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Jack stared out of the window. "He's not there! Are you sure these are the right coordinates?"

"Yes, sir," Sam replied. She double checked, triple checked, then checked again for good measure.

"That sonofabitch!" Jack slammed his fist against the wall of the craft. "He must have picked up the Tok'ra ship."

"Maybe," Sam allowed.

"Perhaps his movement is merely random. He is hiding from his enemies," Teal'c said quietly.

"Doesn't matter why he moved. The bad news is that he did move, and we have no fucking clue where he went!" Jack ran his hand over his face wearily.

"Sir, maybe we should go back to the SGC. Get a decent night's sleep, restock our supply of water and MREs..." her voice trailed off into silence.

"Yeah, maybe," he said after a few moments. What he wanted to do was find that damned snake and tear him apart! If he stayed true to form, he was 'training' Daniel as a slave, and god only knew what Casey was going through as his 'consort'. Shit! If they didn't find the Jacksons soon, there was the chance that neither of them would ever come back from whatever hell Ba'al had sent their minds to! What they needed was a little of that SG-1 good luck. The thought that to work it required all five members of the team to be present and accounted flashed through his mind. He shook his head mentally. They'd been in this situation before. They were SG-1. Danny and Radar were SG-1. They'd prevail again. That's just the way it was!

Sam tried to hold back her tears. So close! They'd been so close! Even with the hyperdrive engines, it had taken nearly three hours to arrive from the star system where they'd been waiting for Ba'al to show up. If they'd known sooner, if Raully had just stayed until they'd arrived, instead of sending a message that they were needed elsewhere...damn it to hell!

"Too bad the Tok'ra didn't stick around," Jack groused, his thoughts mirroring those of his lover. "Maybe they could have followed the snake bastard!"

"He'd been here for three days," Sam said wearily. "There was no reason to believe he'd just suddenly take it into his mind to leave."

Jack frowned. "Wonder if we should be concerned about that sudden need to move."

"I don't know," Sam replied.

"O'Neill, Major Carter is correct. We must rest, and restock our supplies. The Tok'ra will no doubt have word for us soon on Ba'al's whereabouts," Teal'c said.

"Yeah, I know. We're taking this thing home. And when we've recharged our batteries, we're taking it back out."

"I'm not sure-"

"I don't give a damn whether the Tok'ra like it or not," Jack growled. "It's their damn fault we're in this mess...that Casey and Daniel are in the mess they're in!"

"That's not fair...Sarah acted on her own," Sam argued.

"Yeah, well maybe the Tok'ra should have been more careful about who they were letting one of their snakes crawl into!"

He was tired. He was worried. He was heartsick. She reached out and clasped his hand. His fingers tightened around hers. "We'll find them, Jack," she said softly.

"We have to," Jack replied. "Whole damned mountain will just fall apart without them."

When they'd updated General Hammond, he'd been delighted to know that the two missing team members would shortly be returned, admitting that he was hesitant to send teams through the 'gate into the unknown; so far, of the eight teams who'd gone out, five had run into serious trouble. Everyone in Cheyenne Mountain had become accustomed to having more intel than just what the MALP and UAV provided. Intel that had saved every man and woman in the SGC at least once.

No more was said as Teal'c slid into the pilot's seat, and guided the ship back toward the planet where the Alpha site was located. No need to alert John Q. to what was happening, and a space ship in orbit would likely be picked up by some amateur astronomer. Nope, didn't need that can of worms opened on top of the one they were already dealing with!

A  A  A  A  A  A

Sarah held her head in her hands, listened as the man who brought her food to her lowered the force field and stepped into the room. She waited. Before she could move, carry out the attack she'd planned so carefully, a sharp pain between her eyes made her gasp.

She was so tired of the headaches! It seemed as if it never went away. Sometimes it was merely a dull throb. Others, it was sharp and painful. She looked up, smiled sadly at the man who put the tray of food on the table. "Thank you," she said softly.

"You are welcome," he replied. He said nothing else as he lowered the shield a second time, and stepped back into the corridor. He paused, looked at the young woman. "Is there anything I can for get you?"

"I have a horrible headache," she admitted.

