Jack had had to restrain Bast several times during Doctor Fraiser's tests. Whilst the General had ordered a full exam, Jack was sure that he had not realized just how thorough it would be. He wouldn't be at all surprised if he didn't glow in the dark after the number of x-rays and scans that she had done and then the Doc had prodded and probed places that he didn't even know existed. And his comment "Does this mean that we're married now?" hadn't seemed to help, although Janet had appeared a little more relaxed after it. Now they both were seated in the General's office with the results spread out on the desk in front of them.

The Colonel could feel the gaze of both his companions on him as he drew a long, deep breath. Here was the whole problem laid out in front of him in the form of an x-ray. Along the whole length of his spine clung the biggest mother of a Goa'uld that any of them had ever seen. One question sprang to mind - how the hell had she fitted into his mouth. With a shudder, he decided that he didn't ever want to know. He pasted a light smile on his face and looked up.

"Well, General, meet my folks." It wasn't much of a joke, but it was the best that he could manage under the circumstances.

General Hammond raised one eyebrow at the Colonel. Jack had an almost uncontrollable urge to laugh as the similarity to Teal'c sprang to mind. "Jack!" The mental kick from Bast made him wince. OK - this was so not fair! Not even allowed to make jokes in the privacy of his own mind.

Janet interrupted with an irritated look at the Colonel. It seemed that having a Goa'uld inside him hadn't made his attitude to medical procedures any better. If anything, he had been more of a pain than usual. "General, Colonel O'Neill appears to have suffered no adverse effects from becoming a .." She paused and thought for a second, "being partnered with Bast" She heard a snort of amusement from the Colonel's direction and turned to find him shaking with laughter.

"Partnered. Makes me sound like some sort of ballroom dancer. Try joined. Joined is good."

"If we can be serious for a moment, Colonel." Hammond's gruff voice brought Jack back to the reality of the situation. He swallowed and nodded.

Janet continued. "If anything, his..." she glanced at the Colonel, "joining, has improved his health. Any pre-existing medical condition, such as his knee, has been cleared up. He is one hundred per cent fit and healthy."

"Sir, I've been thinking." Jack could see the General's worried frown at the thought. A thinking O'Neill is a dangerous O'Neill. "We have one of those Goa'uld ribbon devices here. Maybe I could use one. It would be worth a try."

General Hammond could not help the slight feeling of apprehension at Jack's suggestion. A Goa'uld with a ribbon device in the SGC. He didn't even want to contemplate the consequences if this was all an act on Bast's part, but he had made his decision to trust Colonel O'Neill and he would stand by it.

"Alright, Colonel. Get it from the armory and meet us at the firing range in fifteen minutes. Dismissed"

Jack smiled as he headed towards the elevator. "The General obviously trusts you, Jack. Your worries were unfounded."

It felt good to have the trust of his superior. Without Hammond's support it all could have easily gone wrong.

The ribbon device gripped Jack's right hand as if it were molded on to it. The feeling was odd but not uncomfortable. It felt right, somehow, in a way that Jack didn't really want to think about. He turned to the two people watching. General Hammond stood, with arms folded across his chest, behind the protective glass of the firing range, Doctor Fraiser beside him.

Jack held an internal conversation with his odd companion. "I don't know what to do with this thing, but it sure looks pretty. We should design a jewellery collection around it and make a fortune."

Bast was beginning to understand her host's quirky sense of humor. "Yes. Jack and I could design a nice dress for you to wear with it." She was pleased by the laugh that her answer invoked. "Just hold your hand, palm out towards the target and don't think too much. That shouldn't be too hard."

Jack eyed the cutout figure of a man at the far end of the range. "Isn't it a bit far away? I've only seen this thing used at close range."

"I told you that I had some special abilities, didn't I, Jack. Have you forgotten?"

Jack had to admit to himself that he had forgotten that remark, in amongst everything else that had happened over the last few days. He stood facing the target and held out his hand as Bast had instructed. A bright stream of golden light surged from his palm and struck the target midchest, throwing it into the back wall with a thud that echoed around the concrete room, disintegrating it into a thousand pieces.

"Yes!" Jack threw up his fist in a gesture of surprised pleasure before turning with a grin to face the others. The looks on their faces sobered him immediately. He turned his hand over and watched as the ribbon device folded in on itself and disappeared into his sleeve as if it had never been there.

"General." The Colonel walked around the screen and approached the senior officer. "I can explain what happened here."

"Please do, Colonel O'Neill." The General's gaze was calculating.

"Bast has explained to me that she has some abilities that the average Goa'uld doesn't have. We have just seen an example of that power." He hurried on. "But she can control this power, Sir."

"More power?" Jack knew again just what the General was thinking. Exactly what he would, given the same circumstances.

"Yes, Sir. She can out gun any System Lord that we come up against."

The Doctor frowned as she saw the smiles on both the men's faces. They were the smiles of two soldiers handed a better weapon than they had ever had before.

"Colonel O'Neill?" Captain Carter knocked on the closed door of the Colonel's office.

She had been trying to speak to her superior for the last four days. When she compared notes with Teal'c and Daniel, they had realized that none of them had spoken more than a few words to him since their return from P3X-983. It wasn't as if he had been avoiding them, this was different. He just seemed to be busy with meetings with the General whenever they had gone looking for him. He had even been taking his meals in the General's office or the briefing room and the two men had made it plain that they did not want to be disturbed. She had been lucky to spot the Colonel leaving the latest meeting and heading towards his own office.

"Come in, Carter." The colonel's voice invited from behind the closed door.

She found him lounging with his long legs propped up on his desk, hands clasped behind his head.

"Hey, Carter. What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering when we would be returned to active duty, Sir?"

Leaning forward, the Colonel moved his feet from where they were resting on what were obviously requisition forms of some kind, his face lighting up with a smile.

"Funny you should ask that, Carter. I was just about to come find you all and give you the good news. We're scheduled to leave at 0800 tomorrow on a nice little trip to P9G-752. A planet just chock full of exciting rocks for Daniel and dirt for you." Jack was in a very good mood. The General had given his approval for an off world mission, albeit one to what appeared to be an uninhabited planet. Hammond knew that Jack would off load his visitor into a suitable host the first chance that he got and the General had made it plain that he didn't want to lose his new toy too soon. Jack could understand his motives, but he had been getting bored confined to base for so long.

Sam was pleased to find the Colonel in such a relaxed mood. She was about to ask the time of the mission briefing when the sound of klaxons broke out of the speaker on the wall accompanied by the announcement of an unscheduled off world activation. She knew that the Colonel left the speaker connected to the gateroom open for just these occasions. Within seconds, both she and Colonel O'Neill were hurrying to the elevator.

Jack and Sam raced into the Control Room to find the rest of SG-1 already watching the Gate through the window. General Hammond, puffing slightly from running, entered on their heels.

"What have we got, Sergeant?" the General asked as they stood staring down at the large ring. "Are any teams scheduled to return?"

"No General, there aren't any scheduled" Hammond heard Colonel O'Neill's statement and knew that, despite the distractions, he could always rely on his Second to keep track of movements through the Stargate. As Jack spoke, the kwoosh of the wormhole establishing sounded through the room.

"Close the iris!" ordered the General "Any ID, Davis?"

"No ID, Sir." Sergeant Davis replied, watching his computer screen.

"Who do we have off world, General?" Daniel queried in a worried voice.

Once again, Jack answered. "SG-3 and SG-6 are both on survey missions. They reported in at the appropriate times."

"Still no ID, Sirs" Davis looked up from his perusal of the screen at the senior officers.

The General was opening his mouth to speak when a small black spot appeared in the middle of the iris. As they watched, it began to grow in size, spreading across the titanium surface like an open wound. Within seconds it had reached the size of a man.

"Captain? Any explanation?" General Hammond tore his gaze away from the sight for long enough to look at Captain Carter. The look on her face was answer enough.

"No, Sir. None. I have no idea what could be causing this."

What happened next seemed to occur in slow motion. From the black shape a figure emerged as if through a hole. The shape of a Jaffa warrior was quickly followed by several more. Although they had been covering the Gate with their weapons, the SF guards were only able to get in a few shots before being overwhelmed by the sheer number of the enemy. With horror the watchers in the Control Room saw their men fall, one after the other, the sounds of staff weapons echoing around the cavernous space.

