Gaia - The Princess 6

Dreaming In The Pit

by romansilence

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asr/rsilence/gaiath06.php
Summary: The Rescue team is coming closer.

THE PRESENT: SCHU – THE THRONE ROOM

When Aisato came back to his feet and looked up the colour of the blonde woman's eyes had changed. They now were almost black and so cold it made him shiver.

Against his men she only had defended herself and used the openings they offered to her advantage, but now she started to attack, oblivious to the blows she had to take to get through his defences. There suddenly was a lot more force behind her blows, enough to turn the handicap of wearing manacles to an advantage.

He just hoped that she would not be able to fight on this level for long. Aisato involuntarily stepped back when the chain hit his right cheek. The blonde used the sudden distance between them to follow up with a roundhouse kick to his chin but he stepped back at the last moment and she overbalanced. He kicked her full force against the knee and she went down. He jumped to come on top of her but she rolled away and was back on her feet before he could change tactics.

The chain of the manacles was thrust over his head and she pulled as hard as she could. He still came back to his feet but she held on. He slammed her against the wall. So, it was an open question what would last longer, his air supply or her already waning strength.

Samantha was beyond any reasonable thought, running on instinct alone with what she always called her 'dark side' firmly in control. When he once again tried to crush her against the wall she used his swift backwards movement to flip over his head, by all outer appearances, apparently giving up her advantage, her only advantage.

Exploiting his surprise and disorientation she quickly opened the clasps to his front armour and yanked the Goa'uld larva out of his gut pouch. The unthinkable manoeuvre brought him to his knees and she knocked him unconscious with a swift knee shot to his chin. He then hit the ground with a loud thud and she toppled on top of him as her injured knee finally gave out. She held the squirming future Goa'uld still in her hand. It seemed to be very young and probably would have stayed with him for many years to come.

She unsteadily got to her knees, intent on showing Nut what she thought of her offspring. She wanted to smash it against the next wall to make sure that it never would get the chance to enslave a human being again.

A low moan drifted to her awareness, and without any further hesitation Samantha stuffed the larva back in the pouch. A zat hit her and she crumbled next to him, faking unconsciousness while a group of Jaffa dragged Aisato out of the pit.

Samantha knew she should at least mentally prepare for her next opponent but her mind was running amuck. It would have been so easy to kill the snake, obeying a higher justice, somehow, but she also was sure that she had made the right decision. She had stopped herself; she had stopped the darkness; and Janet's voice telling her that she was very brave even brought a smile to her face.

The Goa'uld's voice snapped her back to reality. "See that my First Prime and his injured warriors are well cared for. Put the metal screen over the pit and give the Tau'ri woman some clothes. – You just earned yourself some rest, SamanthaCarter."

Just when she thought she had Nut all figured out, the Goa'uld did something to surprise her but now that the immediate threat was gone she simply was too weary to think about it. A small door in the metal lattice work that had closed off the pit a few minutes ago opened a bundle of soft fabric landed almost on top of her. She found a pair of slacks and a tunic that could be slipped over the head and closed at the sides as well as a blanket.

As soon as she was dressed she fell asleep, accompanied by the comforting feeling of being cradled in Janet's love, and she dreamed of the time in the brig after their rescue of Queen Gabrielle and Consort Xena some nine months prior.

