The beam of light subsides and my body is released from its grip. I hit the ground hard. Pain continues to lance through my brain as I force my lungs to take in oxygen. The sharp tap of footsteps approaches, leaving me with no reprieve, and I force my arms to hold my weight, pushing myself upright until I'm more or less sitting.

My vision is blurry but I can see the sequined sandals flashing at each step Osiris takes as he circles around me. The motion makes me dizzy but I dare not close my eyes.

"You attempted to deceive me," Osiris says, his gravelly voice making a mockery of Sara's beautiful lilt.

I remain silent, trying to force whatever brain cells that haven't been fried by his hand device into some kind of semblance of thought. The familiar pain beats through my head, making any kind of movement not a good thing. I struggle with the notion that too many times I've been at the receiving end of a Goa'uld hand device, and it's been a former loved one who's administered the pain and punishment.

"I was told you were dead." The flashes stop as Osiris leans over me. "But here you are, alive, healthy, breathing." Sarah's hand is in my hair, forcing my head back and I attempt to focus my blurry vision on her face.

"It was a temporary condition," I answer. Osiris has to know of my ascension. Anubis had to have told him of that small detail, hadn't he?

A manicured finger touches the skin near my eye and slowly caresses my cheek. It's hauntingly familiar, a touch that's purely Sarah. I close my eyes and drive away the memory the touch invokes.

I hear a soft, rustling sound and when I open my eyes, Osiris has lowered himself to one bent knee before me.

"You enjoy games, do you not, Daniel? Was this a game you played along with your friends? A scheme, perhaps, in an attempt to conquer Anubis?"

Okay, so Anubis obviously hadn't said anything to his pawns about my being ascended. Maybe he didn't want them to know of his own, half-ascended state.

"How would you know, considering the Goa'uld never were team players." My words come out slightly slurred, even through the hissing sound in my ears.

"Why did you show up on Anubis' ship? Why did your friends turn over the Eye of Ra to him? You must have had a reason for allowing Anubis to take the last of the amulets. What were you planning, Daniel?"

"Why not... ask your pal Anubis?"

"Oh, but this is so much more enjoyable."

The finger is sliding against my cheek once more and I realize suddenly Osiris has leaned in closer. I try to push away but my body won't obey. It's all I can do to simply stay upright; moving around has become impossible.

"Sarah, please. Fight this." I whisper the words, praying I can get through to her. But I know deep down Sarah isn't as strong as Shau'ri was. Osiris knows of our little fling, knows how much I care for his host. And he's trying to get to me using Sarah's body. He has no idea how much that disgusts me.

"Do not waste your breath addressing my host." Osiris smiles, a sweet smile which is so much Sarah, my heart breaks knowing she's inside this monster and unable to do a thing to prevent the events unfolding before her. "There is only you..." the finger becomes a palm which cradles my cheek... "and me."

The pain pounding through my head hasn't yet abated, and if my previous experience with the hand device is anything to go by, it won't subside for another day or two at least, and only then with the help of strong pain meds prescribed by Janet Fraiser. My only hope, now, is to try and keep Osiris occupied so Jack and the rest of my team can find me, and rescue me.

It's an absurd thought, but I feel like a damsel in distress, the villain slowly tormenting her, trying to make her squirm and cry out for her handsome love to come charging in on a shining white stallion and take her away from all the badness. Maybe my brains were scrambled worse than I thought 'cause I usually don't feel this way. I want to see staff weapons blowing down the door, hear the retort of Jack's P-90 as he fires a warning shot across the room, hear Osiris scream as he tries to escape only to be captured by Sam and Teal'c, and brought to Cimmeria. But most of all, I want to see Sarah freed from this Goa'uld's hold.

"Your friends will not find you." The sweet smile changes into a satisfied grin and Sarah's eyes glow, reminding me the body before me is simply a vessel. "My Jaffa will deal with them, and I will deliver them to Anubis."

"What about me?" I stupidly blurt out before my battered brain can inform me I should have kept quiet.

