Title: War Torn
Author: OrchidFire
Email: OrchidFire98@hotmail.com
Action/Adventure/Drama/Angst
Spoilers:
Sequels: War Torn # 6 in Elemental Series
Summary: When investigating a distress signal on a planet SG-1 runs into natives who are at war with the Gou'LD. When Aleia joins the fight, she becomes missing in action and as the rest of SG-1 searches for her they find them selves fighting for their lives against the elements.
Rated: PG13 for violence and profanity

Disclaimer: StarGate SG-1 doesn't belong to me and is Copyright ShowTime Inc. MGM/UA.

Authors Note: You know the deal, this is # 6 in the Elemental Series, if you haven't read the first 5 stories I suggest you do or you will very confused. All right I just sent the sheet that has all the stories I'm planning to write and a small summary for them, a few weeks ago.

War Torn

By OrchidFire

General Hammond just walked into the Briefing room and stood beside the monitor that was propped on a cart. SG-1 had been waken in the middle of the night for this important message that the M.A.L.P had sent back. The General picked up the remote for the TV and pressed the play button.

" What you are seeing is a distress message from P3R2X79. We received it at 0200 hours this morning," he stated as SG-1 watched the fuzzy transmission.

" Hello? If...one is out... we need help... Gou'ld... attacking... we can't hold out much longer... please help," the message was broken up by the weather in the background, snow and wind made it impossible to see the person sending the message. Suddenly the screen became static. The transmission was over.

" I would like to go to P3R2X79 and see if you can find these people. We maybe able to help them, and vise-versa. You will be leaving in three hours, dismissed," General Hammond explained. SG-1 saluted and left.

The wind whipped the blinding white snow into their eyes as the five members of SG-1 trudged across the dismal snowball of a planet. It seemed like they had been walking for hours before they came across a towering cliff. Strange writings were etched into the face of cliff. Daniel ran his glove-covered hands over the face of the cliff.

" So Dr. Jackson, any information that could be of use?" Jack said gruffly through his scarf.

Daniel froze at the sound of Jack's voice. He closed his eyes as he tried to push the memories of Seth behind him. This was Jack, his friend. " Not really, all I can tell is that the people who live or lived here once drove off the Goa'uld, but when I don't know," he stated.

" Col. I think we have company," Carter said as dark figures came out of whiteness that surrounded them.

The figures were dress in black uniforms and were carrying weapons of some sort. The closed in on the team trapping them against the cliff. " Who are you? Why have you come here?" one of the figures said gruffly.

" I'm Col. O'Neill and this is my team. We have come here responding to a distress signal," Jack explained.

The person who had just talked to him turned and whispered to another soldier. The soldier nodded and whispered back to the other person.

The figure, that the team assumed that was the leader turned back to SG-1. " Come with us I'm choosing to trust you for now, but if you try to double cross us believe me you will pay," he or she said it seems whatever kind of helmet they were wearing seemed to muffle their voice.

Jack sighed but then nodded to his team to follow.

SG-1's hands and feet were starting to become numb as they blindly followed the strange group of soldiers through the deep and blank snow. They finally came across another cliff similar to the one they had seen before, except there were not writings on it.

The leader of the mysterious figures faced the cliff and hit the ground three times with his staff-like weapon. All of the sudden a huge slab of the rock folded down like a drawbridge revealing a passage into the cliff. It reminded Daniel of the maze of the Minotaur and how Aleia had shown them the short cut out of it.

The tunnel had so many twists and turns Jack was getting dizzy but finally the came to a clearing. Young children and women watched the team cautiously from the sides of clearing. This place looked like a refugee camp. Which was probably what is was.

" General Mattews? We found these intruders near Soaran Rock. They claim to have come through the Orin, responding to that message you sent yesterday," the leader of the group called out to man sitting in the chair faced away from him.

" The Orin?" Sam thought. She had heard that word before, but from where and when?

Two Months Ago...