He frowned. The Tok'ra symbiotes maintained the health and vitality of their hosts, medicines weren't needed often. "I'll see what I can find."

"Thank you. Can you tell me, would it be possible for me to speak with Daniel Jackson?"

"I'm afraid not. He's been captured by Ba'al as well."

Her heart leapt to her throat. "Oh, no," she whispered. As well? Who else has been captured by the Goa'uld? Without asking, she suddenly knew. There would be only one reason Daniel would risk capture. His wife.

With a sad smile, the man disappeared.

She tried to eat. The pounding of her heart made breathing difficult. If Daniel had been captured...tears filled her eyes. Why did she have the sinking feeling that somehow she was involved in his current imprisonment?

A  A  A  A  A  A

Shanda hesitated for a moment. Nutesh had found her, told her that Daniel had awakened, had eaten, and had then gone back to sleep. He'd pressed a small light stone into her hand, warning her to keep the lantern off as much as possible. The room was so dark! What if the Jaffa had found him? She'd be killed...she shook her head mentally. Lady Casey was depending on her to care for the man she loved. The young slave sighed. She understood love. She'd loved Ba'al for a very long time. Until the moment he'd so callously offered her to his new consort as a personal slave. Her heart had broken in that moment, and her love had turned to hatred. Now, that hatred was turning into something else...disgust. She wanted to be away from him, from one who would allow thousands to die...people guilty of nothing more than worshipping him...without even trying to defend them.

The light stone offered just enough illumination, when she held it in front of her, to make out the shape of the crates she needed to climb down upon. Carefully she inched forward.

"Who's there?" a voice asked softly.

The lantern flickered on. Shanda gasped. The bruises on his face were fading quickly. The cuts on his lips were all but gone! She rushed forward, gently pressed against his ribs. He flinched slightly, but didn't offer to pull away from her. Where earlier her fingers had felt the indentations that indicated breaks, the muscle was firm, the bone beneath whole once more.

"You must be Shanda," Daniel said, smiling at the young woman.

She nodded, still dumbfounded by the miraculous recovery the man was making.

"I'm going to turn the lantern off, the man who was here before told me to keep it off as much as possible."

Shanda put the light stone on the floor. It offered just enough light to be able to see the outline of his shape in the darkness. "You are recovering very quickly."

He was glad for the darkness. She wouldn't be able to see his eyes. Jack told him he was a terrible liar. He didn't want to put this young woman into any more danger than she already was, or risk her changing her mind and telling Ba'al about the Immortal man hiding in a storage room. "You are a skilled healer."

She shook her head. "I know a few things. Not enough to..." She frowned. She'd seen a healing device used. Didn't understand that it was necessary to have naquadah in one's blood in order to make it work. "Nutesh! He must have found a healing device! He didn't have enough time to finish!" Yes! That was it! She chided herself for allowing her imagination to run away with her.

Healing device...yeah, that was as good an excuse as any. "I don't remember," he said quietly.

"It does not matter. When he returns, he will complete the healing," the young slave said confidently.

"Then I'll have to remember to thank him," Daniel said. And wondered just what to tell this Nutesh. He'd have to think of something. Maybe the man wouldn't notice. And this young slave wouldn't mention the healing device. And maybe he'd win the freaking lottery the next time he bought a ticket!

"I dare not stay long. I have brought more food. Cleansing oil, and more water." She turned the lantern on, just enough to show him the items.

"Thank you."

"I do not know when Lady Casey will be able to see you. But I can take to her any messages that you wish to send," Shanda said shyly.

Daniel smiled. "Tell her I love her."

"I will tell her." Shanda took the light stone. "As soon as I am up there-"

"I'll turn off the lantern," Daniel said.

With a second thought, she put the stone back on the floor. It would offer some light, enough that he could wash if he wished. She'd seen the clothes that Nutesh had brought. Not knowing if the man would recognize them as such, she handed the linen pants and shirt to him. With a smile, she scrambled up over the crates, lifted herself into the shaft.

A  A  A  A  A  A

Casey put a hand to her head. The poking was damned near painful. She was almost out of time, she could feel it. If Daniel was awake, and he should be by now, they had to start planning a way to get off of the ship. She turned to O'nan. "I put my life in your hands," she said softly.