"You are mine, Daniel."

Sarah's lilting tones caress my name, and I wonder why Osiris has chosen to use her accent as he speaks. Then it comes to me: he wants *me* to hear it, to hear her, so he can torture me every time he uses her to address me. I'm so wrapped up in this revelation I don't notice Sarah's face coming closer, until suddenly her eyes are mere inches from me.

"Mine," he repeats. I sit there, transfixed, as Osiris continues to draw near and I only begin to struggle when Sarah's lips touch mine.

This isn't right. This isn't Sarah. This isn't someone who cares about me. Osiris' hands grasp my face and I can feel the cold, slick sensation of the hand device as fingers reach behind my head, holding me in position. A tongue forces its way into my mouth and I can taste Sarah.

Sweet Sarah.

Memories assail me and for a second I kiss her back wholeheartedly. But the feel of the lips beneath mine reminds me this isn't the person I once cared for and definitely isn't the person I love now. The scent of exotic perfume and the sensation of wispy cloth creeping over my skin so dissimilar to the rough, stubbly skin I'm used to caressing, the hard body that's become so familiar to me rather than the soft, delicate pretence this Goa'uld is displaying, jolts me back to the here and now.

I gag as the tongue forces its way down my throat, revulsion rising in me at being thus used by this softly smiling monster. The slimy, unwelcome intruder reaming out my mouth with a mind of its own sends a sickening shudder through me as it reminds what Osiris truly is, and what he could do to me, if he suddenly decided he wanted to. Right now, he could possess me – just jump right into me from Sarah and I couldn't do a thing to stop him. I've never felt more vulnerable in my life. Or scared.

Bile burns up my throat and I retch. Thankfully Osiris pulls away, but keeps his hold on my head. I swallow down the acid and try to catch my breath. The pounding in my head gets impossibly worse and my heart is beating so hard and fast in my chest, I'm almost afraid it'll seize and stop. And then I'm sorry it doesn't.

I close my eyes and try to turn my head away as Osiris nuzzles my neck. I feel wet warmth and shudder as he nibbles and licks beneath my jaw. My teeth are clenched so tightly together, I'm having trouble breathing.

A hand roams my back and curves down to my butt and my breathing hitches up. I shift and move my hand back. I feel warm flesh and my fingers curl around the slender wrist. I pull back with determination and toss the hand away from me.

"Don't."

A small chuckle rumbles in my ear. Osiris ignores me and continues to nibble away. His hand shifts and the metallic pieces of the hand device catch a few strands of my hair, pulling them painfully.

"Please, don't do this to Sarah."

"What my host thinks, Daniel, is irrelevant. This is about what I want. And that would be you."

It wasn't bad enough Hathor had the hots for me, and then Anise, but now Osiris? What, do I have this sign over my head or something that says 'Snake Bait'? And he isn't even a she, I mean a – he's a –

Sarah's eyes glow with an unearthly light. IT isn't human. IT is a snake. And whatever IT wants, I want nothing to do with it.

I try to think of something, anything, to try and distract him as I feel fingers teasing my skin through the buttons of my shirt. "We have Isis. Don't you care about your queen?"

The hand clutching at my head squeezes. Hard. Then suddenly Sarah's mouth is at my lips again and I'm caught by surprise. I try to pull back but he's too strong. Such a slim, delicate body – impossible it should possess such superhuman strength.

A wolf in sheep's clothing.

He ravages my mouth again and this time I know it's meant as punishment. I concentrate on breathing through my nose, feeling reality slowly drift away from me. A part of me wonders how long I'll have to suffer through this before I pass out and just as my vision begins to turn grey, Osiris pulls away.

"I will destroy your world and rescue my queen from her imprisonment."

I squeeze my eyes tightly shut. Queen? It takes a few seconds for my brain to kick in. "If Anubis destroys Earth, Isis will be destroyed along with it." I'm relieved Osiris doesn't even suspect Isis is long dead; a secret I'm determined to take to my grave, if only for the slight chance the deception will help protect Earth.