General Hammond turned shocked eyes towards his 2IC, only to find an empty space where he had been.

While the others had taken precious seconds evaluating what they were witnessing, Colonel O'Neill had acted. He entered the Gate Room just as a tall, blonde man dressed in elaborate red robes walked in a regal manner through the gap in the iris. The man's eyes glowed as he surveyed the carnage around him with pleasure. Jack skidded to a stop, his eyes narrowing.

In the Control Room, the other members of SG-1 held their collective breaths. The Colonel seemed to be in a no win situation, confronted by at least twenty Jaffa and a Goa'uld.

"No!" General Hammond's empathic command stopped Teal'c in his tracks as he turned to join the Colonel. He turned reluctantly, his face set in grim lines.

"Sir!" Captain Carter appealed to her commanding officer. "We have to help him."

The General shut his eyes briefly for a moment before meeting those of the others in the room with him. Doctor Jackson's gaze was riveted to the scene being played out below in the Gate Room. Captain Carter's face bore an agonized expression and Teal'c was glaring at him with undisguised anger.

"Anyone entering that room will be committing suicide, Captain. I'm afraid that the Colonel is on his own." He turned to the large man standing at his side. "Teal'c, organize a team of soldiers to wait at the Gate Room door. You will only enter on my signal." With a nod the warrior left the room.

Sam leaned heavily against the glass of the observation window, willing the Colonel to pull yet another rabbit out of his seemingly inexhaustible hat.

_____________________

So far Se'ur was pleased with the progress of his plan. When his servants had brought him the strange alien device that they had found buried in a cave on one of his vassal planets he had been intrigued briefly, but soon lost interest as its purpose stayed a stubborn mystery despite the work of his best slaves to solve it. It was only because of the perseverance of one of these slaves that he was here now. The man had refused to give up and finally, after much trial and error, had solved the puzzle. His First Prime had conveyed the news that the machine was a weapon, capable of disintegrating any metal it encountered.

At first, Se'ur had thought to offer the weapon to his patron, Heru'ur, but on reflection he had decided to make use of it himself. What better way to earn his Lord's favor, than to destroy these troublesome Tau'ri? Now the only thing that stood in the way of his destruction of their base was the tall figure of the man standing blocking his path. Smiling, the Goa'uld raised his hand to turn the ribbon device on the insolent fool and end this unequal confrontation.

Something made him pause. The last thing that he had expected to find in this Tau'ri stronghold. He sensed the presence of one of his own kind.

His Jaffa raised their weapons, ready to protect their God. With a quick motion of his left hand, Se'ur halted them. "Who are you?" he asked, as the man took a step towards him.

"I am Bast. The Destroyer." The Goa'uld's host's tone was cold, even to Se'ur's ears.

_____________________

Daniel's gasp sounded loud in the Control Room. Jack had replied to the Goa'uld's question in its own language. He barely had time to register the fact before the next act in the drama being enacted below was played out.

The two men stood, facing each other, one with his hand raised, a ribbon device ready to strike, the other calmly watching. For a split second no one moved, then a flash of light struck the Goa'uld's head, throwing him back into the iris of the gate. He lay in a broken heap, unmoving. Jack strode forward and bent over the body. Grasping the robes, he tore them open and reached down to plunge his hand into the still living flesh. With an audible sucking sound his questing fingers pulled forth a squealing Goa'uld snake, dragging it from the host's body. A sharp twist was all that it took to end the creature's life.

Leaving the dead host lying where he fell, Colonel O'Neill turned to face the startled Jaffa. He raised the hand with the dead Goa'uld up to their eye level and thrust it forward.

"This is what you have been following all your life. It is no God." He spat the words out. "Go, leave this place and tell others of what has happened here today." With a smile, he finished "I, Bast command you." Jack looked over at Se'ur's First Prime. The huge man knelt on one knee before him. "Enter the coordinates into the Chappa'i and lead your men home. Tell the other Jaffa of my mercy."

As the terrified Jaffa warriors disappeared back through the hole in the iris, Colonel O'Neill looked up towards the Control Room window.

The watchers above saw their friend standing, eyes glowing, a ribbon device on one hand and a dead snake in the other.

"Oh Crap!"

_____________________

"Teal'c, stand down." General Hammond's voice broke through the silence. "Medical team to the embarkation room."

"You've done it now." Jack held a grim conversation with his Goa'uld. "So much for keeping a low profile!"

"It was you as much as it was me. We did this together and now we must face the result. Would you have had the enemy take over this base?"

The sight of Doctor Fraiser and a team of medics hurrying through the door halted his internal discussion. With a start, Janet stopped short just inside the door. The look of disgust on her face spoke volumes.

"Are you hurt, Colonel?" Her eyes did not waver from the dead Goa'uld dangling from his hand.

"No, Doc." He wondered if the disgust was for the dead snake or for him. Janet gestured to the medics and they began the grim task of checking for survivors amongst the SGC personnel bleeding on the floor. She motioned to the Colonel and they moved to the side of the room.

"What happened here, Sir?"

"I think that my cover is blown, Janet." Jack could see the faces of the Control Room staff and his team at the observation window.

Janet took in the situation and grimaced slightly. "I think that you had better let me take that before you go up there, Colonel." She bent and took a large plastic bag from her medical kit, holding it out towards him.

Jack had forgotten about Se'ur. He gratefully put the dead Goa'uld into the bag and handed it back. He looked down at his slime covered hands and compulsively wiped them along the leg of his BDUs.

"Better not keep the General waiting, Doc." He straightened up and gave Janet a weak smile. She knew that it wasn't General Hammond that he was worried about. As she watched him leave the room, she mouthed a quiet "Good luck, Sir" at his retreating back.

_____________________

The Control Room staff watched as Colonel O'Neill ascended the stairs, some throwing apprehensive looks at the General, others apprising the remainder of SG-1. Captain Carter and Doctor Jackson stood unmoving, their faces void of any expression. Teal'c entered before O'Neill, a troubled look on his normally impassive face. From his position at the door, he had only seem a little of what occurred in the embarkation room, but he had seen enough to know that Jack O'Neill was not whom he seemed.

"Hi, Guys. What do you think of my new contact lenses?" The Colonel had decided on a full frontal assault. His eyes glowed white.

"Indeed, O'Neill, I believe they were most effective" If only Teal'c didn't have one of "those" looks. The one where someone was about to die.

"Let's take this into the briefing room, people." Hammond gave the quiet command. He bent and spoke into the microphone. "Doctor Fraiser, report to the briefing room as soon as you're able"

Janet looked up, giving the General a deliberate nod, before turning her full attention back to the situation in the Gate Room.

Jack walked ahead of the rest of his team and took his usual seat at the large table. He couldn't stop the slight pang when Carter moved to sit as far away as possible instead of her customary seat beside him.

"Firstly, Colonel," General Hammond began, "I must thank you for taking the action that you did. I understand that it can't have been an easy decision, under the circumstances."

"With all due respect, General, I would like to know just what the hell is going on here?" Captain Carter's infuriated voice interrupted. It was very controlled, but no one could mistake the anger. "We are sitting here calmly with what seems to be a Goa'uld who has taken Colonel O'Neill as a host and you don't seem to be bothered!"

Jack winced at the Captain's words. His team, his friends were glaring at him with undisguised hatred. Daniel's face was pale and he looked like he was ready to puke. Jack understood their reactions. Hell, he wasn't too happy with the way that Bast had killed that snake, but it couldn't be undone now. They would just have to meet the problems head on and hope that his friendship with the other three would be enough to get them past this.

"General, if I may?" Jack turned to this superior and got a nod of confirmation before continuing.

"General! Why isn't this creature in custody?" Anger had finally won out. Sam was both scared and furious at the same time.

"The General knows exactly what he is doing, Captain Carter. Please remain silent. I do not have the same patience with you as Jack does." The warning in Bast's words was unmistakable.

The sound of the Goa'uld's echoing tones coming from the Colonel's mouth stunned the listeners.

