"You--those were important!"

"Some of them were wrong," she said calmly, her voice almost crisp. "And you've got three cogents out of phase with the molecular--no, wait." She frowned, chewing her lip. "When did Teal'c and Jonas get here?"

"Hey, Sam," Jonas gave a small wave from the doorway. "We arrived on Pelaneya about a month ago."

"A month." Sam frowned harder, then looked up at John. "I think I was wrong. I've missed out a calculation of some sort, and the chaos fractal is mis-matched with--"

"Whoa!" Crichton knelt on one of the stacks, the paper crackling under his knees. "Look, Colonel, no offence, but these were *my* calculations on--"

"Wormholes." She said calmly, again. "Stable wormholes, to be precise. But you were wrong in a few places. Although I like this one," she held up a half-burned sheet. "I like the idea, but I'm afraid it wouldn't be practical where we are." She sighed, "We still need a wormhole network in our universe."

Daniel raised a hand, "Did anyone else get that?"

"Nope," D'Argo replied.

John got back up and moved to stand next to Daniel. "She normally like this?"

"I..." Daniel shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"Well, color me insane, but isn't she... disturbing anyone else?"

Daniel glanced at Jonas, "By the way, Quinn, what *were* you and Teal'c doing while you were on that planet?"

"We were considered holy men, because of our method of arrival."

"Ah. So, is that--"

"Could we leave the anthropological breakdown for later?" John pointed at Sam, who had gone back to making notations with his very prized black Bic pen. "What is with her?"

"Never seen a genius at work?" Daniel asked, his tone snide.

"No, Spiff, I have, just... not like this."

"Jack is still missing." Daniel explained, his tone condescending.

"Oh. Kay..."

Aeryn wandered in, Teal'c leaning against her. "I'm jealous. She blew up a sun."

"Does everyone know about that?" John threw up his hands.

"I didn't tell her." Said Daniel.

"It was I who informed her, Daniel Jackson."

"Hey, Teal'c."

John held out an arm for Aeryn to snuggle under, and placated her still sulky expression. "Well, next time, YOU can blow up the sun, honey."

"Yay."

"Uhh..."

"Don't worry, Spiff, we don't blow up suns often."

Colonel Carter suddenly gave a groan and began methodically ripping an entire sheet of paper to shreds. John blinked. "She's stuck."

"Well, Jack's missing. He's usually the one to poke at her simplistic side." Daniel shrugged.

"Oh. OH." John called, "Hey, Sam. Time for lunch, darlin'."

"No. No time to eat, need to--" She tilted her head and squinted.

John glanced at Daniel and Jonas, and then the impassive face of Teal'c, and sighed. He let Aeryn go and stepped onto the paper. "Sam. C'mon, you need to eat."

The blue eyes that met his eyes were haunted. "The General is still missing. I--"

"Look, Sam, I feel your pain. Really."

She eyed him, as if suspicious he was mocking her.

Daniel muttered something, but John ignored it. "Really..."

"You... can't..." She looked away.

"No, he really does. He got totally farbot when Aeryn was off with his double." D'Argo inserted, his tone amused.

Sam Carter's eyes cleared for a moment, and her lips curved in amusement, "That sounds, disturbingly, like something that could happen in my life."

"Yeah, so. Lunch?"

"I--Oh! I could KISS you, if Aeryn wouldn't then kill me painfully." She grabbed up the pen and began scrawling something on the paper again.

John could read what looked to be wormhole equations coupled with Planck's Constant, and two or three things that made no sense. He sighed and gave up to go stand by the others in the doorway.

-

They'd adjourned for lunch (without Sam, but Daniel hadn't expected her to leave her calculations to join them), and now most of them were back in the chamber off the maintenance bay, watching Sam write on the paper, walls and floor.

"She scares me." D'Argo announced, his voice oddly soft.

Daniel had to sort of agree with that. "Yeah."

"She scares *me*." Crichton said. Daniel still hadn't decided if he liked this man, but he instinctively trusted him. As he had instinctively trusted Teal'c. It was... odd.

"Everything scares you." scoffed D'Argo.

"True, but *really* scares me." As if there was some distinction.

"She makes me nervous."