They had known that General Hammond couldn't let their blatant disobedience go unpunished, and both had been rather relieved that he had decided to keep it inside the mountain.

~~~

THE PAST: EARTH – THE SGC

They both had been prepared to be arrested upon their arrival on Earth but instead one of the SFs asked them to report to General Hammond's office immediately. What the queen and her consort had told them after the funeral was a lot to take in and they had spent a sleepless night just holding each other. And even now it was not too far from their minds.

Janet whispered to her that it was a good sign. Foregoing the obligatory post-mission physical could only mean that he knew about Egeria having taken Samantha as a willing host.

The General let them wait and Samantha was fidgeting until Janet inched a bit closer and touched the blonde's arms with the back of her hand. They were called in and stood at attention in front of his desk. He took his time acknowledging their presence and when he finally looked up he studied them for a long time.

They were wearing a combination of black cargo pants and black t-shirt – the Amazon version of combat clothing. Even if their BDUs had not been beyond repair from the blood and gore of the battle, they would have opted for the Amazon clothing.

They knew he would not make it easy for them; so both were relieved when he finally spoke. His face was a non-committal mask.

"Major Carter, Major Fraiser you are charged with disobedience of direct orders of your commanding officer. Do you deny these charges?"

"Sir, no, Sir, General Hammond," they answered simultaneously.

"Do you have something to say in your defence, any of you?"

"Sir, no, Sir," answered the Doctor.

"Sir, I'm the se..." a hand on her arm and the determined look on her partner's face made the blonde stop in mid-sentence, and so she simply said, "Sir, no, Sir."

"Well, this report does. It details what happened on Gaia and what you did to save the lives of Gabrielle, High Queen of the Amazon Nation and her consort. Queen Gabrielle asked that a commendation should be placed in your records for exceptional courage and for fulfilling tasks and duties well beyond the responsibilities of your duties." He led his words sink in and then asked, "Do you also think that you deserve such a commendation, Major Fraiser?"

"Sir, no, Sir," Janet answered without a moment's hesitation.

"Elaborate."

"General Hammond, Sir, whatever I, whatever we did on Gaia and on this moon – it doesn't change the fact that we acted in direct violation of your orders, Sir."

"Major Carter?"

"Sir, Major Fraiser is right. We are prepared to pay the price for going AWOL and for disobedience, Sir."

The bald man studied their rigid composure. He knew they both were nervous and slightly afraid, but they also were good officers and stoically held their ground.

He slowly stood and put his hands behind his back. "Nothing of what led to your successful rescue mission will find its way in your permanent record; officially it never happened."

"The President is due to arrive in two hours. He requested that you both be his personal escort during his stay; he expressed a special interest in the naqada reactors now powering the base, the Tok'ra healing device and the skin regenerators and bone knitters retro-engineered from the Amazons. So, you both will give him the grand tour.

"The trial against the queen's captors will take place a fortnight from now. The leaders of the Amazon Nation expect both of you to be present, together with SG-1 and representatives from the diplomatic corps and JAG. They want to show us how Amazon justice works. Besides, my official report will say that you were both on downtime when you decided to use outside resources to check on the queen and her consort. This, however, will not keep you from being punished for this little stunt.

"As soon as the President and his entourage are gone you will report to the brig where you will have the next five nights and days to think about the chain of command. Dismissed."

"Sir, is Cassandra alright?"

"She's with SG-1. Colonel O'Neill volunteered himself and Teal'c to take care of Cassandra. I sent Doctor Jackson along as well; this way he gets out of the mountain for a change and can keep an eye on the others. Cassandra knows the basics of what is going on. I gave them all an abbreviated report on your adventure as soon as the message from Gaia arrived." Then he added with a hint of smile, "Cassandra told me to let you know that she was alright and that she's enjoying herself with SG-1. It's a vacation of sorts for her. – And now, go and get yourself in your dress uniforms."

~~~

Five days and five nights in the brig were not too high a price to pay; at least that's what Samantha had thought at the beginning. Then the nightmares began. During what passed as daytime under the mountain she was bored out of her mind and from the second night on she was afraid to go to sleep. It was as if her mind insisted on making her relive every last one of her painful memories. Five nights suddenly seemed a very high price to pay.

Janet woke in a panic. She was sitting upright in bed, her skin cold and clammy, her sleep shirt and sheets soaked through with sweat. Her eyes were open; she knew she was not sleeping but in her mind's eyes the nightmare continued. The diminutive brunette knew that it weren't her dreams she was experiencing every night, that it were not her memories but each night it was becoming more difficult not to totally get caught up in them.

This night it took her almost half an hour to shake herself out of the nightmare's grasp, out of this one image that kept repeating itself over and over again: A slender hand with long fingers holding a combat knife and slitting the throat of a man; the tall man falling to the ground, his face a mask of pain and surprise.