"Oh, this is just great! Give me a chance to explain everything, please." The immediate switch back to the Colonel's voice was disconcerting. "I'm sorry, Carter. Bast over reacted. She's feeling a little vulnerable here."

"Bast?" Daniel looked up from his perusal of the tabletop and turned accusing eyes to Hammond. "Is that why you wanted to know about her? That was days ago! How long have you known about this, General?

" "Quiet!" General Hammond's shouted command resulted in a stunned silence. "I will not tolerate any further outbursts." He glared at the people seated around the table. "Please continue, Colonel O'Neill."

Jack proceeded to give his now silent teammates an explanation of the events of the last week, starting with the sandstorm. He left nothing out, trying to be as honest as possible about his reasons for keeping the truth from his friends. As he spoke, he carefully watched the faces around him. Part way through the explanation, Janet quietly entered the briefing room. She slid unnoticed into a seat near the General and waited. The only reaction that she noticed from any of them was when Jack explained that he hadn't thought that Daniel would be able to handle the presence of a Goa'uld after what had happened to his wife. Daniel has cringed slightly and turned his body away from Jack, to end up sitting hunched in his chair.

"I do not wish to remain joined with Jack for any longer than is necessary. This is difficult for both of us. Neither of us are comfortable with the arrangement and I will leave him as soon as a host is found." Bast had gauged the mood of the other members of SG-1 and decided to join him in helping to explain. "In the meantime, let me help in your fight against my children and their descendants."

"We have one serious problem that we will have to overcome. I am not naive enough to not expect news of this to have already traveled to the NID." The General threw another problem into the already overflowing pot. "There is no way that I will allow Colonel O'Neill to be taken by them" Looking at Daniel, Sam and Teal'c he stated emphatically, "I have complete trust in Colonel O'Neill's ability to control this Goa'uld. I hope that you will do the same. While she is our guest, she is a valuable resource in our fight against her species. Have I made myself understood?" Without waiting for a reply, he turned his attention to the small woman by his side. "What do you have to report, Doctor?"

Janet closed her eyes briefly before answering, her face drawn. "I'm sorry to report that there are no survivors from the attack. We lost all six of the guards, General."

General Hammond shook his head sorrowfully. "We are lucky that it wasn't any worse. We were totally unprepared for this attack, people. I don't want that to ever be the case again."

"What of the method used to open the hole in the iris, General? Can it be used again?" Teal'c entered the conversation for the first time.

"Do you have any thoughts on the matter, Captain?" Hammond asked their resident expert in wormhole technology.

"I have no explanation for what happened, General. The Goa'uld must have had access to a form of technology that we aren't familiar with." Sam shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with not having a ready answer.

"There is no guarantee that the Goa'uld won't try to use it again." Jack restlessly fiddled with the pen in his hand. "The only way that we can prevent it is to take a team through the Stargate and find out how they did it."

General Hammond knew where this was going, but he could think of no other way to ensure that the SGC did not suffer more attacks in the future. "You realize that any team gating to the Goa'uld's planet could be walking into the middle of a Jaffa army, Colonel. I can't order anyone to do that."

Jack's reply was just what the General expected. He knew his 2IC too well, even now. "That's why I will go alone, General. Bast can handle the Jaffa."

The General waited for the expected protests from the rest of SG-1.

There was stony silence.

_____________________

Jack knew that he shouldn't do it, but he just couldn't help himself. "Maybe I just have a tendency towards self flagellation," he thought as he wandered into the commissary.

After spending the last couple of hours in his office, he really needed some human company. Not that Bast wasn't a brilliant conversationalist, some of her insights into the situation were certainly "different", but Jack wanted to talk to someone other than himself. He had tried Carter's lab first, then, when he had found it empty, Teal'c quarters. Having no luck there either, he had tried Daniel's office as a last resort and had come up empty again. From the looks that he received in his travels, the word had obviously got around about his uninvited guest. He straightened his shoulders and walked into the crowded room.

OK, lunchtime may not have been the best time to try this. Almost every table was filled with SGC personnel taking breaks from their duties to meet up with their coworkers. The pleasant buzz of chatter dropped away as he walked across the room towards the serving line. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack could see Daniel, Carter & Teal'c sitting at their usual table at the back of the room. Picking out his now usual boringly healthy lunch, he turned to see his three teammates rise and leave. With a sigh, Jack moved to a nearby table and sat, ready to eat his solitary meal.

"Mind if join you, Colonel?" Jack was startled to see the leader of SG-2, Major Ferretti, standing alongside his chair. He nodded in reply and the short, dark man pulled out one of the seats and sat.

"How are you, Jack?" The Major kept his voice as low as possible, aware of the inquisitive ears surrounding them.

"Peachy, Lou. How do you think that I am? My team won't talk to me and the rest of the base acts like I've sprouted two heads." Jack realized what he had said and burst out into a loud laugh. "Shit! Two heads!" He looked around at the surprised diners.

"Why don't we go to my quarters, Lou? Get a bit of privacy. That's if you don't mind ruining your reputation by being seen with me."

"What reputation, Jack?" Lou joined in the laughter and they both abandoned their table to head out the door.

"So what's it like, Jack?" Ferretti asked as Jack shut the door to his quarters and they both took chairs at the small table. "Having a snake in your head?"

Jack ran his hand through his short hair and frowned. "You know, Lou, you're the first person to ask me that. The Doc poked needles in me and the General acts like I'm his new personal secret weapon and no one else has dared to talk to me since they found out. You're the first to ask how I feel." For just a second his face seemed lined with pain before it once again became merely tired. "It's strange. Having someone else inside my head, reading my mind and knowing more about me than anyone ever has before. But it's just as strange to know everything that there is to know about them as well. And I mean everything! To be honest, it's a bit overwhelming." His hand reached up and massaged the bridge of his nose in what seemed an involuntary action.

Ferretti knew what it meant when his friend did that. "Have you got a headache, Jack?" he asked with concern.

Jack took a second to answer, but when he did, it was with a vehemence that startled Ferretti. "I feel like crap, Lou. This is the worst headache that I've had in years and every time I eat something I feel like throwing up. Bast doesn't know what's wrong with me."

"Have you talked to Doc Fraiser?"

"Nope. She'll just run more test and poke me full of more holes. I'm sure that it'll go. Probably just a reaction to the blending." He had a stubborn look on his face, prepared for an argument.

Ferretti eyed the Colonel. He knew better than to argue. Jack was notorious for ignoring any medical problems and carrying on regardless. It was better to drop the subject and keep an eye on him without making it too obvious.

"So what's wrong with Carter and the others, Jack?"

"How the Hell should I know!" Jack's voice rose angrily. "I can't get them to tell me. I can understand their being annoyed with me for not telling them about Bast and I know that Daniel and Teal'c have legitimate concerns with the idea of a Goa'uld, but I would have thought that Carter would have the decency to at least listen to me!" He slumped in his chair and held his head with his hand. "Oh! Shit, that hurts!"

"I think that you should see the Doc, Jack. Really." Ferretti could tell that the headache was getting worse.

"Thank you, Major Ferretti. Jack will be fine after he rests. I am sure that this is just a temporary problem. It would be best if you left and Jack got some sleep."

Jack straightened up, his eyes white. "Thanks for the sympathy, Lou, but Bast is right. I just need a rest." He stood and escorted a reluctant Ferretti to the door.

"OK, if you're sure. I'll have a talk to Captain Carter for you. I'm sure that she isn't avoiding you. It's probably just a misunderstanding." Ferretti offered as he left the room.

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever." The dismissive way that Jack spoke worried Lou more than anything that he had heard in the last half hour. He headed straight for the Captain's lab.

"Sam? You in here?" Major Ferretti peered around the dark room, before reaching towards the light switch.

"Don't." The single word stopped Ferretti in his tracks. He squinted at the direction that the voice had seemed to come from.

"Sam?"

"Yeah, Major. What do you want?"

"I want to turn the light on." Lou tried for a light tone.

"Well I don't want it on!"

Lou moved carefully through the lab equipment towards the sound of Captain Carter's voice. In the gloom, he could see a Carter shape sitting against the wall, arms clasped around knees. He eased down beside her, echoing her posture.

"Hey, Captain."

"Major."