The Jaffa frowned with confusion. "My Lady?"

"I must...I want to return to Ba'al's chambers. And no one must disturb me."

"I understand, My Lady."

She was taking a risk, and she knew it. But she couldn't wait any longer. "How likely is it that Ba'al will return to his chambers within the next hour or so?"

The frown deepened. "I do not know, My Lady."

She pulled her lip between her teeth. "If I asked you to keep a secret, would you do it?"

"I don't know...yes," he replied, making a life-altering decision in that moment. Recognizing it as such.

"Even if it was something that would really piss Ba'al off...make him very angry," she amended.

"If you require my silence, then not even Ba'al will hear from my lips that which you tell me."

For the first time all morning, she was glad she'd chosen to wander the lower decks, where very few Jaffa were to be found. "Follow me."

O'nan followed the slender blonde to the end of one of the least used corridors. Watched with shock when she pulled the metal screen from the access shaft.

"I need for you to...hide...somewhere. If you're seen standing here, it will draw too much attention. I promise I won't be long. Please, don't breathe a word, to anybody," she pleaded softly.

"You have my word as Jaffa, My Lady," he swore. He had a feeling he knew where she was going. Oh, not exactly where she was going. But wherever she'd managed to hide Daniel Jackson. With a smile, he stepped behind one of the support pillars, hidden by the shadows.

She returned the smile, gathered the skirt of her gown into one hand, and eased into the shaft. Just a few minutes, she told herself. That's all she wanted.

Daniel heard the rustling in the shaft above him. Figured it was either the young slave, or the man named Nutesh. He dared to turn the lantern on, managed to get to his feet, then watched as Casey, dressed in a creamy silk gown, dropped down into the room. "Hey, gorgeous," he said softly, his heart hammering with love, with relief, with excitement.

"Daniel!" She raced into his outstretched arms. The sobs that she'd held in check from the moment she'd seen him, hanging on the metal web, more dead than alive, broke free. She stood shaking in his arms, her wails of pain muffled when she pressed her face against his shoulder.

"Shh...it's all right, Angel," he whispered softly. He held her tightly, overjoyed to feel her arms locked around his neck, her body pressed against his as close as she could get.

"I can't stay, I just wanted to check on you," she whispered a few minutes later. Her hands moved over and over his face, then down his chest, his arms, back up to run her fingers over his bearded jaw. "Last time I saw you, the ker'nish'ta was still in your system."

He understood exactly what she'd seen...had heard. He'd experienced the same thing when Teal'c had brought her back to the SGC after her first run-in with Ba'al. "I'm okay now. Feels like I'm healing pretty quickly."

"Which won't be easy to explain to Shanda and Nutesh," Casey replied.

"Ah, well, Shanda thinks Nutesh used a healing device on me, and just wasn't able to finish," Daniel said.

"She was here?"

"Yeah, earlier. I don't know how long ago, I've been dozing on and off. C'mere," he said, tugging her toward the 'bed' that had been made for him in the corner of the room. When they were seated, holding one another tightly, he reached over and turned the lantern off. "Nutesh told me to keep it off as much as possible," he explained. "Something about heat signatures. He managed to do something that will keep them from picking up life signs in here. Don't know for how long, though."

"We have to find a way off of this ship!"

"Any ideas?"

She shook her head. "I'm going to talk to O'nan, he's the Jaffa who is in charge of guarding me. I think...I think he's on the verge of signing up with Bra'tac."

"That's a good deal," Daniel replied.

"I have no idea where we are. Ba'al is hiding from Olokun. Who attacked Babylonia. That snake bastard just left! Those people trusted him, depended on him to protect them, and he just left!"

He could hear the anger, the sorrow in her words. Understood that for her, that above all was the most heinous thing Ba'al could have done, deserting those who believed in him. "He hasn't...um..."

She smiled. Put her hand to his cheek, turned his face toward hers, and gently kissed him. "Nope. Oh, he thinks he did. But he didn't," she said, when she finally pulled away from him.

