These bugs called themselves Asurans and were actually made up of nanites (Sam's specialty, not his. His had been blowing the suckers to smithereens). The Asurans had started taking over Atlantis and Jack once again found himself in enemy hands. His first thought had been: 'I'm getting too old for this crap!' His second was to try and find a way out of this mess.

It had been almost three weeks since his night with Sam. He'd stopped thinking of her as 'Carter' about two weeks ago. Now sitting on the floor of this cell his mind brought him back to that night. Not usually one for dwelling, but he couldn't help it. Maybe it was his age catching up with him. Or maybe it was a result of the culmination of years suppressing his need for her. More likely than not it was because he was trying to keep the dread that he was never going home again from surfacing.

Woolsey sat across from him, and for the last hour had been nervously trying to talk with Jack.

Jack for the most part ignored him. At one point actually almost putting his fingers in his ears and humming loudly just to drone the man out. Woolsey was scared. And Jack couldn't reassure him. Not that he wanted to. If there was any good to come out of this, it was for Woolsey to finally have a "real" experience so he finally knew what the good folks at the SGC had been dealing with for years. Not to mention what the Atlantis team faced these past two and half years.

Standing from his sitting position, Jack began to walk around the cell for the fifth time, hoping to find an escape method he'd previously missed. Damn! He wished Sam was here. She'd have him outta this in no time. Mentally he snapped his fingers.

'How the hell do I get myself into these things?' he pondered to himself. 'There I am in a perfectly good desk job. Boring-but good. Ok, well, not good, but...'

It's not like Jack sought out trouble, but it had a habit of finding him.

"Well, I've been in worse before," he muttered out loud.

"You have?" Woolsey asked.

"Haven't you read the damn mission reports before passing judgement," Jack snarked back at him.

"Well, good. Get us out of here then," Woolsey retorted hotly, his fear almost a visible entity.

Jack tried to ignore him. Loosing his temper at this guy wasn't going to help the situation, and he needed to remain calm. He lifted his hand and ran it down his face, trying to clear his mind.

"What do you think they want from us?" Woolsey finally asked nervously.

O'Neill threw him a look that indicated he didn't think too much of the other man, especially when it came to crisis situations.

"My Sunday morning omelette recipe," Jack sarcastically replied. "Don't worry, I plan on telling them my secret ingredient is beer. What the hell do you think they want!? Information. And if they're anything like their Replicator cousins, it's not gonna be pleasant."

"What do you mean?" Woolsey's fear was growing by the second.

"Well, for starters, they're gonna ask us for whatever they want to know. Then, when they don't get it, maybe even if they do, they're gonna stick something in us, probe our minds, and it's gonna hurt like hell. Sorta like a hot poker being jabbed in the brain. Wanna ask me anymore questions?" Jack was becoming increasingly irritated and threw a daring look at the bureaucrat. "No, didn't think so. Now if you don't mind, sit there, zip it, and let me think!"

Finally Jack's cell mate shut up.

Jack resumed his search around the cell. 'What would Sam do?' he asked himself, trying to bring his memories of watching her over the years as she worked. He musta retained something. Maybe he should've paid more attention to the work she was actually doing rather than just watching her. But man, she had been nice to watch. Especially when she was really into something. His mind would always start taking him places he shouldn't be, couldn't be. So generally he'd cover by barking out for her to hurry up and then go preoccupy himself with something away from her before he was embarrassed by tell tale signs. Sometimes it wasn't easy being a man. Kinda hard, er, difficult to hide what he was thinking.

Even now, galaxies away, instead of a Sam genius move, all he was coming up with were the memory of her eyes. Her beautiful eyes. How they twinkled when she laughed, how they glistened when she was sad, how..."Oh for cryin out loud, snap out of it!" he yelled at himself.

"What! I didn't say anything," Woolsey said defensively. "And I don't have a clue what 'Sam' would do! Who the hell is....oh. You must mean Colonel Carter."

Oops. Jack hadn't meant to say anything out loud. Better be more careful, he warned himself. Wouldn't do to let something more, uh, personal, slip.

Woolsey began to chatter again but Jack was barely listening. Woolsey was in mid sentence when Jack cut him off.

"Shhh! Stand up," Jack ordered.

"Why?" came the whine from his cell mate.

"We have company," Jack had heard barely audible footsteps, and they were fast approaching. "Don't tell them anything, no matter what. If they stick something in your head, try and think of a rhyme or something completely absurd, but don't let them get anything else."

Jack doubted the other man was up to it and actually began to feel sorry for him. Woolsey had no idea what he was in for. Jack on the other hand was painfully aware of what he was up against, and he couldn't help the cold shiver that ran down his spine.

Two Asurans entered the cell. Jack recognized them as Talus and Cetus who had been introduced to previously, when they thought the Asurans were Ancients. Doh!

"Well, what took you so long?" Jack asked cheerfully, clapping his hands in front of him. "I was just telling my friend here that it's past my dinner time. So...what's on the menu fellas?"

The two Asurans looked at each other then back to Jack, both wearing equally malicious smiles.

"Hmmm....probably not gonna like this am I ?" Jack smiled back. "Here, let me save you some trouble. Ask me whatever, and I'll tell you what you want to know."

"If only it could be that easy," Talus smiled. "Even if it were, it wouldn't be near as enjoyable for us as this will."

