patrolman was caught in the upper shoulder and he fell to his knees, immediately turning and fixing his sights on O'Neill's location. Before he could open fire, Natoris caught him in the chest with a volley of fire from her weapon. The guard went down, his weapon firing harmlessly into the air.

Daniel paused, peering into the sky. "I've always wondered what happens to bullets shot into the air."

"I shot an arrow in the air," Jack said, pulling himself up. "Where it lands, I don't give a damn. C'mon, Danny."

Natoris turned. "We are approaching the vicinity of Xua'quil's stronghold. All conversations should cease immediately."

Jack snapped, "I'm the commanding officer here, got it? I give the orders."

"You have no understanding of these creatures or their mindset. I happen to share a body with one they control. Who do you think is better equipped to command this mission?"

Jack didn't answer, just motioned forward with his head. Natoris turned, leading the way through the forest. Though he didn't like it, Jack did remain silent.

The stronghold resembled a domed stadium; stone walls rose two or three stories above their heads, covered with a translucent dome that reflected the light into their eyes. Jack peered at the building, then scanned the surrounding area for guards. "I'm countin'... seven or eight armed guards on this side alone."

Natoris nodded slowly, then said, "That is merely the guards who are visible. I believe there will be at least two more stationed in areas that are not visible to us."

Jack tightened his grip on his weapon, then pulled the radio to his mouth. "Teal'c," he whispered. "You read us?"

"I do," came the quiet reply.

"When you and Burdett finish babysitting those Marines, we'll need a few more hands over here, know what I'm saying?"

"Indeed. We are on our way, O'Neill."

The radio shut off and Jack leaned against a tree trunk. "What's the plan, fearless leader? Wait for Teal'c or rush the stronghold now and wait for the calvary?"

Natoris scanned the walls, then decided, "I have a plan of action."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Of course you do."