The lounge was rich with the smell of coffee. SG-1 had just been given a few days off after the ordeal on the Isle of the Crane. Sam's leg had been healing nicely and the Doc said she was okay to leave the infirmary. The room was empty except for Sam who sat on the couch, sipping her black coffee. Suddenly the door opened and Aleia entered.

" Hey Sam," she sighed as she plopped down beside her. She took a whiff of Sam's coffee and was overtaken by the smell and started to have a coughing fit. " Boy, you really like it strong don't you?" she commented.

" It helps keep me awake," Sam smiled.

Aleia laughed. " There's been something I've been meaning to ask you for awhile," she said.

" Go a head, shoot,"

" Why do you call it the StarGate?" she asked with a puzzled look.

" Well when they Daniel to help translate the cartoush that's what is said. Why? What do you call it?" she shot back.

" Me? Well back on Andros we called it the Orin," Aleia replied.

" The Orin? Sounds like that necklace in " The Never Ending Story" to me," Sam giggled.

" Huh? Neck lace? Never ending story?"

" I'll show you later."

The man in the chair turned to face SG-1. " No... it couldn't be..." Aleia thought as she gazed and the young man in front of her. His brown hair matched his eyes that gave her a puzzled look.

" Aleia, I'm surprised to see you again," he said blankly.

" Hello Josh," she replied coldly.

" Hold it, you know this guy Aleia?" Jack interrupted.

" Yeah, we use to work together," she sighed.

" Aleia? You're the one who ran out on us!" a soldier called out from the audience.

She turned to the soldier and tried to remember his face. Where had she seen him? She wondered.

" Don't recognize me do you? I'm not surprised. Why should you remember your own people? The people you left for dead on Andros!" the soldier spat.

" That's enough, Lieutenant!" General Mattews called out.

" Yes sir," the soldier sighed giving Aleia the evil eye.

" So you five wish to help us?" the General asked eyeing them.

" If you let us," Jack replied.

" Well we could use it... so many of our troops are already missing and presumed dead... or worse. Do you know of anything that could help us against Goa'uld?" Mattews asked.

" Well for one thing, your uniforms, there black," Sam said.

" Yeah so?" a soldier replied.

" Well you're in snow conditions, wouldn't it be wiser to have white uniforms so you'd blend into your environment?" she continued.

" Very observant of you," Mattews commented.

" I also noticed that your troops travel in groups, try to walk in each other's footsteps so the Goa'uld will not know how many soldiers are travelling," Teal'c suggested.

" That sounds like a good start. Would five follow me? There are a few things I'd like to talk to you about," Mattews said as he waved SG-1 over toward him as he pulled back a curtain revealing a small room of sorts.

Mattews leaned on the table in the middle of the room. A map of their, and Goa'uld territory spread on it with small wooden cones of two different colours; which probably represented troops and look out points.

" There has been one major problem we have been facing lately, one of our scouting parties found out that the Goa'uld are in the process of building a weapon of some sort. We have seen them use prototypes of this weapon. It can do an intense amount of damage and none of our troops have gotten close enough to be able to destroy it." Josh sighed. " The reason being is we are unable to go through the Huntorian pass in the mountains; which is the quickest and safest way to the Goa'uld camp. The temperatures up there are to cold for the troops to stand for too long,"

" Well why don't you just go around the pass?" Daniel asked.

" If it were only that simple. If we go around the pass we're stuck between a mountain and a hard place. We're pretty much sitting ducks. If we could only have a small team get through the pass and plant a few explosives on the device we could over come them easily," Mattews replied shaking his head in despair.

" I wish we could help you with that but we're not much stronger against the cold as you are. We.."

" I'll go," Aleia interrupted Jack.

" What? Aleia what are you talking about, you can't possibly be able to with stand that kind of temperatures!" Sam interjected.

" As the Earth Elemental I am part plant. I can store energy and heat in my body that will last a lot longer that a regular human," she sighed.