The fingers rubbing against my abdomen begin to slink downwards towards my crotch. This is just too disgusting. I try to inch away. Fingers fondle me through my BDUs and I freeze, expecting them to close on me painfully. I'm now at my most vulnerable, and my enemy knows it. Sadistic bastard. Who is he really trying to torment? Me? Or Sarah? I guess it doesn't really matter. We're equally less than nothing to him. I'm sure he's getting off on the whole double your pleasure, double your fun aspect of this sick scenario.

My eyes pop open in shock as soft kisses begin to pepper my lips.

The hand trying to fondle a response from me is gentle, coaxing, and skillful. But still, even if this were Sarah, and only Sarah, the pain crushing my skull, legacy of my latest encounter with Goa'uld technology, is more than enough to keep the snake from rubbing any snap into me. And let's not forget the added fear, revulsion and confusion, making it pretty much a given all my cock and balls want to do is shrivel up and disappear.

I'm getting a good view of Osiris' eyes and I see the pupils are dilated. Fuck, he's enjoying this. So it's definitely me he's after. He's enjoying *my* body, and that, more than anything, terrifies me. I could have accepted hatred, contempt or anger, but lust, coming from a Goa'uld, is just so wrong.

The idea a snake finds me attractive makes me sick. I have to get away, stop him from touching. I start to struggle. My body is sluggish and my feeble resistance is quickly stopped when he squeezes my balls. Hard.

I freeze.

"Don't fight me, Daniel."

The hand squeezes a little more in warning, then resumes its rubbing.

I'm cold. The shudders start in the small of my back, spreading throughout my body. I'm shivering uncontrollably, my skin prickles into goose bumps and cold sweat slides down my spine.

My headache is nearly unbearable, I'm gasping for breath and I'm terrified Osiris will think all this heavy breathing is in appreciation of his handiwork. I think maybe now might be a good time to pass out because I feel the buttons on my BDUs come undone.

"Don't be shy. You always wanted to do this with *her*. My host never truly had a chance to show you what she wanted to do to you. But I can make it good for you. We can make it good. You find my touch so exciting, don't you? I promise you, this is but the beginning of delights, Daniel."

The room tilts as my head is released and with nothing holding me up, I fall onto my side, rolling heavily onto my back. I feel warm fingers insinuate themselves into my underwear and wrap around my cock. To my surprise and horror, my cock twitches and begins to swell and I desperately try to suppress a gasp of horror.

"Very nice."

There's a warmth down below that starts to feel good. Not him, something different, something... pleasant. I turn my head, my body shaking even harder now, and I notice the hand device is now pointed at my groin. Thank God, it's the effects of the device turning me on and not that THING touching me. Still, I would rather Osiris was using it to fry my brains than getting his sick jollies from forcing them from me.

I can't move; I don't know why. All I can do is lie here while Osiris becomes more and more excited as he straddles my legs. I watch helplessly as the glow from the device disappears and Sarah's hand comes up to fumble around the waistband of his gauzy pants.

There's thunder outside. I wonder if it'll rain, wish I was outside and could see it. Wish I was anywhere else, but here. I wonder if I'll ever see rain again. The thunder is close, maybe there'll be lightning, and it'll strike this place, wipe us out of existence and this horror will be over.

There's a finger stroking my cheek and I reluctantly shift my eyes to look at it. It's blurry and delicate, the long nail coming perilously close to my left eye.

"We will meet again, Daniel Jackson."

Huh?

Sarah's face looms, filling my vision. Her loose curls fall on either side of me, tickling my neck. Her body is lying flat against me, the heat of it welcome against my chilled skin despite the danger I know she poses. She kisses my mouth, taking away my breathless gasps as I fight harder and harder for air.

Then she's gone, and I'm so cold. Exposed. I curl onto my side, bringing my knees up to my chest and lie there, shivering helplessly as wave after wave of pain cycle through my head. I hear the sound of transport rings along with a volley of bullets as they ricochet off the rings.

