subsided. A few minutes later, it was Daniel's
turn... not so much a whimper as a cry, half-formed. His whole body
twitched. Not like Daniel had any shortage of bad dream material to
work with, Jack thought. Nowhere near as much as Jack had himself,
of course; years of black ops and POW stints were the proverbial
winning hand in that area. Well, maybe Teal'c could beat him. No
question that Teal'c must have seen and suffered a lot under Apophis;
no question that he'd performed atrocities, even if he hadn't been
through them himself. Jack wasn't so sure that it was any easier from
the side of the aggressor. A lot of his late-night regrets had to do with
pulling triggers, rather than getting shot.
He wondered if Teal'c would ever talk about that, and thought he
probably wouldn't. The Jaffa didn't seem to be big with the sharing.
Carter whimpered again, then made a louder sound, kind of an
eager moan. Jack glanced over at her again and saw that her head was
back, light falling over her face, and she was smiling.
At least one of them was having a good dream.
Running. Always running.
She vaults soundlessly over a fallen stone column, lands with
perfect balance and continues the chase. She can hear the panicked
heartbeat of her prey, loud as thunder in her ears. He is clumsy, and
she is elegantly quick. Her skin flashes white in the moonlight as she
moves from shadow into the open.
She sees another hunter break cover to run with her hunting in
concert. His grace and strength match her own, and they run, run,
pacing and panting, following the prey that clumsily dodges ahead,
looking for shelter.
There is no shelter; no mercy, nothing but the inevitability of moonlight. She laughs soundlessly, full offierce and aching joy, red red joy, and feels the echo of itfrom the one who runs with her. His hair is lank
and sweated to his face in darkpoints, and he has lost the trappings of
who he once was, but she knows him - knew him - as someone else.
His eyes are all blackpupil, blown open with fierce desire, and she
feels the same rising tide of need and frantic hunger
They run, chasing the prey.
Just as the prey turns to fight them, just before she tastes blood, she
sees that the prey wears Jack O'Neill r face and has a clear moment
of sanity that shakes her to the core, and she thinks No this can't be
happening no I have to stop now but then it is gone, and there is only
red, and joy, and the screaming.
Something outside.
Jack came instantly on alert but didn't make an outward move or
sound; whatever it was, it was moving slowly, with a faint, rhythmic
scrape. It stayed in the deepest shadows, next to the still-intact far
wall, and it wasn't until he used his peripheral vision that he spotted
what was making the noise.
Human. Crawling.
"Teal'c," Jack said. The Jaffa's eyes snapped open, and he practically levitated up to join Jack at the door. Jack jerked his chin in the
direction of the sound. "Cover me."
"You are injured, O'Neill."
Before Jack could tell him to stick it, Teal'c was out the door and
moving fluidly across the open ground, staff weapon held ready to
fire. Jack got the MP5 to his shoulder and waited tensely, well aware
that accurate fire under these conditions was going to be just about
impossible, then breathed out a sigh of relief when Teal'c put his staff
back to safe position and crouched down in the shadows.
"T?" Jack keyed the radio in his vest and kept his eyes on the Jaffa
as he did.
"It is a man," Teal'c said. "I will bring him inside."
"Wait... is he sick?"
"No, O'Neill. He is injured."
"Okay. Go."
Jack shuffled back from the door as Teal'c ducked inside, carrying
a limp body as easily as if it was a blanket. Daniel sat up, glasses still askew. Carter went from peaceful sleep to an instantly alert position,
fluid and graceful; her MP5 swung into firing position.
"Easy," Jack barked. "Stand down, Captain."
Her eyes cleared, and she let the weapon drop
turn... not so much a whimper as a cry, half-formed. His whole body
twitched. Not like Daniel had any shortage of bad dream material to
work with, Jack thought. Nowhere near as much as Jack had himself,
of course; years of black ops and POW stints were the proverbial
winning hand in that area. Well, maybe Teal'c could beat him. No
question that Teal'c must have seen and suffered a lot under Apophis;
no question that he'd performed atrocities, even if he hadn't been
through them himself. Jack wasn't so sure that it was any easier from
the side of the aggressor. A lot of his late-night regrets had to do with
pulling triggers, rather than getting shot.
He wondered if Teal'c would ever talk about that, and thought he
probably wouldn't. The Jaffa didn't seem to be big with the sharing.
Carter whimpered again, then made a louder sound, kind of an
eager moan. Jack glanced over at her again and saw that her head was
back, light falling over her face, and she was smiling.
At least one of them was having a good dream.
Running. Always running.
She vaults soundlessly over a fallen stone column, lands with
perfect balance and continues the chase. She can hear the panicked
heartbeat of her prey, loud as thunder in her ears. He is clumsy, and
she is elegantly quick. Her skin flashes white in the moonlight as she
moves from shadow into the open.
She sees another hunter break cover to run with her hunting in
concert. His grace and strength match her own, and they run, run,
pacing and panting, following the prey that clumsily dodges ahead,
looking for shelter.
There is no shelter; no mercy, nothing but the inevitability of moonlight. She laughs soundlessly, full offierce and aching joy, red red joy, and feels the echo of itfrom the one who runs with her. His hair is lank
and sweated to his face in darkpoints, and he has lost the trappings of
who he once was, but she knows him - knew him - as someone else.
His eyes are all blackpupil, blown open with fierce desire, and she
feels the same rising tide of need and frantic hunger
They run, chasing the prey.
Just as the prey turns to fight them, just before she tastes blood, she
sees that the prey wears Jack O'Neill r face and has a clear moment
of sanity that shakes her to the core, and she thinks No this can't be
happening no I have to stop now but then it is gone, and there is only
red, and joy, and the screaming.
Something outside.
Jack came instantly on alert but didn't make an outward move or
sound; whatever it was, it was moving slowly, with a faint, rhythmic
scrape. It stayed in the deepest shadows, next to the still-intact far
wall, and it wasn't until he used his peripheral vision that he spotted
what was making the noise.
Human. Crawling.
"Teal'c," Jack said. The Jaffa's eyes snapped open, and he practically levitated up to join Jack at the door. Jack jerked his chin in the
direction of the sound. "Cover me."
"You are injured, O'Neill."
Before Jack could tell him to stick it, Teal'c was out the door and
moving fluidly across the open ground, staff weapon held ready to
fire. Jack got the MP5 to his shoulder and waited tensely, well aware
that accurate fire under these conditions was going to be just about
impossible, then breathed out a sigh of relief when Teal'c put his staff
back to safe position and crouched down in the shadows.
"T?" Jack keyed the radio in his vest and kept his eyes on the Jaffa
as he did.
"It is a man," Teal'c said. "I will bring him inside."
"Wait... is he sick?"
"No, O'Neill. He is injured."
"Okay. Go."
Jack shuffled back from the door as Teal'c ducked inside, carrying
a limp body as easily as if it was a blanket. Daniel sat up, glasses still askew. Carter went from peaceful sleep to an instantly alert position,
fluid and graceful; her MP5 swung into firing position.
"Easy," Jack barked. "Stand down, Captain."
Her eyes cleared, and she let the weapon drop
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