A Love Too Strong To Break 2

New Reality

by Arcturus

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asa/arcturus/loveto02.php
Summary: The nightmare continues for Sam and Janet
Info: Thanks again to OxfordShoes2 for the brilliant beta

As soon as Carter was out of sight, Jack turned back into the room. Kinsey and Simmons were clearing away their belongings, Daniel had Janet hugged to him and was whispering to her and Teal'c stood conversing with General Hammond. Jack had stayed silent too long though, the raw anger in his head now unable to be contained. "Don't think this is the end Kinsey." He growled, almost spitting the last word in his rage. "I will personally make sure you pay for what you've done. I promise."

Kinsey merely grinned indulgently, riling Jack further. "Oh I don't think so O'Neill. Please just remember that Samantha Carter's fate is in my hands. You think she's badly off now? If I get so much as a whiff of you breaking more regulations I will make her life unbearable." He paused for emphasis. "I promise."

Snapping his brief case shut, he strode arrogantly to the door, pausing to direct his words at Hammond. "And don't try to use the red phone, it won't work."

Teal'c's firm hand on Jack's arm was the only thing that kept him from running after Kinsey and decking him. "I do not believe that action would be wise O'Neill."

Several long beats passed before Jack eased back and Teal'c felt it safe to let go. "Goddamn son of a bitch." The colonel muttered under his breath, punching the wall viciously to release some of his pent up frustration. He turned to Hammond, "What do we do now sir?"

"I don't know son, I really don't know."

***

The recent past had been a blur; the swift exit from the mountain, the journey to her destination. Her mind was a whirl of emotion that hardly had time to settle before she was rudely pushed from the van into the harsh cold daylight. The restraints on her arms and more recently her legs made maneuvering awkward and her escort was gleeful in the amount of 'direction' he had to use to guide her into the building. At least inside it was warm.

She was strip searched; harsh hands investigating places she wished they wouldn't. Then she was told to dress in what she guessed was the prison uniform; gray underwear, gray t-shirt, gray jumpsuit, sneakers. Finally her hands were once more cuffed behind her and she was led into a spartanly decorated office to stand before a stark mahogany desk.

A man in his mid forties with a military buzz cut and hard gray eyes regarded her for several moments in silence. He looked briefly down at the open file in front of him, then back at Sam, appraising her carefully. "I am Joseph Jefferson, warden of this facility. This is a military installation and as such you are bound by the same code you have served under; you are expected to follow the rules of the establishment or face the consequences. This is a correctional regime where you will learn to channel your skills and energies into productive outcomes. Is that clear?"

Sam felt like a first day cadet. "Yes sir."

"You have been assigned to B wing. We have three levels of segregation here. You will start on a schedule three, where you will be confined to your cell except to shower and exercise. This will help you familiarize yourself with the way things work. After three days you will move to a schedule two; you will be allowed to work during the day, all other times you will be confined to your cell. What are you good at?"

His question caught Sam off guard. She fumbled around for something appropriate to say, she could hardly mention blowing up suns, fixing gates or battling tribal leaders. "Er... I'm a scientist." She managed.

He gave her a withering look that made her squirm. "I think we have a place on the maintenance team - that might suit you."

Sam didn't know if she should respond or not. She remained silent. "A schedule one segregation means you are free to spend your non work time how you wish. That will only be achieved once you convince us you can behave appropriately."

Again Sam was unsure if she should say something, so again remained silent. "I've read your file Carter."

*Oh here we go* she thought. "I don't understand why you are here."

What was she to say? They had pissed off Kinsey once too often and he wanted revenge? She was taking the fall for the whole base?

"Nor do I understand how someone with so many commendations could end up in a place like this. Who did you upset?"

"I broke the rules; I have to pay the price," was all she felt she could muster. He scrutinized her once again, but didn't add anything further. She was dismissed into the hands of Carrick, a six foot muscle bound blond prison guard.

***

Janet eventually found the strength to pull away from Daniel. He was reluctant to let her go fully, catching her forearms in his hands. "Are you okay?"

She smiled ruefully. "No Daniel, I don't think I am."

Wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her shirt she looked up into the archeologist's caring face. "What am I going to do?

Daniel had no idea how to answer. This was Janet Fraiser, base CMO, unflappable doctor, miracle worker and solver of the impossible. What could he say?

