Title: Passage (1/6)

Author: Kellifer

Email: (same for MSN addy)

Category: Action / Angst / Romance

Rating: Chapter 1 - PG (Later chapters to be advised)

Summary: Stranded offworld, told through the increments of time. (Sam/Jack - Team friendship)

Disclaimer: DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and
places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret
Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment No monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the
author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is
coincidental and not intended by the author.

-Passage-

-One Hour-

Jack O'Neill had always been ruled by his instincts, and when they screamed at him that something was wrong, he trusted them. Everything was supposed to be routine, even easy, but it never seemed to be for him and the other members of his team. They attracted trouble like metal filaments to a magnet. He had always thought it incredible that they were all still alive. He supposed Daniel had died enough times to cover them all, karmic-ly speaking.

But there was that wrong feeling, as common to him now as Daniel having a coffee in his hand at all hours of the day and Sam being able to speak in entire sentences where the only words he understood were 'and' and 'the'. The wrong feeling was being accompanied by a mounting sense of dread, as if his body was instinctively bracing itself for pain. He had time to think 'this is gonna hurt' and then it happened.

Jack felt like someone had kicked him in the stomach and small of the back simultaneously. He got a sense of space and so tucked, preparing to roll when he hit solid ground, hoping that the fall he was currently involved in was short enough to allow rolling to actually do anything helpful. All too quickly the ground did arrive and he felt pain, hot and glassy, as his legs met it first. He skidded to a halt with his P90 jammed painfully against his ribs and the certainty that he had really screwed his knees for good that time. Thoughts of his own pain disappeared as soon as they had arrived though because he knew the other members of his team would be coming through the Stargate he had with the same velocity. Although he knew Sam would automatically protect herself from too much damage as he would and Teal'c was always pretty tough to hurt permanently, Daniel was always a worry. He sat up, despite his back yelling in protest and looked around. He could see the Stargate off to his left and the wormhole was still engaged. He'd been first through. A disturbance broke across the watery mouth of the 'gate and a body flew through the center, as hard and fast as he had.

He didn't have time to get out of the way.

"Ooof!" He was rolling again, carried by the force of Samantha Carter's entry into the world. They came to a halt and Sam looked up, lying across him awkwardly and with their faces close. "Sir?" She said, a little dazed. The liquid sound of another body hurtling through the 'gate made Jack roll sideways, carrying Carter with him. He'd been hit by enough people for one day, he figured. There was a meaty thud as Daniel hit the ground right where they had both been. Jack reached over to tug Daniel towards himself as Teal'c made an equally ungraceful entry and landed a few metres short of where they were. Jack heard the Jaffa exclaim in a language he didn't know, but by the tone he understood it was probably a pretty colourful string of curses. Teal'c sat up immediately, his first thoughts for the others of his group as Jack's had been.

Sam's weight disappeared as she scrambled over to Daniel. He was making groggy noises like he was waking up and Jack could see blood pouring from a nasty looking gash to his head. Sam was immediately trying to staunch the flow, using the bottom of her shirt to hold against his head with one hand while she tried to search through her pack awkwardly with the other. Jack managed to scramble over to them both and took the pack from her, looking for gauze or bandaging, anything to press against the head wound. Teal'c was by his side silent and quick, his brows knitted together in concern. Jack looked back up at the 'gate as it disengaged and there was a splash of blood across one side. He thought with a grimace that Daniel must have clipped the edge with his head on the way through.

"The only other time we have exited the gate in such a fashion was when we did not follow normal 'gate protocol." Teal'c intoned, standing up and looking back toward the 'gate. Sam was busy working on Daniel but her face tightened at the mention of the world they had almost inadvertently destroyed. "We didn't do anything unusual with this one." She snapped, pausing to rub a hand across her forehead, leaving a streak of Daniel's blood across her temple. "Quit it." Daniel complained, pushing weakly at Sam's hands. She slapped them away and took the tape Jack had proffered to her to secure a piece of gauze to Daniel's wound. "Daniel, you've hit your head and you're bleeding. Stop fussing." Her tone was completely different with the archeologist. There was a business-like quality to it but gentleness underneath.