She slipped out of her sweaty shirt and into a new one waiting on the footstool that doubled as a nightstand in her cell. Sitting cross-legged on the bed she used all she had learned from Queen Gabrielle and Teal'c to clear her mind and concentrate on her partner, sleeping two doors down the corridor.

She closed her eyes and searched for the light of Samantha's love. Finding it was the easy part, making her beloved aware of anything but the images of bloodshed and pain haunting her every night was another thing altogether.

Janet knew which part of the past her partner was reliving at the moment. Samantha had told her about her time as a prisoner during the first Gulf War the night after her punishment on Gaia. She had told her of the guilt she felt at killing these men. She had told her how much she had enjoyed ending their lives. She had told her how afraid she was to totally lose control and how close she had come to just doing this over and over again the last couple of years.

This night her meditation didn't work. It was as if Samantha's mind were caught in a time loop. She couldn't let this go on any longer, regardless of General Hammond's reaction, regardless of the fact that this was the last night they would have to spend on the base, apart from each other.

Janet stood, put on a pair of shorts and light sneakers and sent a silent thank you to the skies that General Hammond trusted them enough to obey his orders without locking their cells or posting guards outside – but at the moment Samantha was more important than his orders. Seconds later she slipped the shoes off and sat on the edge of the small bed in Samantha's cell. The blonde was violently tossing and turning and completely oblivious to the imploring voice of her partner.

She couldn't let this go on any longer and slipped under the covers, holding on to the thrashing woman as tight as she could. As expected the blonde reacted violently to the arms closing around her. Janet reached for the strength that allowed her to haul around the bodies of marines more than twice her size and pull all-nighters whenever necessary without being the worse for wear the following day. She held on and once again closed her eyes.

Her mind reached for the thread of soft light that was her connection to the blonde's soul. This time, however, she wasn't interested in the sphere in itself but concentrated on the dark spots. The body in her arms became calmer as she gradually was drawn back into the tortured mind of her lover; suddenly it was her hand holding the K-bar. It trembled but not in fear or in horror. What she felt was closer to exhilaration and triumph, and when she found the man's dying eyes there also was satisfaction and joy.

There was more: It suddenly felt as if she were drowning in a sea of hot blood, suffocating her, washing her away, leaving nothing behind but the will, the need to go on killing. The blood washed over her, wave after wave. There was nothing but darkness and blood.

Janet instinctively caressed the blonde's tear stained cheeks. A tiny part of her refused to be swallowed by the darkness and the faint light of their connection guided her through the sea of dark red. She could feel her beloved's breathing change to a more normal rhythm and with it was better able to control the situation but she also knew that it wasn't over yet. She concentrated on the light but withstood the temptation to return to it.

The images of bloodshed were gone but they had been replaced with a deep sense of depression. The small doctor's mind ventured deeper into the darkness. The blood was receding, but the darkness became thicker as if it were a physical force. She knew she had to break through this barrier to really reunite with her lover but she also was sure that she would not be able to force her way in.

So, she did the only thing she could do: she accepted the darkness. It wasn't a conscious decision. There was no reasoning behind it. She simply felt that Samantha needed her and with a certainty she didn't have the faintest idea she possessed found her battered soul.

She almost stopped when she saw her surrounded by a ring of flames licking at her feet as if it were the fires of Netu – another one of the blonde's recurring nightmares. She continued on, irresistibly drawn to her lover's pain, to the other half of her soul.

Janet opened her eyes and looked into the familiar and sorely missed blue orbs of her partner. In a reversal of the usual sleeping positions Samantha's head was resting on Janet's shoulder, one of her legs was draped over her own and a long arm across her waist. The blonde blinked a few times as if to make sure that the woman next to her was not an apparition, a shadow crossed her face and then one of her rare, dazzling smiles spread and she whispered.

"Thanks for coming to my rescue, my love. Thanks for loving me despite myself."