Jack felt Talus' hand on his shoulder as he was pushed to his knees. What was it with these bad guys forcing him go to his knees? Did no one have pity on an old man and his bad knees? Jack saw before he felt Talus' hand move toward his forehead.

"Oh Crap!" he exclaimed as he felt the piercing blow enter his head. From some foggy place he was sure he heard Woolsey scream out in pain.

As fast as he could, Jack tried to recite every dirty limerick he'd ever heard. Trying to fight Talus' mind probe was more difficult and painful than his previous experience with the Replicators. He felt his will begin to falter.

"There once was a man from Nantucket," he had to keep trying. He remembered there was something about a town, a bucket, drowning, and.......Oh God Sam! I'm never going to see her again. I have to see her again. Have to....have to hang on....can't...Sam!

The next thing Jack knew he was laying on the cement floor of the cell. He had the worst headache he could ever remember. He tried to open his eyes, but the dim light was sending bolts of lightening through to his brain. He heard Woolsey stirring from somewhere in the cell. Slowly Jack brought himself to a sitting position, slowly trying to open his eyes. The pain in his head was almost unbearable. He couldn't remember what, if anything, Talus might've gleaned from this little foray into the wonderful world of Jack, and that was probably for the best.

Jack felt a hand on his shoulder and grabbed it hard, ready to snap it at the wrist.

"Easy General, it's just me," he heard Woolsey say almost soothingly. "You've been out for about an hour. Just take it easy."

"And how is it you seem so, well, fine?" Jack managed to choke out.

"You were right, it was the most painful thing I'd ever experienced," Woolsey explained in a hushed voice. "But Cetus lost interest with me pretty quickly. I was still conscious when he released me. Guess I didn't know as much as they thought. Or at least not what they wanted. He went over to you and they both had their hands in your head. I can't believe you survived that. I must admit General, I respected you before, but this has brought it to a whole new level."

"Well thanks," Jack's tone was a little sarcastic. "Hold onto that for awhile because I can't remember what the hell they got out of me."

He felt his stomach lurch as he tried to stand, and didn't object to Woolsey's help.

"Don't suppose you have any aspirin?" he quipped as he finally managed to open his eyes with a wince.

"I'm afraid not," Woolsey answered in earnest. "I wouldn't worry too much if I were you though. I don't think they got what they wanted from you either. They looked pretty angry after you passed out. They didn't even bother with me again, they just left."

"Well, then there's a bonus!" Jack was feeling particularly cranky.

Jack shuffled over to one of the cell's walls and leaned his head against it, closing his eyes again to shut out the light.

"You love her don't you," Woolsey asked in a subdued tone.

"What!?" Jack asked as he spun to face the other man.

He regretted the movement instantly as he almost lost his stomach contents and the room began to whirl around him. Quickly he reached out and braced his hand against the wall to steady himself.

"You're in love with Colonel Carter. Don't worry, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. I think it's what made you resist them. You kept calling out to her."

"I'm not embarrassed and I don't know what you're talking about," Jack shook his head slowly in disbelief. Oh crap, what had he said?

"Well, really, a lot of people already assume..." Woolsey began.

"Assume what!" Jack was angry and on the defensive. "I'll say this once, and once only. Nothing ever happened between Colonel Carter and myself while we worked together. Got it? Get it? Good. Now drop it!"

"I'm not suggesting it did. It's well known how close you were though. Now that she's technically not in your chain of command, it would only be a natural....." Woolsey wasn't even sure why he was staying on this topic, probably out of nervousness. But as soon as he saw the threatening glare O'Neill was throwing his way, he was sorry he had and didn't finish the thought.

"I said drop it!" General O'Neill gritted out through clenched teeth.

"Consider it dropped," Woolsey tried to appease, holding up his hands in surrender.

Of all the people to have heard him call out for Sam. If he did get out of this mess, Jack highly doubted it would stay dropped. For all their effort, all their self denial, he may have just blown it for both of them. Mostly for her. And why? Because he couldn't handle a little torture. Sweet! Jack winced again and hung his head down. He hoped Woolsey would think it was from pain and not from the guilt he was beginning to feel.

"Not again," Jack grimaced.

"What?" Woolsey dared to respond.

"They're back," Jack looked toward the ceiling, willing himself not to shake, not to show fear. Hoping he was wrong. Hoping he really wasn't hearing footsteps approaching.

The door to the cell opened and Jack almost gasped in relief. "Sheppard, nice of you and the gang to drop by," he drawled nonchalantly.

"Sorry sir, got here as quick as we could," Sheppard responded with a broad smile.

"Yes, well, you're forgiven," Jack offered magnanimously. "Got a spare," he said, pointing at Sheppard's weapon.

"For you sir-anything," came the response, as an assault rifle was tossed to the General.

"Anything, you say? Well now, I'm gonna have to give that some thought," Jack quipped as he headed for the door.

Frozen by relief at seeing the rescue party, Woolsey could only marvel with his mouth agape at General O'Neill's resiliency. This is why he was a General. A lesser man, like himself he admitted, but only to himself, would never have survived what O'Neill had only a short time ago. And then to be able to joke and banter with his subordinates. Amazing.

Jack stopped in the door way and turned toward Woolsey, "Coming? Or are you waiting for dessert?"

Sheppard looked quizzically between the General and Bureaucrat. Then shook his head. Better that than to ask.