All of them looked at Aeryn. Daniel was disturbed. The competent and ruthless woman hadn't seemed the type to be scared.

Hastily, Aeryn added, "I could still take her, but I'd get really bruised up first."

"Right." Daniel sighed, "So. We need to find Jack. Now."

"Indeed." Teal'c intoned, lifting one eyebrow as he watched Colonel Carter pace back and forth, muttering softly.

"Was she like this with the moon thing?" Jonas asked. "I think I must have not been paying attention, although there was the yelling at Dr. Lee. And the drunken phone calls at 3 a.m."

Daniel blinked. "You got drunken phone calls?"

"Oh, yeah."

"I never got drunken phone calls!" Maybe he shouldn't feel jealous. Really.

"Well, only on the nights Janet would make her go home." Jonas hastily amended.

"That is because Colonel Carter did not have the capacity to use the phone while O'Neill was trapped on Edora." Teal'c informed him, his expression calm.

Jonas was nodding. "Yeah, I heard about that from Janet."

"Janet told you about that?!"

"Oh, totally. You know that woman was an absolute machine with tequila shots?"

"Yes, Dr. Fraiser did hold her liquor rather well."

Crichton coughed, "Not to break up old home week, but, moon thing? Edora? Anyone care to explain to the baffled crew of the Jolly Roger?"

"Um. Jack was trapped on Edora for three months. Sam spent the entire time building a particle accelerator so we could get him back."

"She... she built a *particle accelerator*?!" Crichton gaped, then looked at the woman who was now flopped on her back staring at the ceiling. "What the hell did you need it for?"

"Classified." Daniel replied. Never before had he felt so smug at being able to say that.

"Spiff, that's beginning to wear REALLY thin right about now."

"Right. And the moon thing--well, I was dead during that, so Jonas can fill you in."

"Dead?"

"Yeah. Jonas?"

"Colonel O'Neill--"

"He's a General now, right?"

"Yeah. Anyway. General O'Neill got teleported off this planet, and we didn't know where he was, only that he was with a man who probably meant him harm."

"Probably?!" Sam's voice was strangely soft, "Maybourne is a bastard. Of *course* he meant Jack harm."

All of them watched for a moment as she returned to her calculations.

"How long?"

"A month."

"Wow." John Crichton stared at her, then looked at D'Argo. "Was I this bad?"

"You were worse."

"Of course... Jack's the same way when she's missing."

John eyed Daniel. "Really."

"Indeed." Teal'c said softly. "O'Neill becomes most withdrawn when Colonel Carter is not there."

"Focused." Corrected Daniel. "Jack gets all... scary Black Ops focused, when Sam's missing."

"Happens a lot, does it?"

"Well..." Daniel seemed to be counting. "At least three times in the last two years. Plus, she was kidnapped by a billionaire who almost killed her in the name of science, and--"

"Y'know," interruped John, "I think you people fit in on Moya, complete with your own mental traumas."

"Did I mention I was Ascended for a year?" Daniel asked dryly.

Aeryn eyed him, then looked at Sam, "She looks like she needs help."

"Okay, honey. I'll go help the crazy lady put her mind together." And he went. Daniel had to give him credit for that. He went and talked to Sam in the state she was in. And they babbled at each other and were shortly BOTH writing on the paper and walls and floor.

Daniel had no clue why he felt the need, but he asked Aeryn, anyway. "Um... aren't you... worried?" He gestured at the way the two scientists were practically finishing each others' sentences.

A snicker came from the Sebacean woman. "He knows I would skin him alive while making her watch."

Jonas gulped. Daniel had to admit he was kind of feeling the same way.

"So," the Kelownan said, "Guess it's a good thing she's still lusting after General O'Neill."

"HEY!" Okay, so it was merely an ojection to form. Still...

"Well, it *is* obvious, Dr. Jackson. After all, Sam did say she and her fiancee broke up."

"That doesn't necessarily mean..." Daniel paused. "Okay, you're right. She's hung up on Jack. She always has been."

"I need to meet this man, obviously." Aeryn observed, her lips twitching in amusement.

Chiana, who had been silent up until now, tilted her head, "Is he frellable?"