" Are you sure you're willing to take that risk?" Daniel asked cocking his head to the side.

" I owe these people. They trusted me to protect them and I was unable to do so. Owe them at least that much."

" So then it is agreed?" Josh asked as he glanced over at Jack.

Jack shot a look at Aleia who return a solemn stare of grief and guilt. " Yeah, but the rest of my team would like go with her."

" No! I mean ... you don't need to go. These are my people and this is my problem. I don't need you guys risking your hides; you'd probably be better off staying here. I bet you'd be able to help them with there tactics. I'll be back within a week or so," Aleia interrupted. " Col. I know I'm under your command now, but I really need to do this on my own, not just for these people, but for myself as well."

Jack sighed but then nodded in understanding and approval. " But I want you to radio us here every day, you got that!"

" Yes sir," she smiled as she glanced at Josh.

" Suit up, Commander. You will be leaving in 0400 hours," he replied.

" Commander? Last time I checked I was still a Lieutenant," she said as she gave him a puzzled look.

" Well your going to be leading my troops so you better have the rank to support your position," he half smiled as she walked past him.

The black uniforms the rebellion had before were now spray-painted white. Aleia found them very uncomfortable as she tried to stretch out the collar around her neck that was partially choking her. General Mattews entered the armory and glanced around looking for his troops who were gathering certain rifles and grenades.

" Soldier, have you seen Commander Marque?" he asked as he gingerly tapped a soldier on the shoulder.

The soldier spun around to face the General.

" Oh! It's you!" Josh jumped as looked her over. " I didn't recognize you with the hair and such," he stammered. Josh found it kind of amazing how different she looked. Just two hours Aleia had hair almost down to her shoulders but now it was layered just about down to her ear lobes.

" Yeah, I know. It's was too much of a hassle to try to tuck it into one of your helmets," she sighed as she turned back to the selves and started to select some explosives to rig the Gou'alds weapon with.

" So which one is it?" he asked.

" Excuse me?" she asked in confusion still facing the selves.

" Which one is the Water Elemental?" he said as looked over to Jack and the rest of the team who were across hall talking to a few of rebels and troops.

" None of them, at least not to my knowledge," she replied.

" Oh, sorry, I was just curious," Josh muttered as he turned and left.

Aleia recalled the last time the Water Elemental had come up in a conversation of theirs...

Three Years Ago...

" So I talked to Father Lucifer and he said he would be honored to perform the ceremony, and I ordered the flowers, 200 roses, all white, 160 red carnations and... is something wrong Josh?" she asked as she noticed the glum look on fiancée face.

" Huh? Oh it's nothing," he replied as he leaned up against the lush willow tree that's' leaves swayed gently in the breeze.

" You can tell me," she said as she slipped her arm around his waist, and look up at him, giving him a playful smile.

" Well it's about this whole Elemental thing. I'm still having a bit of trouble adjusting to all of this," Josh confessed.

" But you said you fine with it before."

" Well what was I supposed to say? You dropped a pretty big bombshell on me three months before the wedding," he told her.

" It's not that bad, you know. I always wanted to be able to help my people more and now I can," Aleia explained. " It's taken me closer to our creator than I ever dreamed possible. Is that such a bad thing?"

" No, no, it's not that, it's just that how am I going to sleep at night when I know your probably on some foreign world, fighting for your life, while I'm still stuck in the Army?" he asked as the wind blew his hair away from his face.

" We could work that out... that's not the only thing that's bothering you is it?" Aleia sighed as she stared blankly into cloud cluttered blue sky.

" No it's not...I'm uncomfortable with the idea of you always in search of another guy. I don't want to be fill in for this Water Elemental... wherever he may be," Josh sighed as he turned from her.

" That's what this is about? Oh, Josh, you don't get it. I'm not looking for the Water Elemental for romantic purposes' I'm looking for him so we can kick those System Lords off their high horses. Wouldn't that be great, not having to look over our shoulder every time we step through the Orin?" she asked.