His body was on fire. Need raged through him. "How did you manage that?" he asked, his voice strained.

"Just gave him a dose of his own medicine," she replied, then explained exactly what she'd done.

Daniel chuckled as he listened, congratulating her for setting up the scene up well.

"Daniel, do you think...well, tonight, I can stay longer, will you feel like..."

He took her hand, guided it to his rock hard erection. "I'll be here, ready and waiting," he whispered.

"I don't want to leave you like this," she sighed.

"Casey, I'm not going to die in the next few hours," he grinned.

"You'd better not! I have an itch like you wouldn't believe!"

He shifted slightly. "As much as I hate to say this, you'd better go. If you get caught, we're both dead."

She nodded. "I'll be back as soon as I can. It will help if I can find more ker'nish'ta."

Another hug, and a few more soft, gentle kisses were exchanged before Daniel helped her to climb the crates. "I love you," he said softly.

"I love you, too!" She smiled, then disappeared into the darkness.

He sighed. She's okay. He'd seen her, held her, kissed her. She's okay! Now, they just had to figure out how to get off of this damned ship!

A  A  A  A  A  A

Ryk'teal searched the detention level carefully. The trail of blood had stopped at one of the less frequently used elevators. Which, however, had no sign of blood in it anywhere. He'd backtracked to the room where the Tau'ri had been held. He was certain there'd been blood here...He looked around, his eyes peering into the shadows. There was someone there, hiding, he was certain of it...

Shanda held her breath. She'd been watching the First Prime, had been terrified when she saw the drops of blood that made a perfect trail to follow. She'd cleaned the elevator, and the corridor to the storage room. But she hadn't been able to clean this floor, until the Jaffa had been distracted examining the elevator. If he discovered her...

"Rky'teal!"

The First Prime turned. "What do you want?"

"Lord Ba'al wishes to know if the prisoner is awake yet."

The tall man began to shake. "No," he said, his voice as calm as he could manage. "It seems that the damage done was more severe than I realized."

The other Jaffa nodded his understanding. "Very well."

"Tell Lord Ba'al I will come for him as soon as the Tau'ri is ready."

With a salute, the Jaffa turned and hurried back the way he'd come.

Ryk'teal leaned against the wall. An hour, at the most. And he was no closer to finding the escaped prisoner than he'd been when he started. His death loomed before him, making him quake with fear, and despair.

Shanda waited until the Jaffa had gone back into the room where Daniel had been held before she slipped away. Her heart was pounding. When Ba'al learned that his prisoner was missing, every Jaffa on the ship would be tasked to find him. And it wouldn't take them long. She needed to speak to Lady Casey...and Nutesh!

A  A  A  A  A  A

O'nan followed the slender blonde, as he'd done for days. She was pacing worriedly, telling him only that she had a problem which must be solved as soon as possible. He was certain he knew what that problem was.

When she turned the corner, she nearly ran face first into the broad chest of Ba'al's First Prime. The man glared down at her.

"I will find him!" he hissed.

She paled. Play dumb, her mind told her frantically. "Find who?"

"The one named Daniel Jackson! Ba'al captured him, and tasked me with making him a slave. The training had nearly been completed when he was helped to escape."

Casey stared up at the man, her mind racing. If she forced the issue, Ba'al would search the ship himself...not an option...however..."Daniel? Daniel is here? What did you do to him? Take me to him! I want to see him! Now, damn you!"

This was not the reaction he'd expected...hoped for. He suspected that if anyone had helped the missing man, it would have been his wife. If Lady Casey had been unaware...oh, he'd certainly made a mess of things now! She'd go straight to Ba'al and demand to see her husband. No doubt her request would be denied, but Ba'al would demand to see the prisoner, to taunt him, and then instruct that the prisoner be sent below with the other slaves. Eventually, the Goa'uld would make certain that his Consort saw her former husband - beaten, mindless, nothing more than a slave. His own cheeks paled.

"Take me to my Husband!" Casey hissed, punctuating her demand with her fists against his chest.

He grabbed her wrists. Was taken aback when he heard the whine of a staff weapon charging. O'nan, the Jaffa who'd been assigned to follow Ba'al's consort, stood weapon ready, and aimed at him.