The shock of the ruling was still reeling in his mind. How was SG-1 going to cope without Sam? What impact would her loss have on the wider SGC? But most importantly how would Janet deal with this? He knew how close they were, how much they supported and depended on each other. "We'll get through this Janet, I promise, all of us together."

"Let's hope so." Was all she could manage.

***

Once in B wing, Carrick led Sam up a flight of metal stairs and along the landing to the far end. Her cell was the last on the level. He uncuffed her hands and she stepped obediently inside. The finality of the bars sliding shut behind her was nearly her undoing, but realizing she was probably being watched, Sam took a controlling breath and forced herself to take in her surroundings.

To her right was a low bunk with a thin mattress, a gray blanket and a tired looking pillow. Above the bed was a deep shelf that held several more standard issue uniforms and what she assumed was night wear. Straight in front of her, at the back of the cell was a wall that stood at about four foot. Behind it was a stark metal toilet pan and a tiny wash basin. To her left was a metal desk bolted to the floor, a chair that was obviously not designed for comfort, and above that another empty shelf. That was it. The irony of her situation was not lost on Sam; this cell rating was palatial compared to some that she and the boys had found themselves in over the years. She closed her eyes at the memories. She missed her team already.

Turning three hundred and sixty degrees, Sam made sure she had covered every bit of the cell. A detailed inspection would come later; right now she felt suddenly drained and bereft. Sinking onto the bed, she kicked off her shoes and curled into a fetal position facing the wall. Finally she gave into her tears.

***

"Mom?" Cassie called as she dumped her bag in the hall. She had noted Jack's truck in the driveway and wondered what he was doing here on a school night. As the teen entered the living room she was greeted not only by Jack, but Teal'c and Daniel too. Immediately registering the absence of Sam, her eyes darted quickly to her mother. "Mom? What's going on? Where's Sam, she's okay isn't she?"

"Come and sit Cass, there's something we need to explain." Janet's voice was fairly calm, but it was obvious to the girl that she had been crying. Moving obediently to the couch, she sat next to her mom and turned expectant eyes to her. Seeing that the doctor was struggling to articulate the latest drama in their lives she turned to Daniel but he too seemed unable to string any words together.

In the end, it was Teal'c who put Cassie out of her misery. "Samantha has been sent to prison." He stated. "The relationship between her and your mother was deemed to be against regulations and this was the punishment."

Cassie looked at the Jaffa for several long moments, trying to get her brain to understand the enormity of his words. "How long?" she managed to choke out. Again the extended silence, this time not even Teal'c seeming to be able to talk.

"Five years." Jack managed.

Janet reached for her daughter and together they cried knowing that Sam had been torn from their family. Between sobs, the teen managed, "What are you doing about getting her back?"

Another silence ensued as the reality really struck home. None of them had any idea about where to start.

***

The next few days taught Sam a great deal about her new home. Wake up was at 0630. The cells were unlocked at 0658 and every eligible inmate had to step onto the landing. They were then all escorted to breakfast. Sam was given her meal on a tray, passed through the slot at the bottom of the bars by a fellow detainee. The food was worse than the SGC she mused, but better than the slop usually served by the Goa'ulds.

She then surmised everyone went to work. The landing was quiet, the only visitors being the meal servers. Lunch was at 1300 and about an hour later she was escorted to a small outdoor enclosure for her exercise, then to the bathroom where she showered alone. The wing came to life at just after 1700. Voices drifted up to her from the communal area below. Laughter, anger, low murmuring and sharp barked commands could be heard. Footsteps came and went on the landing outside but apart from dinner at 1830 she was not disturbed.

Closer scrutiny of her cell turned up several useful hidey holes, some chips in the plaster that appeared promising and not much else. Sam had to keep reminding herself, that unlike in a Goa'uld prison, she did not have a duty to escape.

2130 brought everyone back to their respective cells and the lights were extinguished an hour later.

On the second morning she had another encounter with Jefferson. "I have some more details regarding your detainment here Carter. They are personally signed by Senator Kinsey."

Once more Sam felt herself being scrutinized by Jefferson and it took all of her self control not to squirm under his gaze. "You will not be allowed any visitors in the first month. After that you are entitled to one visit every four weeks and one phone call each week. You are to have no contact whatsoever with a Captain Janet Fraiser or her daughter Cassandra. Calls and visits will be monitored to ensure compliance. Censored letters will be accepted."