Jack was also starting to wonder just what had happened now that Daniel was protesting and squirming a sure sign that he wasn't hurt too badly. Teal'c stood over them, looking towards the 'gate, his face puzzled. Jack hadn't had a trip like that since… well, ever. He knew the trek through the wormhole had been rough the first couple of times before Sam smoothed things out by compensating for…something complicated, he thought, but he'd never felt anything similar. Even when they'd gone through the Stargate to the world they'd almost doomed, it had been a jolt when they'd come through, but nothing like what just happened. He was still aching. He would be sore, but was relieved to discover that he hadn't done his knees in too badly. He stood also, accepting Teal'c's proffered hand with no feeling of wounded pride. His knees protested weakly, but held him. He unclipped his P90 and felt his sides carefully. He thought there was probably bruising but he didn't think he'd actually broken any ribs. For that he was also grateful.

"Well, whatever happened, we're turning around and heading straight back so we can get Daniel looked at." He said, rescuing his sunglasses from around his neck and slipping them on. He had the chance to take in that there was the usual plethora of trees surrounding them and the day was sunny and warm with a pleasant scent to the air. He thought it a pity that they couldn't hang around. "Dial us home." He said and Teal'c bowed his head once and then headed for the DHD. Sam had helped Daniel to sit up, who squinted up at Jack. "Sorry." He said, embarrassment in his tone. Jack waved off the apology with a flick of the hand. That was Daniel for you, Jack mused. Who else would come hurtling through a Stargate, hit their head on the side of the damn thing and then apologise, as if it could be avoided. Jack understood though, no matter how many times they reassured Daniel, the younger man always felt like he was a burden to the team, at least physically. Daniel of course didn't know that other SG leaders envied Jack's team. Daniel was in good shape, could use a firearm and although he protested, he also understood the necessity for military decisions. Daniel would argue vehemently, all the while doing whatever Jack had asked him to when it truly came down to it.

"O'Neill!" Teal'c called. "We seem to have a problem."

Jack turned and saw the large man standing by the DHD, staff weapon leaning against it and with his palms held out. Jack swore under his breath and trotted over. "What's up?"

"The seventh chevron will not lock. The 'gate reacts to dialing earth as if we were dialing a dead address." Teal'c said, worry in his brown eyes. Jack felt cold fear clench his gut. His concern wasn't for their safety or how they could get home, it was for Earth. "Try the Alpha site." Jack instructed. Teal'c nodded and starting dialing, confusion furrowing his brow when after he had entered the seven symbols, the DHD stayed alight and the stargate kept spinning. "It looks like its waiting for another symbol, did you miss one?" Sam queried from behind them. She wasn't holding Daniel up, but her arm was out in his direction. He'd obviously shrugged her off but she was being mindful of the fact that he was staggering just a little. "I did not, but I can try again if you wish." Teal'c said. There was the sound of the Stargate winding down and the chevrons blinked out. "Let Sam try, she won't believe its not working until she does it herself." Daniel said, a wry grin on his face. Jack saw Sam look at him in annoyance, probably tempted to use the arm she was going to steady him with to give him a quick shove over instead. Regardless, she moved forward to do just as Daniel suggested and Jack grinned at him. Right on the button.

"Huh." Sam sighed when she'd punched in the seven symbols to both the Alpha Site and Earth and the same thing happened for each. Teal'c treated her to a raised eyebrow and she grinned at him wryly. She leant down to pull the panel free from the DHD, exposing the crystals within. She rummaged in her pack for tools and started laying them out. "Don't worry, I'll fix it." She said, already fully immersed in what she was doing. Her face was alight, an expression Jack saw whenever Sam had a particularly tricky problem to work out. Jack turned to Teal'c and Daniel. "Teal'c, with me check the perimeter. Daniel, stay here and watch Sam's six." He said, his tone professional.

Sam was elbow deep in the DHD when he and Teal'c moved off. He saw Daniel pull his sidearm and give them a nod.

Why don't we ever get the easy ones, Jack thought tiredly.