The brunette once again caressed her partner's face and answered. "How could I not love you, my Sammy? I love all of you, and if this means defying an order to get you out of a nightmare than that's what I will do. Where you go I go, be it by day or night, in reality or dream. I'm yours and you are mine, forever."

~~~

Several hours later they once again stood nervously in front of their commanding officer, this time wearing dress blues. They had been summoned and now waited to be admitted. When the door finally was opened they stood at parade rest, as close to each other as humanly possible without actually touching. The General's admin motioned them in and gently closed the door from outside.

"Take a seat, ladies. Samantha, seeing the dark circles under your eyes I asked you more than once if everything was alright with you. Why didn't you tell me about your nightmares? And don't try to pull a 'Carter' on me."

The blonde looked up in surprise and found the kind eyes of her godfather not the stern face of her commanding officer. She offered him a small smile.

"I saw them as part of the punishment, Sir. I thought I deserved it for disappointing you, Uncle George. I presumed..."

"Next time, don't presume; just be honest with me. I'm not Mackenzie. – And you, Doc, why didn't you tell me?"

"How could she tell you something, she rationally had no way to know, Sir? You would have thought that we had communicated in secret and once again disobeyed your orders," Samantha said before Janet had a chance to answer. "And besides, Doctor Fraiser knows me well enough to respect that I wouldn't want anyone to know of such a weakness, anyone but her."

"How did you find out, Sir?" Janet asked, curiosity overriding her bad conscience.

"The new addition to the science team, Stephen Harrington... I caught him sneaking out of the secondary observation room, stealing a disk with the night activities in Major Carter's cell. He obviously didn't know about the back-up system and tried to keep you both out of trouble by making the disk disappear.

"Don't worry," he added when he saw the women's expressions, "there won't be any repercussions for him or for you. Actually, at the moment he's working with Doctor Jackson to create an alternative version of the surveillance cameras in both of your cells and the brig tract corridor. When they're finished they will show that you both slept sound and deep these past few nights.

"And now, I want you both to go home. You're off duty for the next three days. Go, and reconnect with each other and with Cassandra. Dismissed."

The women, at first, were too stunned to speak. They automatically stood, saluted, and turned around to leave the room. Before they reached the door, Janet's curiosity once again got the better of her.

"Sir, may I ask, why are you doing this?"

The bald man gave her a heart-felt smile and answered. "The first time I saw Samantha she had just been born; even then I felt compelled to protect her. She now is well capable of taking care of herself but I still help whenever I can. There also is another, less private reason. The SGC needs her. We need you both, Doctor; Earth needs you – and I won't allow stupid regulations to keep you from doing what you do best, from protecting Earth."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Dismissed, ladies!" he said gruffly, and when they closed the door behind them, they heard him adding, "You're welcome, Janet."

~~~

Janet offered a short thank-you to the Airman who had brought them back to their home while Samantha was already at the door and inserted the key. They quickly stepped inside and the taller woman drew Janet in a breathtaking hug.

"I missed you so much, my love. It hurt so much, knowing that you were so close without being able to talk to you, to touch you, to see you, to hold you," she whispered and kissed the brunette whose eyes smiled back up at her.

When the kiss broke, she answered. "I missed you too, Sammy. But you know as well as I do that we were lucky. We were very lucky."

"I know, Jan. He had to discipline us after we openly disobeyed his orders. I know, but I still missed you, so much," Samantha said with a hint of a pout that made the small doctor's smile even wider.

A mischievous smile appeared in her eyes. "Then, my love, why don't we go upstairs and get reacquainted?"

"Best offer I had in weeks."

Janet was almost dragged up the steps to the bedroom. They set a new record in getting out of their clothes; then time suddenly stood still. They were standing at the right side of the bed and just stared at each other, studying each square inch of the other body as if it were the first time. The doctor was the first to break the spell. Her hand moved almost of its own accord and touched the faint scar just under the blonde's rib case, left over from a fight with some unfriendly natives.

"You're too thin, Sam. You have to take better care of yourself."