"I don't suppose that this has anything to do with Colonel O'Neill's little problem?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Lou." Sam's answer was quick and clear.

Ferretti waiting before continuing, "I talked to the Colonel."

"That's nice."

"No, not really. He's been trying to talk to you. Said that you were avoiding him."

There was silence.

"I said that I was sure that it was just a misunderstanding. Was I right?"

Silence.

"Work with me, Sam. I'm worried about Jack. He's not handling this joining stuff too well. Normally he'd have you, Daniel and Teal'c watching after him and you're not doing that. I thought that I could rely on his team to watch his back."

"What do you mean, not handling it well? He seemed to have handled it just fine for the past week." Sam's voice contained an intriguing mixture of concern and anger, with just a touch of hurt thrown in for good measure.

Ferretti allowed himself a small smile under the cover of the darkness. "He's got bad headaches. He says that they will go without him needing to see the Doc, but if he admits that they're bad, can you imagine how bad they would be for a normal person."

"He's not a normal person though, is he Major? Isn't that the point?" spat Sam.

"He's still Jack O'Neill and he's still our friend. Shouldn't that count for something?" Ferretti countered.

"Is he? How can you be so sure?" Now Sam's voice didn't sound angry, just confused. She moved her arms and stretched her legs out in front of her. "I don't really know how I'm suppose to handle this, Lou. I can't just pretend that everything is normal. There is nothing normal about it. I need time to think about it."

Ferretti got up off the floor and stood looking down at Sam. "Just don't take too long thinking about it, Sam. OK."

He left the Captain where he had found her. In the dark.

_____________________

"I'm not really sure what I'm meant to be checking for, Sir." Doctor Fraiser held her penlight up to the Colonel's eyes as she spoke. "Bast seems to be keeping you in tip top health."

"It is required to have a pre mission medical check, is it not, Doctor?"

Janet lowered the light and moved away slightly, trying not to show her discomfort at the reminder of Bast's presence.

"Yes, Bast, it is and I can't find anything that would prevent Colonel O'Neill from going on this mission." Janet had almost hoped that she had. She didn't like the idea of the Colonel leaving for the Goa'uld's planet without his team. She was worried about him, but there was nothing specific that she could identify as the cause of her concern.

With a fluid movement, Jack hopped off the examination table. "Thanks, Doc. I'll be seeing you."

"Good luck, Sir." Janet's words bounced off the Colonel's rapidly retreating back.

_____________________

"All set to go, Colonel?" General Hammond asked as Colonel O'Neill strode into the gate room. The Colonel appeared lightly armed for the mission, but the General acknowledged that the ribbon device that was concealed under his sleeve was a formidable weapon by itself.

"Yes, Sir." Jack couldn't help scanning the observation window for the presence of his team. There was no sign of them. He had managed to have a very uncomfortable talk with Daniel the night before. The way that the younger man had refused to meet his eyes through the whole episode still lingered in his mind. Daniel had made it perfectly clear that he would rather be somewhere else, doing anything else but talking to a Goa'uld infested ex friend. Nothing had come of it but the confirmation that his actions regarding Bast had cost him a friendship that he held dear.

He hadn't managed to even speak to Carter. He had hoped that Lou's offer to talk to the Captain would open the door for him, but it obviously hadn't. There had been no sign of her in her lab and when he had checked, he had found that she had left the base to go home. Unable to follow her, Jack had retreated to his quarters and stayed there for the rest of the evening. He had had enough of being the base pariah, enough of being stared at and talked about behind his back by people who had known him for years. His head had been thumping, his eyes hurt and his stomach had been sending warning signals. He had given up on the idea of finding Teal'c. What would have been the point anyway? His so-called friends had made it abundantly clear that they wanted nothing to do with him. He had had enough.

The sound of a wormhole being established echoed through the room and brought Jack back from his thoughts. Shouldering his pack, he moved to stand at the base of the ramp.

"O'Neill!" Teal'c's deep voice stopped him and he was surprised to see the large Jaffa entering the gate room, dressed for a mission.

"Teal'c! What are you doing here?" Jack was clearly surprised to see his "friend" there.

"I have General Hammond's permission to accompany you." Teal'c explained. "I pointed out to him that the presence of your First Prime will add to your authority as a Goa'uld."

"You are correct, Teal'c. Jack and I will be glad of your assistance." Bast replied to the Jaffa in the Goa'uld language.

"I am pleased that I can be of help, Bast." Teal'c answered in the same language, taking his place at the Colonel's side.

As one, they entered the wormhole.

_____________________

From the top of the steep slope, the Colonel and Teal'c looked down at the large Jaffa camp below. They had walked the several miles from the Stargate in companionable silence, watching for any sign of Se'ur's men. The planet was thickly wooded with high snow covered mountains in the distance. So far, they had walked through several large, grass-covered meadows and across two small streams. Jack was reminded of one of some of the National Parks that he had visited on Earth. All in all a pleasant planet, if it hadn't been a Goa'uld held one.

The Colonel had spotted Se'ur's First Prime amongst the large contingent of warriors massed in the small valley. He appeared to still be in charge, the absence of his master obviously no problem.

"How do you wish to proceed?" Teal'c asked, keeping his voice as low as possible.

"I think that a bold approach is the best plan. We walk on down there as if we own the place and demand to be shown obedience and showered with riches. You know, just act like a typical Goa'uld."

"You are hardly dressed as a typical Goa'uld, O'Neill." Teal'c raised an eyebrow at this casual answer to his question.

"The First Prime has already seen Jack in these clothes, Teal'c. It would be foolish to try to hide my affiliation with the Tau'ri at this juncture."

With a nod, Teal'c acknowledged the logic of the Goa'uld's words.

"OK. Let's get this show on the road." With those words, Jack stood and followed by his companion walked calmly down the slope towards the Jaffa encampment.

It did not take long for the first Jaffa to spot the two men approaching. With a shout, the alarm was raised and the sound of staff weapons being primed filled the air. Cak'ta, the First Prime hurried through the ranks of men to see what had caused the commotion. He stopped short in surprise at the sight of the Colonel and Teal'c.

"We are pleased to see that you reached your destination safely." With Jack's approval, Bast took control of the situation. "We decided that we would allow you and your men to become part of our army." Jack turned to the watching warriors. "I am Bast, Destroyer of Gods."

"My Lord." Cak'ta did not hesitate to kneel before this new Goa'uld. He had seen how easily his previous master had been destroyed and had no wish to test the patience of such a powerful God. But he did venture to ask one question as his warriors followed his lead and knelt.

"Why were you on the Tau'ri home world, My Lord?"

Bast allowed herself a small smile at the audacity of the man. "Not all Goa'uld are as afraid of the Tau'ri as your last master. The Tau'ri have their uses. As you can see, my host is one of their most feared warriors, Colonel O'Neill, killer of Ra. It pleases me to use such a formidable enemy as a host. Now, Show me to suitable quarters. My Jaffa, Teal'c will inspect the camp while I refresh myself."

The large ornate tent like structure to which O'Neill was shown was equipped with everything that a god could wish for. The numerous pillows were soft and luxurious, the bed large. With a dismissive wave of his hand at the waiting servants, Jack sunk down into the comfort of them.

"Oh my god!" Bast could feel the waves of pain surging through Jack's head. Jack shut his eyes in a vain attempt to make the agony go away.

"You are becoming worse, Jack. We should not have come."

"We had no choice. Let's just find this device and get out of here as soon as possible. Teal'c will report after he has searched the camp. Hopefully, then it will just be a case of grabbing the thing and running, or if we have to, destroying it." Jack swallowed down the bile that was all he had left in his stomach. Wouldn't do for a God to be seen up chucking.

"Rest now. I will wait for Teal'c and wake you when he returns." Bast spoke soothingly.

Jack gratefully allowed himself to fall into a deep sleep, knowing that Bast would look after him.

_____________________

Teal'c followed Cak'ta through the camp, noting the orderly rows of tents and the general air of efficiency. He was impressed. Se'ur's First Prime was an excellent example to the Jaffa that served him.

"How did you come to serve one of the elders of the Goa'uld? Legends tell that they left this existence for a higher plane eons ago."

Teal'c had expected this question and he and Bast had prepared the answer.

