Hi all. My apologies, as usual, for not writing. RL and all that. I have been so swamped I haven't had the time (or mental energy) to work on my other story, although I plan to update over the holidays. Since I wanted to write something I'm doing a short (just a few chapters) story. This one is more than predictable – and has been done to death (even by me). I just needed a good dose of J/S and something simple that didn't require much thought.

This is a more mature story (hence the 'M' rating) than many I've done lately although it is not graphic at all. I was considering doing a more 'R' version, although I know I can't post it here. If anyone is interested in that give me a PM and I'll either send it to you or post to another site that accepts more explicit stories.

Thanks!

His first thoughts upon awakening were that it had been a wild dream! He hadn't remembered anything like that since – well – hell, he didn't know if he'd ever dreamed something like that. He wasn't usually into that kind of thing and felt rather disturbed by it. If it hadn't been for the fact that it wasn't real he would have been really disturbed.

A part of him also felt a bit – turned on – which bothered him even more. He was not like that and he knew that neither was … he stopped that thought in its tracks. Don't go there Jack!

In fact, if truth be told, he felt rather ashamed. Not only was there was no way he should be thinking, or dreaming, those kinds of things, he knew that in real life he wouldn't have reacted the way he had in the – nightmare, not dream. There was nothing he hated more than feeling helpless – and this had been the ultimate in helpless. The few times in his life when he had felt that way something terrible had happened. He refused to dwell on Iraq and Cromwell, Charlie and Sara, Hathor, Ba'al, or the other few times when he'd been powerless. He took a deep breath and decided it was time to get up and get moving and try to stop thinking about the damn dream.

He started to stretch but immediately found out that he was sore – really sore. God, it had been a wild one to make him feel like this! He almost felt as though it had really happened. He laughed softly to himself. Good thing it hadn't! He didn't know how he'd explain it to Janet if it had. Not only that, he'd be as embarrassed as hell when she saw - what she'd see if it had been real!

He still couldn't believe how rough things had gotten. There was no way it would ever happen like that in real life – good thing that, he didn't know if he would survive. Still, it had been rather – interesting and certainly erotic. But damn – he wish he didn't feel so sore! He guessed he was getting too old for those kind of dreams.

He took a deep breath, which almost immediately turned into a yawn. He was so tired – but knew it was time to get up and get moving. On that thought quickly followed a realization. Hell, he wasn't at home – he was on a mission! His eyes snapped open and he looked straight up – straight at a strange, plaster ceiling with paintings on it – paintings of – women and men doing a number of erotic, and rather sadistic things. Okay he frowned – he was definitely not in a standard issue Air Force tent. Where the hell was he?

A soft sound to his right had him turning his head quickly, ready to defend his life if need be. He quickly realized he didn't need to defend anything since the noise had come from Sam Carter – who was sound asleep beside him. She was turned on her side facing him, both hands curled up under her cheek.

He spent a brief moment thinking how beautiful she looked – and the next moment sitting straight up in shock. Oh dear God! He looked down at himself to find that he was naked – totally, absolutely, completely naked.

What had happened? What was he – what were they doing here? He checked Carter out again and, yeah he'd been right – she was naked too. They were both lying on the ground, on what looked to be some old sacks or cloths. He checked the room only to realize they were in some kind of ancient building. The room was circular and empty – the only thing in it was their 'bed', the paintings on the ceiling, and of course, two naked Air Force officers.

His first thought was to get up and out before Carter woke up. He slowly inched his leg – his very bare leg - over to the side of the makeshift bed the two of them were lying on. As he moved he tried to figure out what had happened and why they were here – and why they were naked!

Sam hadn't moved a muscle so Jack continued to inch his way out of bed. Just as he was about to turn his body and stand up, Sam's eyes popped open and she looked directly at him. For a moment her eyes looked soft and warm and relaxed.

He could never really believe that anyone had eyes as big or as blue as hers. His next thought was to wonder how long it would take before –

"Sir!" she squeaked loudly.

Not long. He was impressed at how quickly she realized something was wrong. Much quicker than he had, in fact.

"Yes Carter", he answered, turning his head and looking at her as if they were sitting in the briefing room together instead of in bed – with no clothes on.

"What are you doing here Sir?" she asked – her eyes even wider than before, if that were humanly possible.

"Uh – I have no idea Major. I just woke up a couple of minutes before you."

"Oh." She stared for another few seconds and then a frown grew between her eyes. "Where are we?"

"That I don't know either Carter", he answered gently. "I told you – I just woke up myself. I know as much as you."