" Of course it would be great... it's just...I can't live my married life, knowing that my wife is out there somewhere looking for someone she can trust, count on and look up to... and it not being me. Besides...so many generations of Elementals have come before you, and tried to stop the System Lords, and failed. What makes you think you're any different?" he asked as he turned to face her once again. Her eyes were wide with confusion and sadness.

" You don't believe in me?" she asked; her words soaked with pain.

" Its not that don't believe in you, it's this whole prophecy thing I don't believe. I'm sorry I can't go through with this. The wedding is off," he finished coldly as he stood and began to walk away.

" Josh? Josh wait, don't go... don't go..."

She still kicked herself to this day for not running after him. But the past was what is: the past. She clicked the button on her staff shrinking it down to a smaller size. She then placed it in a holster around her right leg. The rest of her gear was packed and she knew it was time to repay her people and pray for forgiveness.

The doors were opening and the light of day slowly crept into the embarking room.

" Radio us everyday. You got that Marque?" Jack called as she started to walk towards the horizon.

" Yes Sir, Colonel. Don't worry I'm coming back... I promise. Besides... Sam still owes me money," she smiled. " Okay troops lets move out," she called to the six figures, which followed her as she snapped down the black visor.

SG-1 waved their good byes as she left hoping it wouldn't be their last.



" Hey Daniel, things are going pretty smoothly so far, knock on wood," Daniel heard Aleia chuckle over the radio.

" Well don't get too over confident, you've only been out there about two days," he quipped back.

" Well were about head out again. I'll call you back tomorrow..." all of the sudden Aleia burst into laughter over receiver.

" What's so funny?" Daniel asked.

" Oh it's just when guys say that they never mean it. Anyway I expect another day before we reach the Gou'ald camp at least and..." all off the sudden foreboding crack thundered over the radio. " Materson! What the hell was that!?" Daniel heard Aleia yell back to one of her men.

" I don't know Commander, the sound came out of nowhere. I... Oh my lord!" the young man's reply turned into screams of panic.

" Everyone get out of range. We..." Aleia was cut off and the only sound that replied Daniel's urgent calls to her was static.

" Are you sure you want to do this Col. O'Neil?" General Mattews asked as Jack secured the strap for his helmet.

" Yes I'm sure. She maybe one of your people but she's also one of my officers. And she said she was coming back and we're going to make sure of that," Jack replied as he waved the rest of SG-1 to follow him out into wildness.

A glove covered hand rose up from the snow. The young soldier pulled himself out of the snow the threatened to smother him. " Hello?" he said in a quiet voice so not to arouse another avalanche. Only the wind howling through the peeks of the mountains answered him. He dropped his head in grief in despair.

" Over here Materson," a voice called out to him.

" Commander?" he asked unsure if he was just hearing voices and that the cold was getting to him.

" Yeah it's me," the voice replied as a figure rose above a drift a few meters to his left. " Anybody else make it?" she asked as she moved over to him dragging a bag of supplies.

" No. They're all dead," he sighed as he tried to suppress a shiver.

Aleia caught the movement out of the corner of her eye. She knew he wasn't going to with stand going any higher. " Here take these you're going to be needing them," she said as she handed him the supplies.

" Why, are you hurt? Do you think you can't make it?" he asked as he looked up to her face that was hidden behind a black visor and white helmet.

" No I'm fine it's you I'm worried about," she replied.

" But..." Materson tried to interject.

" Go home Materson. The last thing I need is another dead person on my conscience. And no offence I really didn't want anyone else risking their neck on this mission in the first place," she sighed.

" But the General's orders were..."

" Screw the General. Do us both a favor, go home Jeff, you got that?" Aleia burst.

" Yes ma'am," he replied finally giving in to her request.

" And Materson? If anyone from my team should ask where I am... tell them I'm dead. Okay?"

Materson nodded before heading off in the other direction.



It had been several hours since SG-1 had set out in search of the missing team. The cold was starting to nip away at their fingers when they came across two paths heading in different directions.