Instead of giving an answer, the blonde stepped closer and kissed Janet, not the soft reassuring kiss they had shared downstairs but a passionate joining of lips and tongues. During their incarceration their connection had only made itself felt in the nights when both of their defences had been down but now it once again flared to life and they both opened their minds for the other, revelling in the security of their love.

They sank on top of the bedspread, completely oblivious to their surroundings, interested only in feeling as much of the other's skin against their own as possible. There was almost no gentleness or subtlety involved when they each quickly entered the other's centre, overwhelmed by the primal urge to reconnect on a purely physical level, driven by the need to once again take possession of their mate's body. They came together and the tall blonde fell asleep even before her heartbeat had a chance to return to a normal rate with her head resting between Janet's breasts.

The doctor stroked her lover's back and waited for the inevitable nightmare. Their bout of primitive love making had stilled a deep seated hunger in both of them but it had not been enough to vanquish the taller woman's demons. In the loneliness of the cell at the base Samantha had been helpless against their overwhelming force, and only their link, only Janet's help had been able to soothe her lover's soul at least partially.

The only way to really get rid of the dark memories and dreams, Janet knew from experience, would be to bring them to light, to talk about them.

Samantha turned in her sleep; her head now rested on the brunette's shoulder and one of her long arms was draped over her middle. The beautiful face was tense and when the hand on her hip balled to a fist Janet knew what she had to do.

She closed her smaller hand around the fist and consciously tapped into their bond. She could feel the darkness lingering at the edges of Samantha's soul and mentally stepped in front of it. She built a wall, blocking the darkness, and soon was rewarded with Samantha's fist opening and the intertwining of their fingers.