"Daniel!"

Jack! Oh my god, Jack!

Jack is kneeling beside me, his hand on my cheek. Hard, callused skin, smelling of oil and gunpowder. The sweetest smell in the universe. Instantly I recognize his touch and I lean into it, no longer afraid.

Then his hand pulls away and I feel him probing body, checking for injuries. He pauses at my abdomen, then I feel the edges of my pants pulled together and the buttons done up. I turn my head away in shame, unable to meet Jack's gaze, the evidence of what just happened to me in Osiris' captivity evident with my still erect cock. Jack is cursing softly under his breath, but his hands are gentle as he wraps something warm around my shoulders. It feels incredibly good.

"Colonel. How is he?"

Sam's voice sounds far away, and although Jack doesn't yell, he pitches his response so it probably carries across the room.

"He's in shock and had his brains scrambled, but I think he's okay."

Then the hand is back, resting against my jawbone.

"Danny, you with me?"

I nod, still unable to look at him.

"Did she hurt you? Other than this?"

I wince as Jack moves to touch the skin on my forehead. I can feel the tightness of the burned flesh and I whisper, "No."

There are shouts and more gunfire, along with exchange of staff blasts.

"Colonel, we have to go. Now."

"The place is crawling with Jaffa. Do you think you can walk?"

Nothing would make me happier than to get the hell out of here, but I don't know if I can stand, let alone walk. And let's not even talk about what will happen to my head when I sit up, never mind the rest of me. Still, we've got to move, get the hell out of here, so I push myself up and Jack's there, helping me, supporting me. I take a few, shambling steps on impossibly wobbly legs, wondering if I can make it out of the room, let alone the Stargate. I take a couple more steps, my eyes focused on the door before me. I know I'm walking, my feet are moving, but the door grows smaller and smaller, disappearing into a long, dark tunnel.

Obviously I was wrong, I think as the tunnel fades into darkness and Jack's voice calling my name echoes in my head.

- - - - - -

I take a sip of juice to wet my dry mouth, and mentally raise my glass towards the IV dispensing Janet's good stuff into my veins. The pain is mostly a memory, only becoming an issue if I move suddenly or look into bright lights.

I've just finished debriefing General Hammond and my teammates, and I'm tired. I'm finding it hard to believe Osiris only had his hands on me – literally, for no more than ten minutes, because from where I was suffering, it felt more like ten hours. I watch the general as he leaves the infirmary, stopping to speak to someone lying in a bed at the other end of the room.

My friends are still standing around my bed and I'm wishing they'd leave so I could close my eyes and rest. But at the same time I don't want to fall asleep because every time I begin to drowse, I feel Sarah's lips on mine, her eyes glowing and her hand reaching into my pants.

I feel dirty. Ashamed. This talent I have for attracting the scourges of the universe? Next time I'll pass, thanks.

There are only a few times when I feel safe enough to sleep now. But Jack can't sit by my bedside 24/7. He has to a job to do despite a team member being laid low for several days, or the fact said team member is his lover and soul mate.

Janet says I have the equivalent of a concussion thanks to the hand device. The migraines will ease in a few days. They always have before. If I behave, she said, I should be able to go home later this afternoon.

I haven't mentioned the other function of the hand device. I don't feel any different down there. Thank God everything seems to be functioning normally; I don't even sport a sunburn to match the one on my forehead and bridge of my nose. Which I'm very grateful for because it's bad enough Jack knowing Osiris had his way with me without having visual evidence something or someone was monkeying around with my…

Never mind.

I hear Sam and Teal'c saying goodbye and I realize my eyes have drifted shut. I don't reply, pretending I'm asleep. A chair creaks and I know Jack's still with me. I wait till my friends' footsteps fade and I crack my eyes open. Jack's sitting there, his forearms leaning on his legs, watching me.

His voice is soft when he speaks. He's taking no chances of being overheard. "What did she do to you?"

I lick my lips, my brain is fuzzy.