" Okay let's split up. Carter you're with Teal'c and Daniel you're with me," Jack called out to his team as he pointed to the left then right.

Teal'c and Sam headed up the left path while the other two took the right.



They had just made it over the steep hill that revealed just snow tons and tons of more snow.

Carter shook her head in annoyance. " Teal'c can you see anything?" she asked to the big Jaffa who stood perched on a small plateau. Even though she felt the question was useless.

" I'm afraid not Captain Carter, I - wait I think I see something," he replied as a figure walked out of the blinding white that drizzled around them.

The two of them raised their weapons in defense.

" Wait don't shoot. It's me, Materson," the soldier replied. He walked with a sort of hitch and was shivering uncontrollably.

" Materson? What are you doing here? Where's the rest of your unit?" Carter asked question after question.

Materson bowed his head. " They're dead," he sighed barely audible.

" All of them?" Carter choked out.

Jeff nodded silently not trusting his voice to support him.

" Come let's get you home," she said as she wrapped her arm around his shoulders for support. " Teal'c?"

" Yes Captain Carter?" he large man replied.

" Radio the Colonel. Tell him we've found the remaining troops of Commander Marque's unit," she told the Jaffa.

Teal'c nodded as he opened his pack and retrieved the radio. " Colonel O'Neill?" he said in the receiver. But there was no answer. " Captain Carter I cannot reach them," he said. " The mountains seem to be blocking the transmission."

" Great, just great," Carter spat. " Well have to come back once we get Materson back to base," she said as she nodded Teal'c to follow her.

It was getting colder and colder by the minute, and Daniel was feeling very uncomfortable being around Jack alone, even though he didn't know why. The twin suns that generated next to no heat were starting to set in the east or whatever direction it was on this planet and Jack knew it was bound to get colder. They still hadn't found the missing team and Jack was starting to think the worst.

" Let's see if Teal'c and Sam are having better luck than we are," Jack sighed as he picked up the radio. He flicked the switched and tried to get an answer from the opposite radio, but nothing. The Colonel shook his head in frustration. He knew they probably wouldn't be able to make it back to the base before the suns set. " Come on Jackson let's set up camp," he sighed as he headed for a small cave near the base of mountain.



The fire crackled as the shadows flicked on the walls of the cave. A cold like no other had swept across the ice covered wasteland. Daniel had been oddly quiet. Actually Jack couldn't really remember if Daniel had said anything the whole time there were on this planet. Jack glanced at the young Egyptologist who sat across from him looking through several books the Androians had given him on aspects of their culture including the history of the Elementals.

" Anything interesting in those books about Aleia?" Jack asked as he tried to break the silence that was driving him crazy.

Daniel sort of jumped, startled by the question. " Oh yes there is. Did you know she doesn't have veins like we do? Instead she has xylem and phloem," he asked.

" Huh?" was all that came out of Jack's mouth.

" Plants have xylem and phloem that nutrients and water flow through. It's dead tissue. Aleia still has blood but just not the same casing," he explained. " She also lives by very strict rules and regulations," he continued.

Jack noticed how Daniel only wanted to keep the subject on facts and work. " Daniel is there something wrong?" Jack interrupted Daniel's babbling.

" Huh? Oh no I'm fine," he lied as he turned back to the books.

Jack didn't buy it for a second. He knew something was wrong but what... "Oh no," Jack thought. How could he have been so blind? Daniel was still dealing with the Seth incident. Jack hated to think of what he had done to him. " Listen Danny, you don't need pretend," he said.

" Pretend about what?" the young man asked innocently.

" About how you're still not completely over that Seth thing," the Colonel replied.

" I told you before I'm fine with it. I've put it behind me," he stated plainly turning quickly back to the books.

Jack sighed. He was about to say something when sound from outside the cave alerted him to an unidentified presence. " Did you hear that?" he asked.

" Hear what?" Daniel replied he eyes never leaving the book.