"Oh", she repeated. She stared at him for a moment, the frown still there. Her eyes suddenly dropped down to his chest – his bare chest. That was when her expression of confusion began to change to one of horror. Jack couldn't help but wince.

"Sir! You're – you don't – " She then glanced down at herself. "Oh my God!" She immediately tried to cover as much of herself as possible and ended up by pulling one of the sacks out from under her and using it to cover herself.

"I know Carter. I – don't know what happened but it appears we're both – uh – well, I was going to go find out what happened."

"Colonel – my God Sir. What are we doing here?"

He sighed, wishing that she was her usual calm, competent Major but he realized this was a situation that was not like any they'd experienced before. Hell – this was worse than anything they'd experienced. "Major, I don't know! If you'll turn around I'll get up – uh, I'll get out and go find out."

"Okay." She went to roll over but her eyes seemed to move down of their own accord to look at his chest.

Jack could see those eyes grow round – again – and her look of horror increased.

He knew that seeing his naked chest was probably uncomfortable for her but damn – she didn't need to look at him as if he was a monster! He glanced down and then froze. Oh my God! The sudden realization almost had him flopping back down. The dream had been real!

He could feel himself flush and stole a quick look at his 2IC. She was staring at his – at him.

"Carter!"

"What?" She looked up, startled, and then blushed. "I'm – sorry Sir. I didn't I – I'll just turn over." She grabbed the cloths and held them around herself carefully while she turned her back to him.

His eyes returned to his chest. He groaned again. How in hell was he going to explain this? His chest was covered in scratches and bite marks. His nipple – the left one – had bite marks all around it and was even slightly swollen. Crap – it really had been real. No wonder he was sore.

He froze again. He was also sore – down there. NO! His eyes closed. They couldn't – they didn't – DAMN! He looked to make sure Sam – no, Carter still had her back to him and then quickly took a look.

He couldn't help it. He swore loud and long. They were in deep, deep shit and he had no idea what to do. There was no way he was going back to Earth like this. He looked like he'd spent the night in a brothel – a very rough brothel that was in to S&M!

"Sir?" Carter's tight voice drifted over her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

He closed his eyes briefly and then opened them again. Ignoring her question he asked one of his own. "Uh – Carter?"

"Yes Colonel?"

"Are you – do you feel – uh – sore anywhere?"

"Sore Sir?"

"Yes. You know Major – do you – hurt anywhere?"

"Hurt Sir?"

"Carter!"

"I'm sorry Sir – uh – no, not really –" She stopped talking suddenly and was completely still. For a moment he wondered what had happened. "Oh no!"

Okay – well that answered that!

"What – Colonel, what happened?" This time there was real fear in her voice. He wanted to reach out and touch her, to comfort her but he was pretty sure she wouldn't take that well, not right now.

"I don't know", he answered gently. "It looks – kind of – bad."

"God – do you think – was I assaulted?"

If his dreams were anything to go by – and based on his physical condition they were – she wasn't the one who had been assaulted. "I don't think so Major. I think -"

"What Sir?" Were those tears he heard in her voice? Damn – this was bad!

"I think you and I – that we – you know."

"You mean we – had – we – Oh God!"

That was just about exactly what he was feeling and he really didn't know what to do. With a groan he pulled himself up out of bed, refusing to look down at himself. He perused the room and it was then he noticed that his clothes were spread all over the floor. "I think so", he finally answered. "I expect we must have been drugged or something Major. It wasn't our fault!"

His words – which attempted to be comforting – didn't seem to be helping. Either she wasn't buying it or was too shocked to really take anything in. As he quickly dressed – noticing more and more scratches and sore spots - he told himself that they must have been drugged. There was no way he and Carter would have hopped into bed together any other way.

For a number of years there had been a – thing – between the two of them. They'd come close to bringing it out in the open a few times but had, by mutual if silent agreement, left it locked up. Over time the feelings had turned into ones of warm affection. Oh, he still found her – attractive – but had quashed any other feelings. Since that time he'd dated a few other women – none of them seriously – and knew Sam had as well.

This situation may have just blown all their years of sacrifice – and their present friendship – to hell. Damn – he really didn't need this to happen. Not now – not ever!

"Colonel?"

"What is it Major?" He winced again – stupid question Jack.

"I – I think I'm starting to remember something."

"Yeah?" He tried, really tried to sound casual. God, he hoped she didn't remember what he remembered – what he thought had been a dream. He was embarrassed enough as it was. "Here Carter", he tossed her clothes over beside her while trying to keep his eyes turned away. He'd collected them after he'd gotten up. There was silence in the room as she began to dress herself. They'd both be better able to deal with things when not sitting naked in an alien room together.

