Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate or any of the characters you recognize. I'm just borrowing them for entertainment. There is no monetary gain and no copyright infringement intended. The lines of dialog you recognize are from the show, the rest you don't recognize are from me.

AN: Thank you Gategirl7 for being an awesome beta! Any mistakes are mine and mine alone, probably added after I got the edited version back. Thank you everyone that has let me know what you think.

Chapter 2 – Brothers in Arms

Jack welcomed the rush of adrenaline as he entered the Gate room at a run. He registered the location and identity of the occupants before he'd even stopped. Carter's Tok'ra, Martouf, had knocked Daniel to the ground and was turning on the High Councilor Per'sus. It was obvious that the alien was fighting the Za'tarc mind control, that everyone had just figured out he'd been subjected too.

Jack didn't have a clear shot that would end the threat so he did the next best thing and shot the man in the leg. As Martouf staggered and tripped, two secret servicemen fired, but the element of surprise Jack's shot had going for it was long gone. A symbiote gave the host more strength and staying power against wounds, that the symbiote was a Tok'ra didn't matter. He was a brainwashed Tok'ra at the moment so their bullets had little effect. Jack maneuvered for another shot as Teal'c came in the opposite door and zatted the Martouf. Way to go big guy, Jack silently congratulated, willing the downed alien to stay down.

"Hold your fire," Carter called, off to his left side. She had been right on his tail as they'd realized Martouf was the only one that could be the Za'tarc threat to the President. He watched the Tok'ra struggle against the mind control and it chilled him to the bone. That could so easily have been him or Carter.

Martouf's hand was shaking as he fought for control. Jack held his fire, willing to give the man a second before he took his life. He knew Carter felt close to the alien, not to mention the man had helped them a time or two. He deserved a moment to fight the brainwashing. Jack would have wanted anyone in a similar position to give him or Carter a second to fight the programming if the situation had gone the wrong way and one or both of them had been a Za'tarc.

"Samantha?" Martouf's voice was thick with effort. In that moment, Jack could see the man giving up. He wasn't going to win this battle and he knew it, but before Jack could fire, the sound of Carter's Zat stayed his hand. God, she'd had to shoot him. Remorse hit Jack in the gut. He had hesitated because his mind wasn't clear like it should be and Sam had been forced to take the Martouf's life.

There wasn't anything more Jack could do for the situation, but watch. Before the Tok'ra hit the floor, Sam was there, catching him and cradling him to the ground. Jack kept his weapon trained on the man in Sam's lap until she pulled the alien device from his hand and held it up for everyone to see, calling clear. He lowered his weapon, but he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of Sam or the dead man she held close in her lap.

She shouldn't have had to shoot someone she obviously cared so much about. This whole thing had gone so wrong. They'd almost missed the real threat chasing their tails because of the feelings he and Carter had just agreed to leave in the room. Hell, he and Carter both had come close to being dissected in an attempt to save them from their supposed Za'tarc-ness. If Sam hadn't figured it out, Martouf would have succeeded in his programming and Jack and Sam would be dead all because they were hiding from mutual feelings that she now wanted to ignore, and he'd just agreed to that stupid idea. Jack would have rolled his eyes at the idiocy of that conversation he and Carter had just had in the lab if the circumstances were not so dire.

Hammond and the Tok'ra high council were speaking, but Jack was focused on the scene in front of him. Slow tears were working their way down Sam's face and she wouldn't meet his eyes as she gently cradled Martouf's body against her. She didn't seem to notice in that moment that any of them were there. The sight cut him in so many ways he wasn't prepared for the intensity of the reaction. Like hell those feelings were staying in that room! After today, the feelings felt more real than when he'd thought they were just on his part. They were something he'd admitted and now he knew for sure they were mutual. Damn, he swore at himself. Jack glanced up as he felt Teal'c come to stand near him. The warrior had been there to listen to each of them confess to 'caring way more than they should' about the other.

The words they'd spoken about each other rang in his ears. They cared so much a damn machine had read their hiding of the emotions as lies. He'd nearly let his brain be dissected because of those feelings, not to mention the incident that started that whole line of questioning. How realistic were they being to think they could just leave that kind of intensity in a room?

"I promise you, his death will ultimately prove to be a noble sacrifice," Anise was telling Carter gently. When Carter cupped Martouf's face in both hands, her tears falling against his lifeless cheeks, Jack felt a possessive anger surge through him. Clamping down on the unwanted emotions, he turned away from the scene. He didn't have the right to feel this way, did he? He wasn't used to questioning his motives and he certainly wasn't used to wanting to shoot a lifeless body, just because it was pissing him off!