"Bast remained to watch over the world of the Tau'ri. She has been there all along, waiting for the right time to return to the sphere of the System Lords and take her rightful place. I was honored to be chosen by her, as should you be."

"As I am. It will be an honor to serve her." Cak'ta hastened to bow his head in a gesture of subservience. The two men walked on, stopping to speak to the older, veteran warriors and give encouragement to the new recruits. All the while, Teal'c visually searched everything that he saw for evidence of the technology that they had come to find.

"Bast seems to interact with her host, the Tau'ri Colonel. This is not something that I have seen before."

Teal'c decided that Cak'ta was a very brave Jaffa indeed. A God's host was not a normal topic for conversation. He thought well before deciding on his reply.

"Colonel O'Neill and Bast have come to an understanding. He is willing to help her in her endeavors." Teal'c waited for his companion's reaction. He was not disappointed when Cak'ta's face took on a thoughtful expression.

"This is an interesting and unusual situation, Teal'c". Cak'ta was obviously weighing his words as carefully as his companion had been.

"Yes, Cak'ta, it is. Now I must report to Bast. Would you meet with me after I am finished, to discuss this further?" His decision made, Teal'c hurried to report to the Goa'uld.

"O'Neill?" Teal'c was surprised to find the Colonel soundly asleep. Given the precarious nature of their mission, he had thought that O'Neill would have been watchful and alert.

"Teal'c. I am glad that you have returned. Jack is very ill. We must return to the base immediately. I have been unable to awaken him."

"What is wrong with him?" Teal'c was startled by Bast's words. He had no idea that his friend was unwell.

"He would not allow me to tell Doctor Fraiser, but he has experienced intense headaches for several days now. At first I thought that they would pass after I had become familiar with his body and was able to heal him. However, I have been unable to do so and they are worsening." Teal'c could hear the worry even in the reverberating Goa'uld voice. "I fear for him, Teal'c. I do not want my action in taking Jack as an unwilling host to cause him any harm."

Teal'c was extremely worried by the news that Bast had given him. "I have been unable to locate the technology that was used to invade the SGC. O'Neill will be reluctant to return to Earth without it."

"Fucking hell." Jack opened his eyes and squinted at the bright daylight streaming into the tent. "When did you get back? Any luck?" As he attempted to sit up, he bent forward and held his knees with his hands, groaning slightly.

"No, O'Neill, I have not. However, Bast has told me of your sickness. I will speak to Cak'ta and find the machine as soon as possible. Then we will return immediately to Earth." Teal'c spoke in a matter of fact manner, trying to forestall any argument from his commander.

"When did you talk to Bast?" The Colonel's startled question was spoken as he was given the answer internally by the Goa'uld. "Oh. You've been talking about me behind my back!" He attempted a grin, but failed miserably. "Help me up, Teal'c. I think that I should show my ever so superior Goa'uld butt out there to the troops. I think that I'll be able to get a quicker answer that way. Then, once we have the thing, you'll get no argument from me. It's back to Doc Fraiser and her damned little light we go." He reached a hand up to the Jaffa and rose unsteadily to his feet.

"I will help as much as possible, Jack. Allow me to lead the way in this. I understand the Jaffa better than you."

"I also feel that Bast should be the leader in this, O'Neill. Although I have given Cak'ta much food for thought, I do not think that he is ready to forget his loyalty to the System Lords so soon. In time he may join us in our fight against them, but that time has not yet come."

Jack swayed unsteadily. "OK, I can see the logic in that. I'll just sit back and try to not throw up on the nice Jaffa's armor then." As Bast took control of the Colonel's body, he straightened up with a determined expression. Bast was managing to hold the worst of the pain at bay for now, but he knew that she could not do it for long. They needed to get out of here before his weakness became apparent to everyone.

_____________________

Cak'ta eyed his new master with interest as he left the tent. The tall man was obviously in good physical condition, but he seemed an odd choice as a host for such an important Goa'uld. He was older than the average, his hair already going gray and his face was etched with lines of weariness. Cak'ta had also observed the protective way that Teal'c hovered next to him, at times almost appearing to hold him up.

"I wish to see the machine that was used to gain access to the Tau'ri base. Take me to it." Bast's imperious voice woke the First Prime from his reverie. The Goa'uld strode forward, his posture upright, his face impassive, expecting to be obeyed without question. When Cak'ta hesitated Bast frowned and stood waiting, staring into the Jaffa's face. "Well?" The threat was clear.

Cak'ta's face paled. He could see his master's hands moving, seemingly of their own volition, the ribbon device clearly visible on one of them. "My previous master did not allow me to see where the device was kept, My Lord. I know that it must be concealed nearby as, when he got it, he would only be gone from our camp a short time." He cringed as he looked up into the taller man's face, expecting the same reaction that he would have had from Se'ur. He was surprised to see the Goa'uld's eyes close as if in pain.

"Send twenty of your men to search for the machine. I will retire to my tent. See that I am not disturbed." Bast turned to Teal'c and continued, "Accompany me to my tent and then take charge of the search."

"Yes, My Lord." Both warriors bowed their heads in acknowledgement of the orders. Jack turned on his heels and moved slowly back to the haven of the large tent. He barely managed to get into the entrance before he fell to the ground with a soft cry of pain. Teal'c hurried to close the curtains across the opening and knelt beside his stricken friend. The Colonel's limbs began shaking and jerking as he trashed on the silken pillows. As the Jaffa watched in horror, he arched his back before slumping down, unconscious.

_____________________

Captain Carter and Doctor Jackson compared notes in the privacy of Daniel's office. Sam had been horrified to find, on her return to the base, that the Colonel had left on the mission with only Teal'c for backup. She had thought over what Major Ferretti had said and had decided to give the Goa'uld the benefit of the doubt. She had been doubly embarrassed when she and Daniel had been called into the General's office and given a thorough dressing down. He had made it abundantly clear to them that he was disappointed in their handling of the whole affair. Daniel had stood with a sullen look on his face, refusing Hammond's invitation to sit, but she had taken the General's words to heart. After all, this creature had possessed the Colonel for days before it had come to general notice. He had done nothing but be his annoying self in that time. Her decision to support the Colonel on his return wasn't made lightly, but that was the way she would play it and that is what she told Daniel.

Daniel hadn't taken her decision well. He had explained that he could not find it in his heart to trust any Goa'uld. Sam couldn't bring herself to argue with him. She knew that his reasons were emotional rather than logical ones, but she couldn't blame him for that.

God knew what would happen when Teal'c and the Colonel got back. She shivered slightly, a nameless fear edging its fingers down her spine.

_____________________

"What happened?" Jack raised his head from the pillow to find Teal'c crouched over him, an extremely worried look on his face. "Why aren't you leading the search?" He blinked, his mind slow to process the information that he was receiving from his eyes.

"Do you not remember what occurred, O'Neill?" Teal'c had remained with his friend, only leaving to command the Jaffa to begin the search without him. He had watched over the stricken man as he had slept.

"Nope. Last thing I remember is talking to Cak'ta." Jack frowned up at the large man towering over him. There was something... something not right. He searched for the answer but came up with an empty space.

Teal'c saw the moment when Jack realized. The utter devastation of loss. Of abandonment.

"Bast." He searched desperately for her presence, her unique touch. The look on his face was enough to tell Teal'c what had happened. She had gone.

The Colonel surged up, grabbing at Teal'c's arm. "What in God's name happened? Where the Hell is she?" His eyes were wild, his face contorted with grief.

"I do not know, O'Neill. You suffered some sort of seizure. Bast has not made her presence known since." He moved forward to hold the wildly shaking man, cradling him in his arms, aware that at any moment Cak'ta might enter. When the tremors subsided he laid the Colonel down gently, disentangling his arms.

"I will ascertain the progress of the search. Remain here." Teal'c left before the Colonel had time to argue. Hurrying outside, he scanned the surrounding hills for any sign of the Jaffa returning. The rest of the camp remained quiet, unaware of the drama being played out in their midst. There was no doubt that O'Neill could not remain on this planet. He needed medical care urgently.

Teal'c had made up his mind. No technology was worth the life of his friend. He would return to the SGC immediately. He turned and hurried back to the tent.

