Destiny Calling
by ALC Punk!

After all, this was SG-1, and they were *his* kids.

There were other reasons, but she was staying away from them. Concentrating instead on getting her team to the gate (there was a nice block of C4 ready to act as diversion once they were near the tree line), and getting back through.

In their favor, the jaffa didn't actually know they were here. The moment she'd seen them, she'd dragged the three other team-members into hiding.

Going to ground had seemed smart, it gave her time to assess the situation.

And then they'd spent two days bickering about it all, dodging the patrols, and trying to figure out just why the jaffa were even there on such a boring isolated planet.

She had a feeling the General was going to be less than pleased at their lack of anything concrete to report.

But she was still damned sure it was the right call to make.

A curse slid out of her mouth again as she stopped next to Teal'c at the tree line and assessed the guard on the gate. Three pairs in a triangular formation, staffs out, with just enough cover to be difficult to hit quickly. Shit. They were waiting for something.

But they couldn't--

A commotion came from the other side of the clearing, and two more jaffa exited the tree line, dragging a figure between them.

"Fuck." Daniel.

If the jaffa didn't do it first, SHE was going to kill him. She had TOLD him not to do anything but sit there and wait for her signal. She should never have left him alone with Jenkins. The poor Captain wasn't up to Daniel's weight.

One glance at Teal'c, and she knew they had a plan. He would wait for her to get Jenkins, and then they'd storm the gate (after setting off the charge). She really hoped they wouldn't need a plan B.

Plan B and SG-1 usually meant getting injured.

She wasn't fond of being shot.

Although right about now, maybe it would be safer than facing the General's wrath. She could see it now. He'd yell, she'd yell, Daniel (if he wasn't sedated) would tell them both to shut up... And they'd wait until Teal'c had stopped snickering, and then yell some more.

Oh, yeah. This post-mission briefing thing was going to be so much fun.

Wistfully, she considered gating to a planet that wasn't Earth. They could hide for a couple months, pretend to go native...

Nah. She'd miss her lab.

Jenkins was in a tree when she got there.

"Down. Now."

The poor boy didn't even ask, he just dropped and landed next to her looking very very pale. She double-checked him to make certain he wasn't injured, then dragged him back to where she'd left Teal'c.

Who wasn't there.

Damn.

Eyeing the clearing and Daniel (who appeared to be unconscious, or was just playing) she waited. And then caught the slight movement across that signaled Teal'c was in the position he'd suddenly chosen to occupy. She'd yell later. After the General did.

With quick hand-motions, she sketched the slightly revised Plan A to Jenkins, got his confirmation, then pulled out the radio receiver.

Ten seconds later, a loud boom split the afternoon air. Half the jaffa left the gate, heading for the tree line to her left. And Teal'c's right. And Daniel's feet.

After they'd left, the other four were taken out in rapid succession in a neat crossfire. Ok. So Teal'c little revision was definitely growing on her.

Daniel was already up off the ground and dialing the DHD as she and Jenkins exited the tree line and made for the gate.

Shouts came from the woods, and she turned and fired at the first jaffa to exit. He fell back into the one behind him, but others quickly took his place.

It was, she decided, as the gate kawooshed behind her, rather like stepping on an anthill.

Teal'c's staff-blasts joined her P-90, and they strafed the tree line, keeping the advancing troops back.

"Let's go!" Daniel's cry was hoarse, and she hoped he wasn't too badly injured.

Jenkins was already through the gate. A glance back, and Daniel leapt through.

She and Teal'c backed together, stealing every scrap of cover they could and covering both flanks. And then they had mere feet to cross, and they both turned as one and dove.

The landing on the ramp was as painful as ever, and she didn't even give herself time to feel the pain as she jerked up and yelled, "Close the iris!"

It hissed into place with mechanical efficiency, and the sounds of the SGC began filling her ears.

"Welcome back, SG-1." The General was standing at the end of the ramp eyeing her with something that might have been worry, anger, and maybe even a little sadness. "I trust your mission was not a success."

Sam winced. "You could say that, sir."

A slight smile crossed the General's lips. "Carter, what have I told you about playing with the natives?"

It hit her, quite suddenly, that he was also jealous. For seven years, this had been *him*. And now it wasn't. Now it was all so completely different it sometimes felt wrong and awkward. For a moment, they simply met each other's eyes.

There was something akin to shock rippling through her brain. Because she's also angry and jealous, and just plain weirded out. Because, he's supposed to be there watching her back.

And none of it has to do with stupid confessions made in the comfy chair nearly four years ago.

Their eyes still held.

Okay. Maybe it kind of does, she decided.

And then she asked herself, as the world began to come back, and she heard Daniel bitching to a nurse, Can they do this? Can they step out of their accustomed roles and play other parts, and not kill each other, or drive each other nuts?

"Well, sir, you know me. I always like rattling the cages of the jaffa."

The smirk crossed his lips, then was gone. "Briefing in two hours, Colonel."

"Sir." She tossed off a crappy salute and handed her P-90 to one of the SF's.

Yeah. They can do this.

They have to.

-finis-

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© 2005 ALC Punk!