Janet shortly after joined her lover in a deep slumber, undisturbed by frightening dreams.

~~~

In the early hours of the afternoon, the brunette once again opened her eyes and glared evilly at the ringing phone on her bedside table.

"Fraiser!"

"Oh, Mom. I thought you guys would still be at the base. I only wanted to leave a message. I wanted to let you know that I'll stay at Stacey's tonight. See you tomorrow after school. I love you. Bye."

Janet heard the click of the severed connection. The teen could as well have spoken to the answering machine for all the chance she gave her mother to say something. Her first reaction was anger, but on the other hand sleepovers at her best friend's house were a frequent occurrence and neither girl had to ask for permission every time. Add the fact that she still was a bit sleepy and now no longer had to think about leaving the enticingly naked body she was snuggled against. Her anger abated.

She turned her head and looked into sleep fogged blue eyes. "I heard Cassy's voice. Do we have to get up?" Samantha's voice was deeper than usual.

"No, my love, go back to sleep. She'll stay at Stacey's."

"Don't want to sleep," the blonde answered and kissed a conveniently in range breast. "I can think of better things to do," she added, now a good deal more awake.

Samantha tentatively licked the smooth skin in front of her and was rewarded by a harsh intake of breath.

"You, Major Carter, are a tease, but two can play that game." She quickly slid out from under the taller woman and positioned herself on her side, facing her partner.

~*~

THE PRESENT: SCHU – THE THRONE ROOM

Samantha woke with the security of their love covering her hurting body like a blanket. After they had shared these dream memories Janet had let her know that her rescuers were close, and Sam had sent her back. She had felt her lover's underlying anger and her need to take revenge on her torturers, stronger than her doctor's oath to do no harm. She would need her lover and her medical expertise when they found her, but Janet also would need her – and that was all the incentive she needed.

The blonde looked up to find the metal lattice work still covering the pit. She supposed that it was still early in the morning.

She forced herself to stand up and stretch as best as she could. She was far from comfortable or relaxed but it allowed her to take stock of her injuries and her reserves, at least as far as her still limited range of movement allowed. She followed a familiar routine of slow flowing movements, Janet and she had developed after the Pentagon had ordered the SGC to sever all ties with the Amazons.

Whenever Samantha was on Earth, they stood in their backyard at the crack of dawn and exercised. At first Cassandra had almost toppled over with laughter; now she joined them regularly but of course they were forbidden to let any of her friends know about their little routine. She had announced that she would never forgive them.

The thought of their teenage daughter brought a smile to her face followed by a frown when she felt eyes on her. She didn't stop her exercises but concentrated on her hearing: there were two sets of breathing but she only felt one pair of eyes on her.

Samantha stopped and opened her eyes. Aisato stood at the edge of the still covered pit and studied her.

"Why did you let me live?" he asked. "I'll never betray my Queen to let you escape."

The blonde laughed and slowly lowered herself to the hard floor, reclining against the wall. Her whole body felt like one big ugly bruise and she was a lot less relaxed than her posture indicated but also managed to keep her uneasy feelings about the other person present out of her voice.

"I know that you are loyal to your Queen, Aisato. If only half of what you told me is true, she is not like other Goa'uld. I didn't kill you because your death would not have served any purpose. I still would be a prisoner and your children would have lost their father. I'm sorry that I found no other way to defeat you than to attack your primta. I hope the larva is alright."

"It was very agitated last night but I'm alright now. Thanks for asking, and there's no need to apologise, SamanthaCarter. It was a sound strategic decision. My Queen wants to speak with you."

The cover began to be retracted and a ladder was lowered.

"Do you need help to climb up?"

"No, thank you, I'll manage."

A low table with fruits and bread and comfortable looking couches had replaced the torture equipment. Nut was sitting on one side with her back to the door and she was led to the other. Aisato pressed her into the cushions.

"What do you want, SamanthaCarter?"

The woman once again had surprised her, and once again she had to decide which kind of answer she wanted to give her.

And she decided to follow the strange inner voice that told her to trust this moody woman.

"I want to go home and take my partner in my arms. I want to turn back time, so, that you never learned about the death of your children. I wished the Goa'uld would never have come to Earth in the first place. I wish they would not force themselves on their hosts. I want to play chess with my daughter."

"Your daughter?"

"Yes, my partner adopted her four years ago after her parents died." Samantha saw no need to tell Cassandra's real story. Her trust didn't go this far.

The Goa'uld didn't answer or comment but instead began to peel and slice a fruit that resembled a very big peach. She ate one of the slices and offered the rest to her prisoner. It smelled delicious and suddenly the Air Force officer became all too aware that she had not eaten since being captured – evidently the sarcophagus also took care of such minor details.

"Please, eat!" the voice had changed from the double tones of the Goa'uld to the smooth voice of a woman.

"I'm Neged, host to Queen Nut. She wants you to know that I was not forced to become her host."

Samantha studied the woman's expression. She knew from experience that the symbiote could sound like its host while still being in control and voiced her doubt accordingly.

Neged laughed. "It's a lot of work and it can be very draining to subdue the personality of an unwilling host permanently, at least if one does not rely on a sarcophagus.