"Sir are you – sore?" She asked him the same question he'd asked her a moment ago. What to say? Might as well be truthful – he figured this was all going to come out anyway – and hit the proverbial fan!

"Yes Major", he said softly.

"Did I – was it – did I do that?"

He sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. What to say? "I think we both did it Major."

"But I'm not – I mean I'm only sore down – you didn't hurt me Sir, but I think I hurt you!"

He took a deep breath and walked over to the pile of sacks and sat down – careful not to get too close to her. "Look C – ur Sam, we don't know what happened here and until we do, there's no point in getting upset about anything. Whatever did happen wasn't our fault. We would never have done – what it looks like we may have done. Like I said, we must have been drugged or something."

"Okay", she mumbled. She turned then and looked at him, her expression one of fear, but also of trust. It touched him deeply. "What are we going to do Sir?"

"You stay here and finish getting dressed. I'm going to check things out and see if there's anybody around. I want some answers! I'll be back soon."

"Be careful Colonel", she whispered.

He opened the door to the room they were in and immediately found himself outside. He took a few steps, but all he could see was a small clearing surrounded by trees. He walked away from the building and then turned to take a look at it.

The building they woke up in looked like something out of the Greek Islands. It was relatively small and circular – just as it had been on the inside. It looked like it was built of marble – white marble. Over the doorway was a bas relief of a group of women dressed in what looked like battle dress. He decided that it must be some kind of temple, although in honor of whom or what he couldn't tell.

He frowned – wondering what kind of a place this was. He spent another few minutes doing a check around the building but there was nothing more to see. He debated whether to go any farther but decided it was best not to wander off alone. He'd get Carter – in a minute – and they'd go together.

He took a few steps over to the stump of a tree and sat on it, feeling suddenly tired and depressed. He didn't want to think about what the consequences of this incident were going to be – he knew they would be bad. Even if he and Carter didn't get into trouble, he knew it would probably mean the end of their team – and their friendship. He really didn't know if they could act the same around each other, not after what had happened.

As he sat there, listening to the sound of the trees and the life that lived in the forest, he thought back to how this mission had started, to try and figure out what the hell had gone wrong.

"So there's nothing important here then", he said as they walked down the steps from the gate. They'd just stepped through from Earth to Planet Boring.

"Yes there is Jack", Daniel quickly answered. "Don't you remember? SG4 took pictures of some interesting ruins. It looks like whoever was here may have been related to the Ancient Greeks. The ruins looked amazing – almost completely intact. This could be an incredible -"

"Aaack!" Jack waved his hand. "Like I said Daniel – nothing important. I know you love your ruins, but they're not going to defeat the Goa'uld!"

"How do you know?" Daniel looked at him out of those blue, 'butter wouldn't melt in your mouth' eyes of his. "There could be something there – some ancient writing – that tells us how to defeat them. There could even be instructions for some powerful weapon -"

"Right! From the Ancient Greeks?"

"You never know."

"And I don't want to know Daniel." He turned to Carter. "What about you Major? Anything of interest here for you?"

"Well Sir – I am picking up some interesting EM readings from that direction", she pointed with her head. It was, of course, in the opposite direction from Daniel's ruins.

"Of course you are Major", he sighed. "Okay – it looks like our scientists have some things they want to look at. Carter, there were no life signs here, right?"

"Nothing sentient Sir. It appears as if there are local animals but they appear to all be small and harmless."

"Famous last words!" he muttered. "Okay then – let's kill two birds with one stone."

"For what reason do you wish to kill birds O'Neill?" Teal'c raised The Eyebrow at him.

Jack peered carefully at his Jaffa friend. He continued to try and figure out if Teal'c really didn't know Earth idioms or if he was pulling their legs. "I don't", he answered, deciding to keep it short. If Teal'c really didn't know he could ask Daniel later. "What I do want to do is get home as soon as possible because it's Friday."

"What difference does that make?" Daniel squinted at him, obviously raring to get to his ruins. "We've visited planets on Friday before."

"Yes, but not on Fridays with the 6th game of the Stanley Cup. If I have to miss that, because of ruins -!"

"You will make my life miserable?" He friend murmured, only partially teasing.

"Yes. Okay kids what we're going to do is this. Teal'c, you accompany Daniel to the ruins and I'll go with Carter to check out this AM reading -"

"EM Sir."

"EM, AM – potato potawto Major. Like I said – I'll go with Carter to check this thing out. We'll rendezvous back here", he checked his watch, "In 12 hours. Keep in radio contact at all times and be careful!"