" There is again," Jack said as the crunch of snow echoed lightly through the cave. Jack grabbed his rifle and started to proceed to the entrance of the cave. " You stay here. I'm going to see if we have company," he called back to Jackson.

Jack disappeared around the corner of the cave. Daniel could hear the sounds of a scuffle. When all of the sudden Jack and another figure reappeared in the entrance of the cave and crashed into the left side of the cave in an attempt to dominate the other. As the light of the fire revealed the features of the intruder Jack and the other person stopped fighting. It was a soldier, probably from the missing unit.

The soldier removed their hands from Jack's neck and slowly backed away. " Who are you?" the soldier asked the two men gruffly.

" I'm Colonel O'Neill and this Dr. Jackson. We came through the... the..."

" Orin," Daniel finished.

" Yeah the Orin. We came here in search of the missing unit that disappeared yesterday. So who are you?"

The soldier sighed and shook their head. " Man am I glad to see you guys."

" Marque?" Jack asked.

" Yeah it's me," she sighed.

" Where's the rest of you team?" Daniel asked looking around for the other members of the unit.

" They're dead," she said quietly.

" What happened?" he asked.

" There was an avalanche, the strange thing is we did nothing to arouse it. We heard a crack and it toppled on us. Only Materson and I were able to make it," she choked.

" Where is Materson?" Jack asked.

" I sent him back to camp. Which I suggest you should be going to," Aleia replied looking away from the two.

" No way we've gone this far, we might as well the rest of the way," Jack smiled.

" But..."

" No buts, Marque. We're coming along. Right Jackson?" the older man asked turning to Daniel.

He replied with a nod.

" I'm guessing there's no way to talk you out of this?" Aleia said shaking her head.

" You got that right," Daniel laughed through his helmet.

" Come Jackson you got to keep up," Jack called back to the young Egyptologist who tripped once again on the ice covered hill. The Colonel came down and offered a hand but Daniel shook his head, and waved O'Neill off, saying he was okay and he didn't need his help.

Stumbling up the hill they finally made it to the top. The three of them surveyed the Gou'ald camp. The weapon or what they supposed was the weapon General Mattews was talking about stood at the base of a large hill. It was well guarded and well far back in the camp.

Aleia looked through her binoculars to get a better view of the massive cannon like tower. It was finished and powering up... All she could see was the rippling of powerful winds through the trees as the weapon discharged whatever ammunition it had. " It's a dud. It doesn't work," she smiled, but all of the sudden trees were ripped out of the side of a mountain by an incredible force. None of the three had heard anything. Then it hit her. " The avalanche. That's what caused it."

" Huh?" both men said turning to the young commander.

" It's a sonic cannon. It's shoots a pitch so high no one can detect it," she growled angrily as she slammed her fist into the snow.

" Have you come across something similar to this?" Daniel asked.

" Way back we had designs for a weapon similar to this but we never could get it to work. It was missing a certain conpponant. For some reason the Goa'uld were always one step ahead of us," she sighed and shook her head in frustration.

" Do you know any weak spots on it?" Jack asked sternly.

" Yeah, inside the cannon is an Arkan crystal; very rare. It's the key to the weapons entire structure it can't function with out it," she smiled.

" But we'd never be able to get to it with all those guards," Daniel stated.

" I think I've got an idea," Jack smirked.

" Jack gets ideas? When did this happen?" Aleia joked lightly.

" Very funny Marque. Just follow me," Jack replied sarcastically even though he was kind of relieved that Aleia had gone over the deep edge; with her almost all of her team dying and such.



An explosion from one of the cliffs alerted the Jaffas' of danger. They came rushing toward where the sound had come from. In all of the commotion the three members of SG-1 slipped through the gate and into the Goa'uld camp. They slunk around the small huts that were probably full of Jaffa till they reached the tower; which held the cannon.