"I was eighteen when Queen Nut's former host started to grow weak. I volunteered to take her place when the time had come, together with about a score of others. Nut and Larka, that was the name of my predecessor, wanted to make sure that we really knew what it could be like. They spoke to us, together and separately. Nut even told us that sometimes she would have to take control. She would have to force us. Most of the other girls returned home, and I also was frightened.

"I didn't want to risk spending my life as a prisoner in my own body but I also had a glimpse of all the knowledge I would gain, all the good I could do for my people. I stayed. Larka recovered from her illness, and it was only ten years later that the host really died of old age. I became Nut's host and until recently I didn't regret one single day of our time together."

"It sounds like the relationship of a Tok'ra with its host, a real symbiosis. I wish I could believe you."

"Do you know where the Tok'ra come from, young Tau'ri?" Samantha nodded and Neged's next words left her speechless. "Egeria is Nut's sister."

The blonde closed her eyes and a mountain of memories flashed through her mind. She had been sure that Egeria had left nothing behind when she died shortly after the trial against the renegade Tok'ra and Jaffa. These images told her otherwise. There was more: a vague suspicion.

"I believe you. You said that until recently you didn't regret your choice. Am I right to think that it started with Anubis' visit?"

"What do you know of Anubis?"

"Not much more than the basics. The System Lords defeated him a few thousand years ago and sent him to exile. Now, he is back, and he has gained much knowledge and power. He wants to take over the System Lords but first he has to make them trust him, and the fastest way to do this is to destroy Earth. He wanted you to attack Earth directly, right?"

Two elegant eyebrows arched up and the woman nodded. "How did you know?"

"That's how he works. He convinces others to do his dirty work. Earth is protected by a treaty with the Asgard; the System Lords would have to retaliate should we be attacked openly. Only a few weeks ago he sent an asteroid on a collision course with our planet. He blackmailed the Tollans into sending destructive weapons through our Gate, and when it didn't work he almost destroyed their home world."

~*~

Samantha saw a flash of blue peeking around a column and continued talking. "It might be a wise decision to take a few precautions."

"Indeed, it was almost too easy to take out your guards," the tone of Xena's voice was light but her eyes were hard and cold when she appeared behind the Goa'uld and pressed her sword against the woman's throat. "Put your hands where I can see them! – Are you alright, Samantha Gabriella Carter?"

"I am now, Consort Xena. Please don't hurt her."

"She will have to face Amazon Justice, Samantha," the reddish blonde queen of the Amazons said while keeping Aisato down with the end of her staff.

The room suddenly filled with heavily armed Amazons and about a dozen SGC soldiers. A small form quickly crossed the room from the other side and fell on her knees next to blonde. Samantha winced when strong arms closed around her battered torso, and her lover immediately snapped into doctor mode.

The brunette raised the hem of the tunic and gasped at the bruises liberally covering the strong body. Niva helped her to take the manacles off and kept her from trying to stand up when she saw the swollen, misaligned knee.

"I'm alright, my love. Everything is fine, now that you are here."

"Nothing is fine. You are hurt; you were tortured and killed and..."

Samantha put a slightly trembling finger on her lover's lips. "I love you, Janet Rebecca Fraiser, will you join with me? Will you consent to be my wife?"

"Yes Sam, I'd love to be your wife; but first I want you to heal."

The rational part of Samantha's brain knew that Janet was right; now was not the time or the place to talk about this but she couldn't help herself. "I want to be joined with you before we return to Earth, Janet. I won't allow them to come between us any longer. I don't want to hide how I feel about you."

The small doctor knew of only one way to reassure her injured lover. She kissed her, a long and passionate kiss that left both of them breathless.

"Janet, should we get Samantha to the XS-01 or can we use the transporters?" Gabrielle asked softly.

"The transporters are faster, and they will not further harm her, your majesty."

"Queen Gabrielle?"

"Yes, Samantha?"

"Please don't hurt her. Despite the appearances, she's not like the other Goa'uld. She's Egeria's sister."

"You have my word, Samantha. We will not harm her or her warriors. We had the element of surprise on our side; so, no one was killed. You will get the chance to speak on her behalf during the trial, for Amazon justice has to be satisfied."

"Thank you, your majesty."

White light enveloped Janet and Samantha and they were gone.

Nut, mother of Gods, was surrounded by enemy soldiers. Had they been in the service of Anubis or one of the System Lords she already would be dead but still, it would be too easy and extremely unwise to trust these strangers.

"I'm in your hands. I don't expect leniency for me but please do not harm my people, and if you can, spare my host. She had no part in what I did to SamanthaCarter."

Jack O'Neill arched an eyebrow at Nut's words; Consort Xena looked equally unconvinced but the queen seemed ready to give the dark-eyed woman the benefit of the doubt.

"What you did to Major Carter will be duly recorded and put before an Amazon jury. They will decide your fate. You are our prisoner and as such will be treated with respect."

"Why don't you just kill me and my warriors and take what is mine?"

"Because they are not Goa'uld," Teal'c said.

"You are the shol'va I heard about," Aisato said quietly, still prone on the ground. "You killed your God."

"The Goa'uld are false gods. I am Teal'c of Chulac, a free Jaffa. You now are in the hands of the Amazons, they are honourable warriors and will treat you with fairness."

"I don't fear your justice, and I request to stay at my Queen's side. That's where I belong."

Next: Healing