"Teal'c!" Cak'ta's cry held Teal'c in place. The other warrior had just reached the edge of the encampment, carrying a large, featureless box. "We have found it." As he came closer, Teal'c could see the look of relief on the other's face. It did not do to anger a Goa'uld.

"I will convey it to Bast." Teal'c took the heavy container from the other man. "Bast does not wish to be disturbed. The Colonel is tired and needs to rest."

Cak'ta nodded. "Please convey my gratitude to Bast for allowing me this chance to be of service." He watched as Teal'c carried the box away, a calculating look on his grim face.

_____________________

Dusk had settled over the valley by the time that Teal'c re entered the tent. Colonel O'Neill still lay where he left him, cocooned in the silken pillows. He stirred as Teal'c knelt beside him.

"I have the machine, O'Neill. We should leave immediately."

"Leave?" Jack looked confusedly at Teal'c.

"Yes, O'Neill, we must return to Earth."

Jack tried to concentrate, but the ache in his head made it so very hard. "We should leave?" He was so tired that he could hardly keep his eyes open. "Where are we?"

Teal'c could see the confusion in the other man's face. He reached out and put his hand on Jack's forehead. No sign of fever. He almost wished that there had been. At least then there would be an explanation for O'Neill's behavior.

"Come, O'Neill. We must leave this place." Teal'c moved to help his friend up.

"No, Teal'c, we will not."

Teal'c dropped his hand with a startled exclamation. The Colonel sat up, his eyes glowing hotly in the darkness.

"O'Neill thought that you had gone, Bast. Why did you deceive him?"

"I did not deceive him deliberately. I was unable to communicate before now. There is something very wrong here. My presence is killing us both and there is nothing that I can do. I must leave him as soon as possible."

"I have recovered the device that enabled the Goa'uld to enter to Gate Room." Teal'c pointed to the large box on the floor beside him. "Now that we have it, there is no reason to stay. We should return to Earth immediately."

"No. By the time that we reach the Chappa'i it will be too late for Jack. I will not allow him to die. Even if I leave him now I am not sure that he will recover. You must return with him to Earth as soon as you can." Bast looked at Teal'c through the Colonel's eyes. "The only way that I can help Jack now is to leave him. Then he stands some chance of surviving."

Teal'c never thought that he would feel compassion for a Goa'uld. "Is there no way that you cannot transfer to another host?' He knew that he was clutching at straws, the Jaffa could not be host to a Goa'uld and there was no one else that he was aware of on the planet.

"No, my friend. There is no suitable host." Teal'c swallowed at the Goa'uld's choice of words. He watched as the Colonel lay back down. "Do not tell Jack what has occurred here. I have seen into the dark places of his soul and I know that he has much sorrow to bear. I would not add to it. Just tell him that I left because he was ill. That way he will feel no sadness, no pity."

Teal'c took the Colonel's hand and nodded. "I will do as you ask, Bast. It has been an honor to know you, if only for a short time."

He bowed his head in respect as the light died from O'Neill's eyes. The sinuous shape of a Goa'uld snake slowly appeared at the mouth of the unconscious man. Teal'c could not help but gasp in astonishment as Bast's full length became apparent. She undulated out of Jack's gaping mouth to fall with an audible slap to the floor, before weakly moving. It was not long before the movements stilled and the only sound in the tent was the harsh breathing of the sick man.

Picking up the dead Goa'uld from where she lay Teal'c wrapped the body reverently in a cloth. He quickly concealed it in his pack, watching all the while for any sign that the Colonel was aware of what had happened. Seeing that Jack appeared to be sleeping again, he took the chance to leave, hurrying to the woods at the rear of the camp. The spot that he chose for the grave was in a quiet clearing, under a large oak like tree. He left no marking on the small grave, carefully replacing the sods of grass over it. Teal'c stood silently for a moment before almost running in his hurry to get back to Colonel O'Neill.

_____________________

Cak'ta had watched as Bast's Jaffa left the tent on some undisclosed errant. This would be the chance that he had waited for. The chance to talk to the God alone, tell him of his loyalty and make him aware that it was he who had found the machine, not Teal'c. Cak'ta was an ambitious man. If he could become the First Prime of an Elder Goa'uld, he would be in a position of power. He carefully opened the curtain in the tent's entrance, his eyes adjusting to the dim light of the torches. The tall figure of the Tau'ri was lying on the bed, his eyes shut. As Cak'ta crept closer he could see a thin line of sweat lining the other man's brow, his face pale. The Jaffa was puzzled. There was something not right with the picture that he saw here. He leaned over the supine man.

"What are you doing in here?" The voice was loud and angry.

Cak'ta straightened up and turned to face the furious man. "What is wrong with our master?" he countered.

The two men faced each other, one on either side of the Colonel. Teal'c glanced down and found the Colonel's eyes open, looking up at the two of them in bewilderment. Without thinking, he bent and placed a reassuring hand on his commander's arm.

"Do not worry, O'Neill. I will take you home soon." Jack nodded, the pain showing in his face. He allowed his body to relax, confident in Teal'c's ability to take care of everything. For some reason every muscle ached, every small movement that he made was agony.

"I need your help, Cak'ta." Teal'c had no choice but to confide in the other warrior. He hoped that his instincts about this man were correct. "Colonel O'Neill is extremely ill. We must take the device and return to the Tau'ri base."

"But what of Bast? Can she not cure her host?"

Teal'c gestured at the other man to sit and took a place next to him, speaking as softly as possible. "Bast could not help O'Neill. Her presence was the cause of the Colonel's illness and she made the decision to leave him so as to save his life. She is dead."

"How can that be? Bast is a God. She could not die." Cak'ta spoke in a whisper, unable to so readily accept what he already knew in his heart to be the truth.

Teal'c knew that he had to leave with the Colonel as soon as he could, but he also knew the importance of teaching the truth to as many of his fellow jaffa as possible. He sat with Cak'ta and told him of his experiences with the Tau'ri.

"Do not allow yourself to be controlled by another Goa'uld. Take your men and spread the word of the lies that the Goa'uld tell," he finished. Cak'ta nodded slowly.

The doubts that Bast had planted back in the Gate Room had come to fruition on this planet.

_____________________

Teal'c entered the final symbol into the DHD. He and Cak'ta had virtually carried Colonel O'Neill to the Gate, the older man barely able to walk. The Colonel had seemed to be less confused now, however it was clear that, as she had feared, Bast's leaving him had not fully restored him to health.

Jack leaned against the side of the DHD. He had spent much of the slow trip from the camp thinking on what had happened. Teal'c had told him that Bast had fled his body when he had seemed to be dying, taking one of the Jaffa's servants as a host. He found it hard to believe that Bast had deserted him to save her own life. The loss that he felt was almost as bad as the empty place that he had where his son had once been. That was an empty place that could never be filled. This was a loss caused by the betrayal of one that he had risked everything to help. This he could not forgive. He tried to ignore the strange sensations flowing through him, the stabs in his head, the shivers running through his limbs. He just wanted to go home and sleep for as long as he could. As the wormhole established, Jack stepped forward and keyed in SG-1's ID. Without a backward glance, he moved up the steps at the base of the gate and silently waited for Teal'c to make his farewells to Cak'ta.

_____________________

"It's SG-1's ID, Sir."

"Open the iris." General Hammond hurried down the steps from the Control Room followed closely by Captain Carter. They arrived just as the Colonel and Teal'c stepped on to the ramp.

"Welcome home, Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c. Was your mission successful?" The General was relieved to see the two men.

"It was, General Hammond. This is the device that was used to open the hole in the iris. I have been told that it is the only one that is known to the Goa'uld and that they are unable to replicate the technology." Teal'c held the black box out to Sam, who took it with a pleased grin.

"Well done, gentlemen." Hammond took a closer look at the silent Colonel. "I'll see you in the briefing room as soon as you have been checked out by Doctor Fraiser." He waited for a response, but it was several seconds before he got one.

The Colonel's voice was dull and lifeless "Yes, Sir." He turned and began to walk from the room. With a quick glance at the General for permission, Teal'c hurried after him, catching him up as he entered the elevator. Jack stood, leaning against the side wall, his stare unfocused. The soft beep as the elevator doors opened roused him and he walked the few short feet to the door of the infirmary, Teal'c following closely behind.