"Twelve hours Jack? There's no way I can –"

"Twelve Daniel. Just take lots of pictures and you can look at them when you get home."

As Teal'c and Daniel headed out Jack was sure he could hear his friend muttering something about 'immature Colonel's' and 'macho soldiers who know nothing of history or culture'.

"I do too", he called after Daniel. "I just think there's more to both than rocks!"

"It's okay Sir", Carter did her usual thing and tried to calm the Jack/Daniel storm waters. "Daniel knows you are doing what you have to. He really doesn't mind but just likes to complain."

He glanced at her in surprise, wondering if she actually believed that. "Oh, he resents it all right. It's just that Daniel can't hold a grudge and he'll forget about it soon enough."

Sam nodded and stood there expectantly. "Ready when you are Sir", she finally spoke when Jack didn't move.

"What? Oh – yeah, let's go Major. I'll take point." They'd travelled for a little over two hours before coming to – hell!

That was it! His thoughts returned to the present and he stood up and hurried back into the small temple to talk to Carter and see if she remembered any more.

"Carter!" he stopped dead in his tracks. She was sitting on the floor – crying. "Carter – hey, Sam." He approached her carefully, knowing she'd be mortified at being caught in tears. At the same time, he totally understood what she was feeling. He didn't cry, hadn't since – but sometimes he wished he could. Instead, right now, he just really wanted to shoot something or someone.

He plopped down on the ground beside her. "It'll be okay Major", he said softly, reaching out with his hand. He stopped himself before he touched her and withdrew his arm. Touching had to be a taboo right now, and probably forever after this.

"Will it Sir? I remember everything. I remember what I did to you. God, I've never done anything like that in my life. I can't – I don't know why. Jack, I raped you!"

He sighed and rubbed his eyes. Since the moment he'd realized it wasn't a dream he'd forced himself not to think about what had happened or he was sure he'd lose it. He wanted to deny it, to comfort her and tell her that wasn't true, but he couldn't. At the same time, he knew he should have been able to stop her, to stop what had happened. He'd actually let her do what she did. Not only that, he'd responded. Even though she had tried to inflict actual pain, he'd still responded. He couldn't figure it out. Why had he allowed it? It was as if he'd lost the ability to defend himself, to fight back. Instead he'd just let her do what she wanted with him and gone right along with it.

"No", he finally said, softly. "No – it was drugs or something Sam. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't, it wasn't – what you said." He couldn't even say the word. "Look, if we'd been both in our right minds it wouldn't have happened. You wouldn't have – and I wouldn't have let you. No, there's something else at work here."

He heard her sniffle and then felt her sit up straight. "Okay Sir" she finally answered and he grinned slightly. That was Carter's 'soldier' voice. She was working at keeping herself together. Good woman Sam!

"So, what do you think happened?" She went on, her voice sounding steadier.

"Do you remember the stone – thingy – we found?"

She frowned slightly, obviously trying to remember. He could see the moment it came back to her. "The obelisk! Yes – that has to be it. I remember finding it and that it was radiating some kind of EM field. We walked over to it and –"

"You touched it. It gave you some kind of shock and I remember you looked at me then. Your eyes -" His voice faded as the memory came back to him. Her eyes had looked strange – frightening. For a moment he'd even wondered if she was a Goa'uld, although they hadn't actually glowed. It was more something in their expression, something he couldn't or didn't want to, understand. He knew he'd taken a step back and had asked her what was wrong. She'd reached out and touched him and – the next thing he'd known he was being led by her to the temple. He had gone with her completely placidly, with not attempt to get away. "It was that thing", he continued, trying to get his mind away from the memory. "It did something to you, to us."

She nodded. "But what? How could it have caused me to attack you and you to -"

"Let you? I don't know, but I do know we need to get off this damn planet and get home." He glanced at his watch, suddenly wondering why they hadn't heard anything from Daniel or Teal'c. He pulled out his radio and tried to call, but got no answer. "We'd better get back. We've been gone almost 12 hours as it is."

"Why do you think they haven't called in?" Sam asked, realizing the same thing he had.

"I don't know. I hope it's just because Daniel got too interested in his ruins."

"But Teal'c would still have checked in."

"I know. No point worrying about it. Let's just get moving."

It took them almost an hour to find the trail back towards the Gate. At one point they'd gotten within a couple of hundred feet of the obelisk but had mutually agreed to avoid it.

It was almost three hours before they arrived at the ruins. Worried as to what they'd find, they were both surprised when Teal'c sauntered over to them as if nothing was wrong.

"O'Neill, Major Carter. Were you successful?"

Jack stopped and stared at the Jaffa. "Successful?"