"Release the Consort of your god!" O'nan demanded. "How dare you touch her!"

Ryk'teal dropped his hands, stepped away from the woman. Bowed slightly. "I beg your forgiveness," he said, knowing that that one action had just ended his life. Even if he managed to find Daniel Jackson before Ba'al realized he'd been missing, and was able to hide his incompetence, Lady Casey would report that he'd dared to touch her. He would die this day. How he died was the only uncertainty.

"If Daniel has escaped, shouldn't you be looking for him?" Casey asked, raising one eyebrow slightly. "Let me warn you...if you've harmed him, I will kill you!"

The First Prime pulled himself to his full six foot, two inch height. "I will return the prisoner to Lord Ba'al. What becomes of him is not your concern."

"What happens to my Husband is very much my concern," Casey spat.

If he could just find that damned Tau'ri...when he got his hands on Daniel Jackson, he would kill him! Ryk'teal turned and walked away.

Casey looked up at O'nan as he closed the tip of his staff weapon. "Thank you," she said softly.

"It is my duty, My Lady," he responded. He looked at her, gave her a conspiratorial smile. "I do not believe that you were unaware that your husband was on this ship. Nor do I think you were surprised to know he had escaped."

Her heart began to pound. "What makes you say that?"

"I hid in the shadows, and you disappeared into an access shaft."

She swallowed hard, her eyes revealing her fear.

O'nan shook his head slightly. "You need not fear me, My Lady. I gave you my word that your secret is safe with me. Should you need me to...hold...other secrets, I will do so."

She wanted to hug the man...barely refrained from doing so. But the relief, the depth of her gratitude, reflected in her eyes, and in her smile. "Thank you, O'nan. You're a good man, and a good friend."

That Lady Casey would consider him a friend had him puffing out his chest with pride. "Do you wish to continue walking?"

She giggled. She had a lot of pent up energy to get rid of, and plenty more where it came from! "I believe I do."

The Jaffa smiled and nodded. And followed the woman who'd opened his eyes to truly see the man he'd once considered a god.

A  A  A  A  A  A

Selmak watched as the strawberry blonde paced the room. "She has become more agitated."

"I agree. Winfield reported that she was...lucid...when he took her food yesterday. She complained of a headache, and asked for something to ease it," Ren Au reported.

The statement caught Jacob's attention. 'Headaches? That's one of the listed symptoms of a person suffering from personality disorders!'

'Then it is possible that the 'real' Sarah is unaware of what the personality of 'Osiris' is doing,' Selmak mused.

'That's part of the theory, yes,' Jacob replied. 'There is also the belief that it's possible to speak to the 'core' personality, who in this case would be Sarah.'

Selmak relayed the information to her companion. "Jacob believes it possible to speak to Sarah, and not Osiris. If we can determine what Sarah knows, it will help us to understand exactly who has been in control. It would also explain the chaos that Karinda reported she felt, especially toward the end of her time with Sarah."

Ren Au nodded. "Do you wish to speak to her now?"

Jacob shook his head as Selmak respond. "No, we must research this disorder more fully, to understand how to best deal with her. But let those who take food to her know to treat Sarah with kindness when she is 'present'."

"I will do so," the Tok'ra leader replied. "The move is nearly complete."

"You must go. Leave Aldwin and Winfield with me. We will see to it that Sarah is taken care of."

"We will leave the symbiotes here for another day or so, the labs aren't quite ready," Ren Au said.

"We will protect them with our lives," Selmak vowed.

The two Tok'ra gave one last look into the room, then moved away from the door.

Cowards! Weaklings! Traitors! Sarah hurried to the doorway, hoping to catch more of their conversation. She'd missed most of what had been said, something about treating Sarah with kindness. But more importantly, that the vat of symbiotes wasn't to be moved yet. Moved to where was also something she need to discover. Eventually they were going to have to let her out of here. As soon as they did...she'd be ready. Once she had a symbiote, she'd use the Chappa'ai to travel to one of the planets she held, and signal for her ship. Then she'd gather those who had served Anubis. Demand that they bow to her as well. Many of Anubis' secrets had been entrusted to her. She would create an army that would be unstoppable!