Only half listening to his surroundings, he was surprised when he felt a presence at his shoulder. Looking up, Teal'c's knowing eyes met his. With an imperceptible nod, the big man lent his support. Feeling a little more grounded, Jack slid back into the familiarity of hiding his emotions. He felt his control reestablishing itself. There was a certain comfort in knowing the big guy knew and understood. Hell, half the time, Teal'c got things before he did.

"We are done here, O'Neill," Teal'c was right, there'd finished here, he didn't need to be here for this.

"Yeah, T," he agreed even as the medics came in and Carter released her hold on Jolinar's now dead lover. One last glance their way assured him that Daniel was standing near Carter. She had support, she would be ok and right now Jack needed a bit of distance.

"Thanks Buddy," O'Neill broke the silence between the two warriors as they turned the corner to Jack's office.

"There is no need to thank me O'Neill," Teal'c followed him in and stood near the door as Jack settled himself behind his desk. "At times such as this, I still find the ways of the Tauri confusing." That surprised Jack a little bit. His friend seemed to have a better handle on human society than he did these days.

"How so, T," he couldn't resist asking. He was a little worried when, after a slight hesitation, Teal'c nodded and closed the door to Jack's office.

"On Chulak, there are many matches made between man and woman through various means, some through family connections, some come about in other ways, but a warrior feeling the Kachil in his blood and claiming a mate himself is a rare occurrence. There is celebration. That true blending when a warriors soul calls out for another will bring strength to the Warrior and through him to his people. I have yet to feel Kachil, and have rarely witnessed it." That bit of information surprised him. Teal'c rarely opened up about himself. "I see it now in you."

Jack wasn't expecting that statement. "You are a warrior I am proud to call brother, O'Neill. I have seen you claim Samantha Carter and her accept your claim many times."

"There's been no claiming, T," O'Neill rushed to correct, suddenly uncomfortable with where this was going. "Nothing inappropriate has ever taken place.."

"I do not speak of the physical act of claiming her body, O'Neill," Teal'c interrupted, impatience as clear in his voice as Jack had ever heard it. "I speak of claiming her in more important ways than the physical."

The former Jaffa First Prime turned a look on Jack that suddenly made him feel like a teenager in front of his dad. "The claim has been made and accepted, for you to deny your right to claim her physically weakens both of you. Kachil is as rare as it is powerful. Do not allow your fear to weaken you both."

Jack was too stunned to know what to say. He was saved the trouble as Daniel knocked once and entered his office without waiting for an invitation. "Hey guys," he said, pushing past Teal'c at the door and coming around to take a seat in one of Jack's guest chairs.

"Thanks, Buddy," Jack said after a minute. He wasn't sure what to think of what Teal'C had said, but a part of him was screaming that the big guy was right and he was wasting time trying to deny it.

"I will go and check on the proceedings," Teal'c announced. Jack was grateful or his team mates help and support. He should have been the one to suggest they go and check to see how the meeting was going now that Martouf had been neutralized.

"They are taking a break," Daniel informed them. "They are in the main conference room being served food." Teal'c nodded before heading out of the door.

Daniel looked quizzically between the empty door and Jack. "Teal'c was being a little strange when I walked in. What was that all about?

"I think Teal'c just had the sex talk with me." Jack decided.

"That's disturbing," Daniel looked sharply back over his shoulder like the answer would be hanging in the air.

"Yeah, ya think?" Jack agreed. "So what does Kakil mean?" He really hadn't intended to ask, but he couldn't' help himself. Daniel looked at him for a minute, obviously going through his mental files.

"You mean Kachil?" Daniel questioned looking at him quizzically. Jack nodded.

"Loosely translated it means One soul," his teacher face was on. "It is a very old belief among some Jaffa that for every warrior, there is a one perfect mate that is a reflection of themselves and will bring them the strength to live to their most powerful best potential." Daniel glanced down at his phone. "They are out of the meeting," he sighed, "guess I should go." He stood up.

"Did Teal'c just talk to you about Kachil?" Daniel paused at the door to Jack's office.

"Yeah," Jack wasn't sure what Daniel would make out of that, but he wasn't in the mood to talk things out anymore. He willed the younger man to go on without putting his two cents worth in.

"Wow," Daniel's voice trailed off incredulously. "That is a very private, sacred belief among Jaffa. I'm surprised he would have shared it with anyone. He must have felt very strongly to have spoken to you about it." With that statement, Daniel left, leaving Jack contemplating what Teal'c had said