"Colonel O'Neill!" Janet gave Jack a wide smile as she hurried forward to greet the two men. "I'm glad to see that you're back and seemingly in one piece for a change." She gestured to the Colonel to take his familiar place on the examination bed. "I know that there isn't much point in doing this with Bast here, Sir, but we might as well get the formalities over with."

Jack could not disguise the shudder that ran through him. Stopping her movements, Janet looked up at him inquiringly.

"Is there something wrong, Colonel?" Out of the corner of her eye she caught Teal'c giving a slight warning shake of his head.

"Bast isn't here any more, Doc." No one could mistake the angry tone in Jack's voice. He almost snarled his next words. "When the going got tough she cut and ran." He ran his long, thin fingers through his hair. "She couldn't wait to leave. But she certainly left me with a farewell present."

"Colonel O'Neill has been experiencing severe headaches for some time now, Doctor Fraiser." Teal'c interjected. He waited for the Colonel to elaborate, but Jack remained stubbornly silent, an obstinate look on his face. "He suffered some sort of fit whilst on the planet. It was this that caused Bast to leave him."

"Abandon me, more like! Took her snakey little body off to a new, improved sucker." Jack's hands began to shake as he became more emotional.

"A fit?" Janet became increasingly concerned as Teal'c described the Colonel's symptoms in more detail. She reached for the machinery next to the bed.

"Lie down , Sir. I want to do some tests."

"I don't need tests, Doc. I just need to get a good night's sleep without having someone else's thoughts disturbing me." The Colonel began to get up. Janet placed a restraining hand on his chest.

"Stay right there, Sir. That's your doctor's orders."

With a discontented grunt, Jack slumped back on the bed, his gaze becoming vacant, his breathing labored. He raised a hand to his head and held it there, tightly clutching at his temples.

"What's wrong, Colonel." Janet pulled the hand away and looked into his eyes.

"Dizzy." The one word was an agonized whisper. Without warning, the Colonel became rigid, every muscle contracting as he arched on the bed, before the same violent shaking that Teal'c had seen in the Goa'uld's tent began. This time it seemed to the horrified Jaffa that the jerking lasted forever, Jack's arms and legs hitting any thing in their way. Then the Colonel's body suddenly relaxed completely.

"He's not breathing!" The suddenness of the medical emergency had taken Janet by surprise, but her professional instinct took over as she called for help from her staff. Pushing Teal'c to one side, they began the difficult task of placing a tube into Jack's throat to help him breath. They had barely managed to get it in place before his body began to seize again.

_____________________

"What is Colonel O'Neill's condition, Doctor?" General Hammond stood looking down at the figure of his officer lying on the bed.

"I've confirmed that the Goa'uld is no longer in his body, General. There doesn't appear to be any trace of her left, so I can only assume that what the Colonel said was true and she left voluntarily. As to the Colonel's current condition..." She paused and placed a worried hand on her patient. "He has suffered several seizures over the last hour. I've given him anticonvulsive medication but that only seems to last a short while before it's effects wear off. If the seizures continue, I'll have to use a muscle paralyzing anesthesia." She tore her gaze from the stricken man and turned to look at the General. "I've started a series of tests to establish the cause, Sir. Hopefully the MRI and blood tests will give us some idea of what we are dealing with."

The General nodded in acknowledgement of her words. "Why is he intubated?"

"He wasn't getting enough time for his breathing to return to normal between the seizures, General. There was danger of brain damage if I hadn't placed the tube." Janet closed her eyes briefly at the thought of what her friend was going through. The punishment that the fits were dealing to his body was enormous. "Have Captain Carter and Doctor Jackson been told, General?" She had expected to see the rest of SG-1 in the infirmary before now. Teal'c was sitting quietly in the far corner observing every movement around his CO's bed.

"I informed Captain Carter a few minutes ago, Doctor, but Doctor Jackson has left for the day and can't be reached on his cell. Perhaps Captain Carter will know where to find him."

There was the sound of hurrying footsteps as Sam appeared in the doorway. Her eyes widened at the sight of the Colonel. Teal'c stood and moved to stand alongside her.

"What happened?" Sam almost whispered the question as she took in the fact that Jack was surrounded by equipment, his breathing obviously being assisted.

"I believe that it was Bast's presence in his body that has caused this, Captain Carter. I am sure that now she is gone, O'Neill will recover." Teal'c's deep calm, voice helped Sam to calm herself. She gave him a puzzled glance.

"Bast is gone?" Sam asked softly, her gaze still fixed on the inert form of her CO and friend.

"Indeed. She left when the Colonel became ill offworld." Teal'c did not go into any details, knowing that the Captain was trying to take in the fact that her Commander had seemed well when he returned through the Stargate. To see him so gravely ill a short time later, was a huge shock for her.

"Hopefully the tests will be able to give us a clue as to what's happening to the Colonel, Sam and we'll be able to treat him." Janet gave the worried woman a reassuring smile.

"Would you have any idea where Doctor Jackson is, Captain?" General Hammond interrupted. "We haven't been able to locate him."

Sam tore her eyes away from the sick man to look at the General. She frowned slightly in thought before answering. "As far as I know, he was going straight home. Maybe he forgot to turn his cell on.' She knew that Daniel had still been very upset with the whole Jack/Bast situation and had left to avoid a confrontation. She hadn't been able to reason with him, Daniel's emotions too raw for any argument to work.

"I'll send someone to his apartment then, Captain. Please inform me if anything changes, Doctor. I'll be in my office." Hammond left the room, concern still evident on his face.

"Can we stay, Janet?" Sam looked at the small doctor pleadingly.

"Sure, Sam, but please stay over there." Nodding in agreement, Teal'c and Sam moved to sit where the Doctor had pointed, watching as the medical team worked on the Colonel.

Time seemed to slow as they waited. With each seizure they saw the faces around them change from optimistic to resigned.

_____________________

"Jack!" Daniel's terrified cry woke Sam from her short nap. She had been sitting for hours now and finally fatigue had won out and her eyes had closed. She sat up with a start to find Daniel standing next to the Colonel's bed, his expression wild. She went to him and grabbed his arm to pull him around to face her.

"Where the hell have you been?" All the anger and frustration of the last few hours spilt out as she glared at him. "You should have been here."

Daniel stood rigidly next to her. "I was at a bar. I didn't want to talk to him." His eyes flickered back to the man in the bed. "God! I didn't know that he was sick."

Sam made herself relax as she saw the guilt on Daniel's face. "I know. I'm sorry that I snapped. It's just been such a shock." She forced her friend to move from the bed, seating him beside Teal'c in one of the hard visitor's chairs. "I'll go find Janet and see if she has any of the test results back. Maybe we can figure out what's doing this. You wait here with Teal'c." She gave the Jaffa quick look and Teal'c lowered his head slightly in understanding.

Sam found Janet hunched over her desk, reading the test results for the third time. She straightened up as the other woman walked into the office. General Hammond entered hard on her heels.

"Any word, Janet?"

"Yes, Sam. I think that I've managed to identify the cause of the Colonel's fits. I was about to report to the General."

"Go ahead, Doctor." Hammond looked as tired as she felt, thought Sam as he spoke.

"The MRI showed a small abscess in the Colonel's brain. It seems to be interfering with his brain's electrical signals, causing what I can only describe as severe epileptic seizures."

There was stunned silence as the two people listening took in the information.

"What can be done, Doctor?" The General asked, frowning with concern.

"We'll have to operate, Sir. It's the only answer. The Colonel isn't responding to normal treatment. This must have been caused by the Goa'uld presence. It's the only explanation. If we can remove the abscess he should return to normal." Doctor Fraiser paused, then spoke as firmly as she could. "There are no guarantees that it will work. I have to advise you that the damage may be already too much, General, but we must act soon, before there is no chance to save the Colonel at all."

"What do you need, Doctor?" The General asked, the decision already made.

"Just the best brain surgeon that we can find, General. We can't move Colonel O'Neill so anyone that we call in will have to be cleared to enter the base."