Sam bit down on her tongue to keep her emotions in check; she would not allow anyone the satisfaction of seeing how she was affected by this additional news. She remained rooted to the spot, soldier's mask firmly in place as the silence began to stretch. "Do you have anything to say Carter?"

"No." Jefferson raised an eyebrow at her and she was reminded of Teal'c. He probably wouldn't be allowed to visit either...

She closed her eyes and exhaled deeply, "Are we done here sir?"

More silence, more scrutinizing. Eventually he let her go.

The nights were the worst. As someone who routinely slept only five or six hours, Sam found herself awake for long periods, her mind having nothing to occupy it except playing over and over the events of the past weeks. Most nights she tried to find comfort with her own hand between her legs, memories of Janet filling her senses, while she attempted to stroke herself to a climax. Many times her attempts were unsuccessful as she was overwhelmed with tears of grief and anger.

***

That first week was the hardest for Janet. The suddenness of Sam's departure shocking her so deeply she was barely able to function; the need to care for Cassie was the only thing to drive her from her bed in the mornings.

Daniel's reassurances that they would be there for each other only went so far. SG-1 – sans Sam – was soon back in the mission rotation and life at the mountain continued apace. The three men dealt with their grief in their own way and while they always made a point of checking that the doctor was okay there was only so much they could do.

Work was a blur and the evenings stretched out to be lonely and desolate. She found comfort in hard liquor and crawled into bed too late for her own good; her sleep fitful and dream filled, only finding release with her fingers as she sobbed brokenly for all that was lost. It wasn't until Warner gently pulled her aside and told her he would have to report her to the General that she began to snap out of it. Life went on: no matter what.

***

The maintenance team consisted of a dozen prisoners, all male with the exception of Sam. Their tasks involved repairing anything that was broken, cleaning communal areas in all wings and keeping machinery in order. They worked in pairs. Sam was teamed up with a man called Doug. Short, balding but kindly, they got on well together. Under constant guard to ensure they didn't try anything they shouldn't, they moved around the complex changing light bulbs, fixing leaky faucets and mopping floors. For an astrophysicist whose usual day involved alien technology, marauding Jaffa and galactic crises, the work was dull and did little to lift her mood or keep her mind away from the mountain.

Sam also found it hard to connect with the other women on the wing. She was the highest ranking officer there and they treated her with suspicion. She sat alone at meal times and chose to spend her free time in her cell. She ignored the whispers, the sly looks, and the occasional shoves and trips in the showers and outdoors; retreating further into herself with each day – it was the only way she knew how to deal.

And then there was Mathews. The senior corrections officer was a man of thirty five, black haired, well muscled and handsome. Sam had noticed from the outset that he was also a bully and appeared to be feared by many of the women. He cornered her first four days into her second week. Sam had just left the communal area after dinner. She had made it to the top of the stairs when he stepped in front of her blocking her way. "Well, what do we have here?" he sneered.

Sam went to move past him but he grabbed her wrist, pulling her into his space. "Not so fast Carter. I'm talking to you."

"What do you want?" she asked voice hard.

A leering grin spread across his face. "Feisty, aren't you. I like that in a woman. Do you?"

She refused to answer him. "I know why you're here Carter. Maybe one day I'll be able to show you what a real man is like."

Sam pulled her wrist from his grasp. "If you're finished?"

He let her go, the grin spreading, "For now."

Sam felt his eyes on her all the way to her cell.

***

Orders came to Hammond to replace Carter on SG-1. The signed document from Kinsey made it clear who should be appointed and while nothing explicit was said, the underlying threat of the senator's words hung heavy on the general. He would be a fool not to take the 'advice'.

So it was that Captain Josh Kelly was appointed to the team. He was a fair scientist and had seen some combat in the Gulf. It was also clear that he his allegiance was to Simmons and the 'establishment' rather than to the SGC.

Mindful of what was at stake though, Teal'c Daniel and even Jack made huge efforts to accommodate the new man and make the team viable again.

***

The end of the third week brought a package for her. Of course it had been opened and dissected, but she didn't care. Sam immediately recognized the writing as Jack's and her heart lifted. Sitting on the bunk, back to the bars to afford herself some privacy, she took the lid of the box off carefully, anticipation thrilling through her. There was a brief note from the colonel on top;

She smiled at his levity. Putting the letter to one side she took the first thing out of the box. It was a framed picture, taken just after Cassie had been rescued. The whole team, Janet, Cassie and the dog were sitting on a park bench, smiling happily. Sam remembered the event well; 'Murray' persuading a passerby to take a snapshot of the group in his own unique style. She ran her hand over the photo; they all looked so young... so carefree.