"I... can't comment on that. Hey, Pilot? You up for more stories?" Stories. Yes. It was time to go tell stories and get AWAY from the crazy people.

"Certainly, Dr. Jackson."

"Right. Someone let me know when they have something figured out."

-

They had done it. It had taken half a day--during which, Noranti had cured Teal'c completely (after muttering about primitives and their destructive tendencies), Pilot had been enlightened on Earth culture, and Chiana had made at least two hastily turned-down passes at Jonas. Daniel would have been jealous, but he prefered not having D'Argo glare at him. The large Luxian scared him.

"So, this is the planet." And they were orbiting it.

"Yep." Sam made a gesture, "If we're right--"

"Then he should be somewhere down there, in about a twenty mile radius." John interrupted.

"Yeah."

There was silence. Then John clapped his hands. "D'Argo, you stay here, Chi, Aeryn, you're with me. Stark--"

"I think he's still hiding from me." Daniel said. The strange man had taken one look at him, shrieked unintelligeably, and disappeared.

"Ok. So, that's the three of us. D, you and Teal'c are backup. Granny, be--"

"I'm going with you." Daniel had to admire Sam's poise. She hadn't slept for nearly an entire day, and she still favored her right side slightly. And she'd acted insane for twelve hours.

"Uh, no--"

"There is no argument, Crichton. Either I go with you, or--"

"You should take her," Daniel said, hastily. He'd seen Sam like this before. Last time she'd simply machiavellied Dr. Weir into letting her take a cargo ship to find the Asgard. And Jack had been alive and well (if frozen with an Ancient database in his skull) and they'd known where he was.

"The General might..." She didn't finish her thought, she simply met John's eyes.

"Fine." The astronaut muttered. "What is it with you people? Is your motto, 'We live for the one, we die for the one'?"

"No, actually it's 'No one gets left behind'." Daniel said calmly.

The crew of Moya were silent for a moment, looking at the four people standing so calmly in their midst, ready to challenge the unknown to rescue a man who might be perfectly safe. "Yeah. Fine. Aeryn, loan Colonel Carter here your spare pants."

"I don't--"

"You need to blend in. Since you look Sebacean, we need you to look like a Peacekeeper. Peacekeepers wear leather. Aeryn?"

"C'mon," the Sebacean woman half-smiled, "You're about my size, they should fit well."

Daniel considered this for a moment, "Uh, you might want to take Noranti with you."

"Oh?"

"Jack's an old man. And he's never seen Sam in leather."

"Actually, he saw some of my pictures from Steveston," Jonas said. "Sam was wearing leather pants the entire time. And this really," he gestured, "nice trenchcoat."

"Oh." Maybe Jack would be perfectly fine after all.

-

Yeah. They might need some sort of revivication technique, Daniel decided, staring at Sam as Aeryn helped her with a few more straps and buckles.

Standing next to him, Crichton shifted. "You know, it's a pity they're not lesbians."

"Uh-huh." Damn. He should NOT be thinking these sorts of things about a woman he normally liked to consider a sister. But clad in black leather, with a pulse pistol strapped to each thigh, and her blonde hair ruffled, Sam was hot. So was Aeryn. He gulped. "They'll kill us, won't they."

"Yup."

Then the girls were ready, Crichton was ready, and Daniel needed to go talk to Pilot again. "Well, we'll see you guys in a bit. Don't wait up for us, now."

"Good luck!"

-

"Needle in a haystack."

"Actually," Sam pulled out a small device, "Now that we're in range, we simply need to follow his beacon."

"Beacon?" John stared at her.

"General O'Neill insisted all of SG-1 be fitted with subcutaneous transmitters after the last time I was kidnapped by the NID."

"Oh he did, did he?"

"Even himself." She half-grinned, "It was a group outing. Dr. Brightman wasn't impressed."

John was definitely certain these people lived lives as crazy as his. "Y'know, one of these days, we're going to not be running around finding your friends. And I'll actually buy you a drink." And get a straight story, and a damned explanation about wormholes.

"Sounds fun." She frowned, "There. I've got his signal. Jack's here." She almost bounced.

"Chiana, stay with the pod and be ready to set off."

The Nebari saluted.

"Lead on, MacDuff."