"Let me worry about that, Doctor." General Hammond spoke decisively, already on his feet. As he left the office, Sam turned to Janet with a helpless look. The small woman took the other in her arms, giving her a brief hug before holding her at arms length.

"Jack will be OK, Sam. We have to believe that, for his sake as well as our own. "She shook her head ruefully. "Look at us. This isn't doing anyone any good. Come on, let's get back to the Colonel."

Jack could feel the tightness pressing on his head, the pressure building yet again as he struggled to stop the terrifying waves of nausea and dizziness from taking over once more. He could hear the familiar voices of his team talking nearby. Finally, by a supreme effort of will he managed to wrench his eyes open and tried to speak around the constriction in his throat.

The familiar face of the Doc swam into view, her damned penlight poised.

"Colonel. Try to relax, Sir." The figures of Carter, Daniel and Teal'c hovered on the edge of his vision as the Doc smiled down at him. Jack fought to stay with them, but once again he could feel the stiffening of his muscles as his body descended into the nightmare of another seizure.

His team watched on in horror as Colonel O'Neill thrashed on the bed, almost pulling the IV lines from his arms.

Jack's mind was drifting pleasantly, his body relaxed, all pain and stress gone. He vaguely remembered a time, not that very long before when the opposite had been the case. He relished the absence of the headache that he had suffered for so long. There was no need to wake up just yet.

Days had passed since the Colonel's operation. Daniel, Sam and Teal'c took turns sitting, waiting for their friend to wake, the General and Major Ferretti regular visitors. The surgeon had spoken with cautious opportunism after successfully removing the abscess on Jack's brain. Tests on it had shown that it was an abnormal growth probably caused by the effects of the Goa'uld infestation. Now they just had to wait for the Colonel to wake up.

Daniel reached out and took the slack hand of his friend. Jack's face was pale beneath the bandages. The only sign of improvement was his steady, unlabored breathing, the tube having been removed. As the time went on, Janet had tried to hide her anxiety from her friends but they could tell by the worried conferences she held with the neurologist that things were not going well.

"Any change?" Sam and Teal'c had returned from getting lunch.

"Nope. None." Daniel's voice was despondent.

"Why don't you take a break and get some fresh air, Daniel. It'll help to take your mind off things."

"I don't want to take my mind off things, Sam" Daniel countered, his mouth held in a firm line. "I wasn't here when Jack needed me before and I don't intend to leave him now."

Sam sighed. "Alright then. Let's turn on the television."

"That is a good idea, Captain Carter. We could watch the movie that is about to start." Teal'c's eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "I believe that it is Star Wars."

"Oh come on, Teal'c! We've seen that so often that we know all the dialogue off by heart." Sam was pleased to see that Daniel was showing an interest in the discussion. He reached for the TV guide. "Why don't we watch the wildlife documentary?"

"I wouldn't mind watching that quiz show." Sam mischievously added fuel to the argument.

"I want to watch the hockey game." A dry, scratchy voice announced.

"Typical. Is that all that you ever watch, sport?"

"I like sport. So, sue me."

As one the three member of SG-1, their faces blank with shock, turned to the man on the bed.

"Colonel!" Sam's cry alerted Doctor Frasier. She hurried from her office to join the smiling group.

"Hey, Guys." The familiar greeting, hoarse though it was, was the best sound that the others had heard in days. Colonel O'Neill's brown eyes were hooded and tired but his mouth was curved in a smile as he looked up at his friends. "Can I watch the hockey now?"

_____________________

Jack had been given the "talk" by the Doc. The one where she told him not to expect to leave the infirmary any time soon and not to annoy her nurses. Some of the impact was lost because she couldn't keep a broad grin from her face whenever she caught his eye. Jack didn't argue with her, much to her amazement. Although he felt better than he had since Bast had first invaded his body, he was still extremely tired and weak, his whole system thrown out by the changes that the Goa'uld had caused. He tried to rest as much as possible, spending hours at a time just lying back with his eyes shut, reveling in the lack of pain. The time passed slowly, but for once he wasn't bored, although he would never have admitted it to Janet. After a while his team members took on other assignments while waiting for him to return to duty. They spent most of their free time sitting in his room, watching television, bickering and generally attempting to restore some sort of normality to their relationship.

Life went on in the mountain.

_____________________

General Hammond crept quietly into Colonel O'Neill's room. He had taken to visiting his 2IC in the early hours of the morning, when the rest of the base was asleep. Normally the Colonel was wide-awake at this time, his body clock affected by the large amount of sleep that he was getting during the day. The two men enjoyed their talks. The General could discuss the various off world missions, getting Jack's unique impressions of the team's reports. The Colonel was able to keep in touch with the running of the base, keep abreast of all the news and, surprisingly, the gossip. It went a long way to help the Colonel's mood. Hammond showed an astonishing awareness of the undercurrents behind the everyday actions of his people. Jack's respect for his superior had grown with every visit.

This night, however, Hammond found the Colonel sound asleep. The General sat down in the chair next to him, happy to wait and see if the other man would wake soon. If he didn't, he still appreciated the chance to rest. He leaned back with his hands hooked behind his head, his feet outstretched and shut his eyes.

The sound of a soft voice broke into the General's thoughts, causing him to sit up in his seat. Colonel O'Neill was twisting slightly under the sheets, muttering under his breath.

"Jack?" Hammond spoke quietly, checking that the Colonel was still asleep. He could make out the only a few of his friend's words. Leaning forward he listened more intently.

"I should have known better. Should have known." Jack was becoming more agitated as the dream progressed. "Fucking snake! I should have known." His voice was rising, his breath becoming labored. The night nurse came hurrying into the room, but stopped short at the sight of the General.

"It's alright, nurse." With a shake of his head Hammond dismissed her and turned back to Jack. He bent over him and gently placed a hand on the writhing man's shoulder.

"Jack. Wake up, son." Hammond said softly yet, at the same time, forcefully.

The Colonel's eyes flew open, wide with the memory of the dream. "Oh crap!" He wiped his hands down his face.

"Do you want to tell me about it, Jack?" Hammond asked.

"No, not really, George." Jack stared down at his hands, before raising his eyes to meet the older man's gaze. "But I suppose that I had better, or the next thing I know, you'll be sending me off to see MacKenzie."

"I know how much you'd love that, son, so how about telling me instead?" The General kept his hand on the Colonel's shoulder as the other man began to relax.

"It's the damned snake, Sir. Bast. I can't forget how I let myself trust her, let her in. She haunts my dreams, waiting to pounce, waiting to get back in." He swallowed and briefly shut his eyes before continuing. "And it's not just Bast. It's other people that I see. The ones that left me when I needed them. Sara, Cromwell, even Charlie." The General could see the glistening of unshed tears in the Colonel's eyes. "Shit! Even Daniel and Carter. They all just left when I needed their help most. I've tried to forget, even forgive, but the dreams creep up on me. The people that I trust the most deserting me when I most needed them." Jack gulped back the tears that threatened to fall. "I should know better than to let my guard down like that. You'd think that I would have learnt by now."

Hammond pressed the Colonel's shoulder gently. "You can't let yourself lose your faith in your friends, Jack. Doctor Jackson and Captain Carter may have hurt you, but they still deserve your trust. You can't spend your life not allowing anyone to get close. Everyone needs people that they can rely on and you have some of the best around you here. If there is one thing that I've learnt, Jack, it's that life's too short to burn bridges. You'll end up on the wrong side of the river without any way of getting back."

"The old up the creek without a paddle scenario, George?" Jack's soft brown eyes twinkled with laughter. He put his hand on top of the General's and gave it a squeeze. "Thanks, Sir. I was letting myself get a little morbid there. Now, what was that you were telling me last night about Sergeant Thompson and the broken stool? You never did finish the story."

Colonel O'Neill settled his head back into the pillow as General Hammond smiled and began to relate the hilarious incident that had happened in one of the labs. Jack grinned more at the fact that the Commander of the SGC was aware of all the details despite the fact that it had happened four floors away from his office and a million times divorced from the cares of command.

The General was right, Jack thought, there certainly were people deserving of his trust. One of them was with him now. But, he thought grimly for a moment, before turning his attention back to the man sitting beside him, he would never let himself trust a snake again.

The End