Some of the guards had left to investigate Jack's rigged explosives on the side of the cliff. Only about three were left. Aleia suspected there would be at least another in the tower. Using a silencer on his gun Jack took out two of the guards while Aleia took out he last. They treaded carefully into the tower and started to climb the two story stairs to the cannon. At the top of the stairs they met with another guard which didn't have a chance to call out before Daniel landed a shot right in his sack for the goa'uld larvae.

" You getting better," Jack commented. Daniel just nodded thanks and got straight to the end of the cannon.

" Hey, Daniel. Reach into the nosil of the cannon. In there you should find a rock like object. Pull it out, but carefully. Arkan crystals are very fragile and if they break... lets just say you might as well forget about your plans for tomorrow," she said as she typed away at a console beside the cannon. She flinched at the pain in her left wrist and wondered what was wrong. " Got it?"

" Got it," he replied as he placed the stone in his pack.

" Alright lets go," O'Neill commanded sharply.

The three of them made it down the stairs and headed for the gate.



Daniel could feel the heat of electrical charges from staff weapons near the back of his neck. He almost welcomed the sensation of heat near his body. Jack's diversion had been found out and now they were running for their lives from the Jaffa; who were hot on their trail. The sound of the sonic cannon powering up rang in Daniel's ears.

" I thought you said without the crystal they couldn't operate the cannon!" he cried to Aleia.

" They can't. I set the weapon so that is would self distruct if it was used," she replied.

" You mean..." Jack was cut off by a large explosion behind them. The explosion caused an avalanche that buried the Jaffa behind them. The wave of snow came closer and closer to the three SG-1 members. They scrambled up a hill trying to get to higher ground, or at least out of range. They slid down the opposite side of the hill that blocked the massive wave of snow from burying them alive.

Now all that was left was getting back to camp.

Daniel had become so cold the Colonel and Aleia proceeded on as he dropped to his knees: which he could no longer feel.

The Colonel caught the motion and turned back to the young man. " Come on Danny. The camps probably just another kilometer," he tried to smile as he lent his hand. Daniel looked up at the Colonel and nodded grabbing a hold of his hand.

He didn't understand why he was so tried when Jack and Aleia still had enough steam to keep going, but he forced his knees to lock and followed the others. Over this time he had regained his trust in Jack and wondered how on earth or any other planet he could have lost it.



It had been a miracle. The Colonel, Aleia and Daniel had made it back. They had been about half a km from the camp when a scouting party found them. Daniel was half froze, Aleia had a twisted wrist and the Colonel had a graze of a staff weapon burn. The Arkan crystal was now under heavy security and the goa'uld were gone along with the sonic cannon. General Mattews had seemed very happy to see Aleia alive and well, but the team was soon going back to earth.

Aleia paced outside of the General's quarters, with a bouquet of flowers in her hands. " Hey Josh. I was wondering if I could talk to you. Since we're leaving and I probably won't see you again for a while I'd like you to have these, and maybe we could start over... no, that sounds too desperate. - Josh I've got a few hours before we leave maybe we could talk about old times... too obvious..." she practiced what she was going to say. She peeked around the corner into his quarters as he entered his sleeping chamber from the washroom when another woman entered from another room.

" Hey Amber," he smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

" So what are you going to do now since the goa'uld are gone General?" she asked returning the smile putting her arms around his neck.

" Oh I don't know... probably just stuff you as much as I can until the junior here pops out," Josh chuckled as he glanced down at Amber's stomach.

" You're too good to me... but then again that's why I married you," she smiled glancing up at him.

Aleia ripped her eyes away from that scene in disbelief. Her breaths were becoming short gasps, " I gotta get out of here," she muttered to herself as she sped down the corridor her head down hiding the tears that were welling in her eyes. Coming past a garbage can she stopped and stuffed the bouquet into the small flap of the can.