They traveled through streets and a market and the crowds one generally found on these sorts of planets, until they came to a slightly higher-class street. Higher class in that it didn't have garbage in the gutters.

General Jack O'Neill, of a completely different Earth, had fetched up in a brothel. John Crichton had seen brothels before, but this was a really high-class one. Damn. The man was a lucky man. Maybe he wouldn't want to be rescued.

"He's... in there."

One glance at her told him she had guessed what the place was. Conflicting emotions passed across her face before she settled on stoic solemnity.

"Right. C'mon, Sam. Aeryn, stay out here unless we shout."

Nodding, his girlfriend (trite and childish, but it STILL gave him SUCH a thrill) faded into the crowd, hand on her pulse pistol. John clipped a hand under Sam's arm and stepped up, taking her with him.

The doorman eyed them, but let them in. "So far, so good."

"He's one floor up and about twenty meters south southwest."

Which meant stairs. He spied them a moment later, and headed for them.

"Pardon me." A woman sashayed up, quite probably the proprietress. "But we don't serve Peacekeepers here."

"We're not Peacekeepers," John informed her. He could deal with that. No skin off his nose. Just get in, get the General... Funny, he knew his life was never easy.

The woman simply looked at him.

"Look, we're here to meet a friend. Tall, kind of sarcastic?" He had to be, if the way the others acted was any indication.

"Carter!" shouted a voice. It was male, and John bet himself that it was O'Neill. Especially since the voice was almost jubilant.

All three of them looked up the stairs to watch as a man sauntered down them. He'd fared better than Sam in his tumble from the wormhole. Although he had lost most of the outer layer of his clothes. He was still wearing a black t-shirt, green pants, and boots, however. Which was good, if they had to fight their way out. Barefoot was just *not* the way to go.

"Jack."

He didn't think even Aeryn could look that conflicted and stiff. John had the sense that if he pushed her she would either shatter or fall over. And he didn't need to pick a million pieces of Sam Carter off the floor of a high-priced whorehouse.

"Hey, General O'Neill. How ya doin'? Me and Sam here thought we'd stop by, pick you up for a little fun. Maybe some beer..."

"I'm afraid you can not." The Madame smiled insincerely at them. "This man is our property."

"And I keep tellin' you--" But the woman next to the General suddenly cuffed him. "Ow!"

"No he isn't. That man is the property of the United States Air Force." Apparently, Lieutenant Colonel Carter could *definitely* be the type of officer that would send recruits quaking in their shoes.

John was impressed that the proprietress only stepped back once. If that had been him, he would have been bowing and scraping. "Does he bear your mark of owmership?"

"There's a small tattoo on his left buttock, intertwined initials 'S' and 'C'. If you require further proof, I can draw it. After all, as I am the United States Air Force, it is *my* mark." Her tone was completely confident, completely certain.

And John wondered what the hell she was playing at. If everything he knew about the Air Force was true, there was no WAY that she'd had anything to do with that tattoo. Probably. He eyed her, then looked at the proprietress. "Well, darlin'?"

"Draw this mark."

Sam pulled the pen she'd been using from her pocket and drew swiftly on the back of her hand. She displayed the carefully intertwined initials. "It looks like this."

The woman deflated, "Very well. As you have come to reclaim your property, I return what is yours. You are lucky you came now. Another ten arns and he would have been mine to distribute as I pleased." Her eyes flashed with anger.

"Lucky." Sam echoed. She smiled, the expression not reaching her eyes. "Yes. I suppose I was."

This was too easy. John knew it. And he knew the General knew it, too. Sam, on the other hand, seemed blithely unaware. Until the General reached them and she stepped into him and around him, handing over a suddenly free pulse pistol. John was pulling his even as the brothel guards began to pull theirs.

"Take them!"

It was a quick shoot-out, and John almost had nothing to do, but Wynona was a trusty weapon, so he didn't make too many mistakes. They fought their way into the street, and ran. Aeryn joined them half a block later. "Can't you ever not piss people off, Crichton?"

"Hey, baby, it's a habit. They're hard to break."

She shot him a smile, glanced at the other two, then took the lead.

John dropped back to take the rear-guard, leaving the two Air Force officers alone.

-

Part 5
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