ltkatia | Fic, Alternate Lines of Duty, PG-13, 2/6

Sam sat on the bunk bed, looking at a random point on the wall. Jolinar had given her control shortly after Jack had left, and let her keep it since. She was being very apologetic about everything that had happened, but Sam was not feeling like forgiving her, or even talking to her. That didn't change that she was enjoying having control of her own body again.

She looked up when the door to the cell block opened, and stood when she saw it was Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c.

'Hi, guys.'

'Sam?' Daniel asked, skeptically.

'Yes.' She rolled her eyes. 'I know you won't believe me.'

'Uh, maybe we will...'

'I believe it is you, Captain Carter,' Teal'c said.

'Thanks.'

'It won't matter what we believe or don't believe. The higher-ups isn't willing to believe you - or Jolinar, or whomever you are. They've decided you'll be shipped off tomorrow. The NID will come and pick you up. I'm sorry.' Jack looked like he meant it, even if he wasn't sure it was Sam.

'Sir! You can't let them do that! You know what they'll do! Jolinar will never get a chance to leave me if we're going there!'

Jack hesitated. 'I know, but there isn't a hell of a lot we can do! Hammond is calling in some markers, so we'll see what happens, though.'

It was very early morning, or rather still night, when first Sam, then Jolinar woke up. Jolinar snatched control from Sam as soon as she was awake, apologizing. ~Someone is coming. It may be the NID or the ashrak.~

~I can talk to the NID as well as you can! If it's the ashrak he'll just kill us in any case, so give me back control now!~

They saw what had woken them up; Sam's team rendering the guard unconscious and opening the door. Hesitantly, Jolinar gave Sam control.

'Sir? What's going on?' Sam asked, keeping her voice down as it was clear her team was not here with permission.

'We're getting you out of here - and don't look like that. We can't let Kinsey and his idiots get their hands on you. Goa'uld or no Goa'uld. Besides, there's something else...the ashrak got out of the cell he was in. By taking one of the guards as host. He's on the loose and probably on his way back here. He may have taken a different host again, so we don't know how he even looks!' Jack used the keys they had taken from the guard to unlock the cell.

'Jolinar says the ashrak may not have been able to change hosts this soon. It is both dangerous and physically exhausting to change host often. It...tears parts of them they have to regrow, like tendrils and other connectors they send into the hosts brain and tissue...and so on.'

'Yuck! Thanks for the image!' Jack grimaced. 'But Jolly thinks the ashrak can't change host already?'

'It would be hard and dangerous for him, so he wouldn't unless he had to...and Jolinar dislikes your name for her.' Sam bowed her head when Jolinar wanted control. At least she asked that time - more or less.

'If the ashrak is coming here I must leave immediately.' Jolinar started towards the door and Jack grabbed her and tried to hold her back. She pulled her arm away from him.

'Whoa! Not so fast! We're coming with you - we're not letting you run off with my second in command just like that.'

'You have my word I will send her back when I have found a new host.'

'Yeah, and when will that be? Besides, we can't exactly hand you a GDO, so Carter can't just go back!'

'Regrettably it may be some time before I can find a host - or before I can leave Samantha safely. Months, surely, though the Tok'ra healers can help me do it sooner.'

'Well, then we're going with you. To...the Tok'ra.'

'I do not believe that would be a good idea.'

'I don't care what you think!' Jack angrily exclaimed, then shook his head. 'We'll talk about this later. Right now we have to go!'

They had made their way to the Stargate, meeting very few people, whom they had stunned with a zat. They had dialed the gate, and were now ready to go through it.

'If you go through that gate now, without permission from our superiors, they will lock out the GDO and we may not be able to come back. Not easily at least, though we may be able to make contact through the 'Land of the Light', perhaps. I will go with Carter, but you two don't have to.'

'Of course we're coming too, Jack.' Daniel said.

'I will stand by you, O'Neill, and you Captain Carter.'

'Thanks, guys.' Sam smiled at them, back in control. 'I don't know how I'll ever thank you for doing this for me.'

They exited the Stargate to a cold, snowy world.

'Is this the planet the Tok'ra are on?' Jack asked.

'No, Jolinar did not want that address to be stored in the gate computer - or for anyone to happen to see it.'

'A bit paranoid...but all things considered, very sensible.' Jack admitted, as the Stargate shut down.

Sam bowed her head, letting Jolinar take control and step up to the DHD. She dialed another address.

'Tok'ra world this time?' Daniel asked.

'No, we are going to a well-traveled world, with a large market. The great amount of people going through the gate, means that our destination will be hidden among all the others, and the ashrak will have difficulties finding us - should he manage to escape from your people.'

'You know, he's not going to get through the Stargate. My people will stop him before that.' Jack insisted.

'Perhaps, but it is better to be safe than sorry, as Samantha says is your expression. I agree. After going to the market place world, we will go to yet another planet. I would prefer we stayed there for some hours, to see that no one observed us and followed. Then, if all is safe, the next world after it will be the Tok'ra base world. You cannot be too careful, and it is possible, if difficult, to get the data from the dialing device. This is much more than what we would usually do, but the ashrak has hunted me for many months.'

'Okay.' Jack shrugged. 'Whatever. Let's go, then.'

'Just a moment...I need to collect something.'

'What?'

'Something to use for currency on the world we arrive on. My host and I are quite hungry, and if we are to wait several more hours before going to the Tok'ra base, I would like something to eat. Particularly since I will almost certainly be taken to be interrogated when I return, since they will need to prove I am who I say I am. Since I assume you do not carry valuables, I assumed I would have to find some, and there is a small Tok'ra depository on this world.'

Jack thought it over, then nodded. 'Okay. I could use something to eat as well, but don't try anything!'

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