Aleia looked around her pretty much, barren apartment. SGC had given it to her so she could find more about the place that spawned most of her world's assets. She was also given a driver's test to see if she was okay for a car, and she pasted. Sure the car was a beaten up compact, but it served it's purpose. They had even offered Teal'c an apartment but he refused saying he felt more comfortable being close to Star Gate in case of an goa'uld attack. The place reminded her of how she felt; empty. She couldn't stand all the emotions that were crashing down on her so she decided to drown them in alcohol.

She drove down to a local bar and spent several hours there sipping down a few beers but mostly reflecting on her love life which to her just seemed to suck royal. An hour before the bar closed a song came up over the radio...

I can't find a reason to let go.

Even though you've found a new love,

And she's what you dreams are made of.


I can find a reason to hang on.
What went wrong can be forgiven.
With out you it ain't worth living,
Alone...

Sometimes I wake up crying at night,
And sometimes I scream out you're name.
What right does she have to take you away?
When for so long you were mine.
Took out all the pictures of our wedding day.
It was a time of love and laughter,
And a happily ever after.
But even those old pictures have begun to fade.
Please tell me she's not real,
And that your really coming home to stay.

Sometimes I wake up crying at night,
And sometimes I scream out your name.
What right does she have to take your heart away?
When for so long you were mine.
I remember when you were mine...

" Bar's closing Miss," the bartender told her.

" Oh yeah, well I better get going," Aleia replied as she stood up on wobbly legs.

" Um, I'm sorry Miss but I can't let you leave this bar in you condition," he said as he watched the way she held herself in her drunken state.

" Oh, okay. I'll just call a cab," she replied reaching into pocket and sighed when she realized she no more money. " Must of spent it on that last beer," she sighed.

" Is there anyone you can call?" the man asked as he cleaned glass.

Aleia thought for a moment. " Yeah I think there is. May I use your phone?"



Sha're stood in front of him. She looked at him with begging eyes. His hand trembled as he held the goa'uld weapon in his hand. Tears were welling in Sha're's and his eyes but refused to fall. The weapon went off...

Daniel sat up in bed. He was drenched in a cold sweat from head to toe. He looked around the room and realized it was a dream once again. The same dreams that had been haunting him almost every night for about five months. As he focused his senses he realized it was the phone that had pulled him from the dream. He reached over and swallowed hard before he answered.

" Hello?" he said. " Aleia? What are you doing calling at three in the morning?" he asked glancing at the clock. " Oh. Sure I can," he agreed; thinking maybe a drive would take his mind off the dream. " Okay you're at Erin's Tavern on Carrolton Ave.," he said as he wrote it on a piece of paper. " Okay I be there in about ten minutes," he assured her before he hung up and got dressed.



He pulled up to the tavern and Aleia hopped into his beat up old BMW.

" Thanks for picking me up at this hour," she said glancing a bit his way.

" Don't mention it. Truth is I couldn't sleep that well either," he confessed. " So what were you doing a bar at three o'clock in the morning?" Daniel inquired.

" Just thinking," she sighed. Looking out the window.

A song came up over the radio and both listened...

Turn around bright eyes.
(Every now and then I fall apart)


And I need ya now tonight,
And I need ya more then ever.
And if you'd only hold me tight,
We'd be holding on,
Forever, we can make to the end of the night.
This world will never matter if you hold me tight.
Tonight,
Forever are the stars to shine,
Forever are the stars to...
Once upon a time I was falling in love,
Now I'm only falling apart.
There's nothing I can do,
A total eclipse of the heart.

Once upon a time there was light in my life,
Now there's only love in the dark.
There's nothing I can do,
A total eclipse of the heart.

Author's Note: Well there it is I hope you liked it and I'm very sorry it took me so long to finish it. I'm about to start "Atlantis" and hopefully it won't take as long as this one did. I want to thank all of you who have given me so much encouragement. Your feed back means a lot to me. If you'd like to give me your opinion, please do so: OrchidFire98@hotmail.com

I've also started up my own web site so come visit me at: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Land/4590/index.html

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Mail any comments or suggestions to: OrchidFire

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