"Yes. You radioed that you had discovered some kind of technology that you felt might be useful. Was it something Earth can use?"

"I radioed?"

"It was Major Carter who spoke with me." Teal'c looked at him rather strangely. "She informed me that you were going to be out of radio contact while you investigated the technology." Suddenly he looked concerned. "Are you all right O'Neill? You appear pale." He then turned and considered Carter. "And you Major Carter. Is everything okay?"

Before either of them had a chance to reply, Daniel came bounding out of one of the ancient buildings. "Jack, Sam – am I glad you're back. You wouldn't believe what I've found! Oh", he squinted at his friends. "Did you find what you were looking for? Teal'c said you thought you might have discovered something important."

"Not really Dan -"

"Oh, too bad", Daniel interrupted. "But you won't believe what I've discovered!"

"What Daniel?" Sam spoke sharply, in no mood for one of Daniel's treatises, but interested in case it had something to do with what had happened. She was feeling terrible – sick with guilt and fear.

"Well, you know I said the ruins looked Greek? Well they are – sort of – but in actual fact, the people who lived here weren't Greek!"

"They weren't!" Jack wasn't feeling any too tolerant of Daniel either right now and his tone carried both sarcasm and weariness. He was also feeling like crap – both physically, although he was pretty sure it wasn't anything serious, and emotionally.

"No", Daniel turned and smiled at him, not noticing anything wrong, so caught up was he in his own excitement. "They were Amazons!"

"Amazons?" Jack frowned in confusion. Why the hell should he care who they were?

"Amazons", Sam repeated. "You mean as in – female warriors?"

"Yes, that's it exactly Sam. Scholars have always assumed they were nothing but an ancient myth, but based on what I've discovered, they really existed. They must have been brought here thousands of years ago by the Goa'uld. It could be why they were only a legend on Earth – they'd all been removed to this planet."

"So, they were Amazons. And that helps us how?" Jack walked over to one of the crumbling stone fences and sat down tiredly before he collapsed. He really just wanted to go home. No, on second thought, he didn't want to go – back to Earth that was, although his house sounded heavenly.

"It doesn't help us exactly, except that it's an amazing historical find. Don't you see, it means they were real. They really existed."

"And what does it tell us about them?" Sam had also sat down, although Jack noticed she'd taken the wall as far away from him as possible. Oh yeah – this was the beginning of the end of their friendship all right.

"Well, it seems like they were an all female society -"

"Not too good a way of increasing your population!" Jack was barely listening by this time.

"True, but they had a way of dealing with that." When there were no other comments from his teammates he continued. "There were other people on the planet – other tribes. They were more traditional and were male dominated."

"And?" Jack said, sounding distracted. Daniel still didn't notice.

"Yeah, well, from what the writings state, the Amazons would occasionally capture a man from one of these other tribes and use him to – uh – mate with – you know, for procreation purposes."

"And the men were agreeable to be used in such a way?" Teal'c asked, looking rather skeptical. Upon his words both Jack and Sam sat up and stared at Daniel.

"Well, not really, at least not according to the writing. It seems the tribes were terrified of the Amazons and tried to keep out of their way. They certainly didn't want them to continue to increase their numbers."

"Terrified?" Sam sounded unlike herself – hesitant, worried – but Daniel didn't notice. Teal'c however, looked at her strangely.

"Yes. It doesn't say how but the Amazons had some way of controlling the men they caught and making them – cooperate. They'd keep the man as their virtual slave, taking uh – turns with him until at least some of they got pregnant. It sounded like the men would keep participating – somehow experiencing almost an addiction that kept them cooperative."

"And then?"

"Uh – after enough of the women were pregnant, they'd kill him."

The dead silence that continued after Daniel had finished finally seemed to get through to him. Teal'c was looking very worried by this time, sensing that something was seriously wrong. "What is it?" the archaeologist looked at each of his teammates. "What's going on?"

"I think we figured out how they did it", Jack said softly. With that he stood up and gave a small stretch. "Get your gear together. We're heading home."

Daniel tried to ask what was wrong but neither Jack nor Sam was talking. "Not now Daniel. You'll hear about it later. Let's just get moving, okay?"

Finally he got the point and grew quiet, although he continued to watch his friends in concern. At one point he caught Teal'c's eye and was even more worried when he saw his friend's expression. Teal'c was afraid too.

Finally they were ready to go. Jack led the way and waited while Sam dialed the SGC. Once she had input their code they stepped through the wormhole, one by one, Jack taking up the rear. Just before he stepped through he took one more look back at the planet. With a sigh he then faced front and stepped forward.

"Let the circus begin!"