Carefully laying the frame aside, she took out another item. It was a leather bound journal, blank creamy pages feeling rich and smooth under her fingers. Just like the ones he used to record their adventures, she idly wondered how many he had filled since they started. The inside cover was marked with his neat handwriting ~ Sam, thinking of you always. Daniel.

What she pulled next from the box made her smile, a yellow yo-yo. It had a smiley face drawn with a thick black marker on one side. She thought about how many doohickeys he had broken already, how many scrapes they had got into and whether they were all still unharmed.

She had to take several breaths to steady herself.

Next was a small wood carving. At first Sam couldn't work out what it was, but slowly it began to make sense and take shape – it was two figures intimately bound and woven together. Simple yet complex, just like its giver. The wood was warm under her fingers and calmed her, just as Teal'c had always done.

Tears were close now.

The last thing in the box appeared to be a pillow case. Attached to it was an envelope – already slit open and presumably read. The outside was blank and it yielded only one sheet of paper.

Tears flowed, silently down her cheeks, her shoulders shaking as she willed herself not to cry out. Taking several calming breaths, Sam read the note again; a little something in her brain telling her there was more to see. It took her several scans to recognize the spelling error; Janet was usually very accurate so there had to be something else.

Realization dawning, Sam picked up the pillow case. It was soft under her touch; raising it to her face, she smelt the clean fresh scent, a sharp reminder of home. Carefully she ran her fingers along every edge until she felt something unusual. Checking to make sure she was not being watched, Sam turned the case inside out to examine it more carefully. There, stitched neatly to the seam was a small object. Unpicking it Sam held it in her palm. It was a little bigger than her thumb nail. A small grayish stone perfectly heart shaped. She clutched it in her fist and vowed silently never to let it go.

***

The gaping hole in Janet's heart showed no signs of healing. At work she was once again the consummate professional; fixing the wounded, confounding the impossible and solving the unsolvable on a regular basis.

But night after night at home, lonely and hurting she cried herself to sleep, clutching at anything she could find that reminded her of her lover. Sam's plea to stay strong was all well and good in the heat of the moment, but when the darkness ate at her and she could find no source of comfort, Janet wondered how she would ever get through this time. All she craved was the feel of the blonde in her arms and a return to a life before this nightmare. She knew it wasn't going to happen any time soon.

***

It was a Thursday when she was first taken off the wing by a group of six men who wore no uniforms. They escorted her through the complex to a single storey, windowless brick building, ignoring her questions as to their purpose. They were well briefed on her capabilities; for as soon as they had cleared the door, Sam was wrestled to the ground and pinned viciously while her hands were secured behind her, her ankles were hobbled together and a collar was fitted round her neck. They picked her up like a hunk of meat and carried her to a small room where she was dumped unceremoniously on the cold floor. In the ensuing silence Sam tried to calm her hammering heart and make some sense of what was happening.

About forty minutes passed and Sam was becoming very uncomfortable lying on her front. She shifted in anticipation as the door opened and three men entered. The first two stooped by her head and attached short leads to the collar around her neck. The third approached her feet cautiously and took off the restraint. A harsh yank on her neck prevented her from kicking out at the man and she was dragged to standing. A short distance from the cell they entered a room that was equipped with various gadgets that Sam could not easily identify. She was pushed to her knees, the leashes attached to the collar ensuring her compliance.

"How nice to see you again Carter." Smarmed a voice from behind her.

*Simmons.* Sam's heart plummeted as she recognized him, her gut clenching at the implications of his presence. He strode round to stand in front of her and offered a leering grin. "These fellows here are from the NID. Seeing as you are a 'captive' audience, we thought you might like to participate in some experiments."

She swallowed against the rising fear, not allowing him to see her concern. "I'd rather not." She managed.

"Yes, well actually you don't have a choice. Your blending with Jolinar has made you an invaluable resource to study. There's so much to learn and you are the key."

"I won't cooperate with you." Sam spat.

Simmons replied testily, "Oh I know that Carter, that's why you're restrained, do you really believe I would think it was that simple?"

She stared at him hard, wondering what they would do, what they could get away with. He was unphased by her stance. "I'll leave you in their capable hands then." Simmons stepped into her space and leant down to her ear. "Enjoy!"

TBC

Next: Dark Despair