A  A  A  A  A  A

General Hammond watched as Sam, Jack, and Teal'c walked down the ramp. Without Daniel or Casey. The looks on their faces told him that all had not gone as planned. Their weariness, their worry, was etched on every line that creased their brows. "What happened?"

"The Tok'ra who spotted Ba'al took off. By the time we got there, he was gone," Jack replied. "Have no idea if he saw them or not."

"So will they take you back out?" the general asked.

Sam glanced at Jack. "Dad and Selmak had to return to help with the move. Aldwin picked him up in another ship. Right now, the cargo ship we were using is in orbit above the Alpha site. There's a ring transport there," she explained.

"We're gonna get a bit of sleep, more supplies and we're heading back out," Jack added.

Hammond nodded. "I understand. Have Doctor Fraiser check you out."

The teammates exchanged a glance. There must be a reason for the general to make the suggestion. "Yes, sir," Jack said quietly. He led this two 'kids' from the 'gate room.

The general turned to find three team CO's watching, frowns on their faces. Major Newsome stepped forward. "Sir, if there's anything we can do..."

He forced a smile to his face. "I'll let you know, Major." He looked at the window where Walter Harriman and the other control room techs were watching as well. "Sergeant, post a notice that all off-world missions are postponed indefinitely."

"Yes, sir," Walter's voice echoed.

There was no way to fight it. Already team CO's were admitting that their team members were reporting to sick call, requesting leave, anything to avoid walking through the 'gate without Casey Jackson's 'blessing'. That all of them had done so for years prior to the blonde seer's arrival seemed to mean nothing. They'd grown accustomed to having insight on each mission that added extra protection. Even when she'd run away the previous May, there hadn't been the sense of fatalism that now seemed to hang heavy in air within the confines of the SGC. He supposed that was because Casey had been on Earth, and no one believed that Dr. Jackson would give up until he'd found her and brought her home. She'd been missing twenty four days that time. When Ba'al had taken her the first time, the prevailing attitude on the base had been one of revenge. She'd been gone a little over two weeks that time. They were coming on the end of the third week of her absence now.

He shook his head. He'd discussed the issue with the president. As much as he hated to do so, he might find himself forcing the teams to resume their duties. All he could do for the moment was remind them that they were the best trained, the most qualified people on the planet to do the job...a job many of them had been doing since the SGC had come into being. And that they would continue to do that job, and do it well, even without the resident seer 'looking' at each and every mission.

For now, however, he'd give them all the break that they obviously needed. He tried hard not to think about what might happen if Ba'al succeeded in brainwashing Casey, and completed the brutal training that created mindless slaves on Dr. Jackson.

Jack dropped onto the nearest bed, flopped onto his back. How many nights had it been now, since he'd actually slept, and slept on a bed? He couldn't remember.

"When you go back out, you'd better take this, just in case," Janet said quietly, pushing a plastic container into Sam's hand. No one needed to ask what was in it. The Hathor-gene serum. For Daniel. If they couldn't get Casey from Ba'al.

Sam hiccupped a sob, pressed her free hand against her mouth. "We were so close!" she whispered.

Janet put her arms around the tall major, hugged her tightly. "I know, honey. I know. You'll find them, and bring them home. You're SG-1, remember?"

With a smile of gratitude, Sam wiped her cheeks, sniffed noisily.

"I want you all to sleep here. I'm going to start IV's, you're probably all dehydrated," the petite doctor said, making her order sound like a suggestion.

"We had water yesterday," Jack mumbled. He was pretty sure it had been yesterday. None of them had felt much like eating. He wasn't certain they were remembering to drink anything.

"I'm going to give you a good dose of vitamins as well. You have to keep your strength up," Janet said. "I won't make you put on johnnys, but you can undress and get comfortable." She pulled the curtains around three of the beds, ordered three IV's, with various vitamin additives.

Within ten minutes the three members of the team were sound asleep. Aided by the mild sedative that had been added to their IV's as well. Janet checked each of them, then went back to her office. If she managed to keep them down for a full eight hours, she'd consider it a minor miracle.

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