"He."

"Who?"

"Osiris."

"Huh?"

"She's a he." I see Jack's face wrinkle in confusion. I had always thought Jack had known about Isis and Osiris. I try again. "Osiris is a he."

"But he's in a... oh. That's kinda confusing, isn't it?"

"Not really." My forehead hurts and I raise my hand to rub at it, only to have Jack grab my hand and lower it to the bed. His fingers linger before he lets me go. I stare at his hand as he lets it dangle from his knee. I don't want to answer his question and try a different tangent. "No matter what its personal preference in order to survive, the Goa'uld will take any hosts available."

"Kinda like pot luck?"

I ignore him.

Sarah was the one who opened the canopic jar and let the evil genie out of the bottle. Except in this case, the genie became the master, and the servant, the loser. Yeah, okay, once he escaped, I suppose he could have hopped into the first convenient male body he encountered that suited him. He could have, but he hasn't. Maybe it's not easy for them to switch bodies. Maybe the gender thing isn't an issue for him if the host is young, healthy and… attractive.

It suddenly occurs to me Osiris might have had another reason, a distressingly personal reason having to do with me, for holding onto Sarah and not switching into a male host.

I don't want to think about it.

"So what did *he* do to you?"

"Oh, the usual. Torture, questions... you know, same old, same old at the hands of a Goa'uld."

"Daniel."

Jack's staring at me with such intensity I can't not tell him the truth. I force a smile. "He was attracted to me. He—" Drugged memories of Hathor having her way with me hits me hard and I breathe deeply several times to get through the sick feelings they invoke. Mostly images and feelings. Thankfully she drugged me so deeply I can't remember much of that afternoon. I just wished I'd had the same amnesia option with Osiris.

"The snake came onto you?" Jack's voice is incredulous and he winces when he realizes how loud he'd spoken the words. "Sorry," he whispers. "What did he do?"

"Um..." I squirm, wishing I didn't feel like I've cheated on Jack. "A bit of kissing, some groping—"

"And you're upset because you had a normal physical reaction to someone—"

"He used the ribbon device." I hadn't meant to blurt it out but no way am I gonna let Jack think I had felt the remotest attraction to Osiris.

"I know." Jack traces the burn mark on my forehead with his finger.

"He used it - not there - he made me..." Unable to put my thoughts into words, I simply look at my groin.

"Oh." Then Jack's eyes widen. "Oh, that was why—"

I nod, my face burning.

"Well, that's new."

"Yeah," I mutter.

"So what you responded to was the effect of an alien device. It's nothing to—"

"I'm not ashamed of that."

"Then what's bugging you?"

I should have continued to pretend I was sleeping. I really, really don't want to talk about this. I sigh deeply.

"Osiris is a he."

"You said that already."

"He's a male."

"So?"

"*He* wanted me," I snarl in exasperation. My frustration is beginning to make my head pound and I wish Jack would just clue in already so we let this whole thing drop.

"You're bugging out because a male Goa'uld wanted to have sex with you?"

"I don't remember you crowing to everyone when Freya made a pass at you." I can't help the sarcasm, but Jack, bless him, keeps his cool. He must realize how upset I am.

"Okay, you have a point there. But Freya's the host – the snake liked you."

"Looks like it's open season's for archaeologists, huh?"

"…Could have been worse."

I look at Jack and raise my brows, ignoring how my blistered skin burns as I frown.

"How would you have felt if Amonet had come onto you like that?"

I swallow hard as I try not to imagine what that would have been like. Not good. Not good at all.

"Maybe some snakes have a little more respect for their hosts' feelings," he says gently.

"Or some hosts have a little more influence than others," I reply, my voice equally soft. I raise my hand and carefully rub around the blistered skin. It's distracting - itchy and painful at the same time.

"But that's not what's bugging ya, is it?"

"Osiris is using Sarah to try to get to me. All this time, he could have had his choice of any host, any *male* host, but he kept her."

"Takes the meaning of transvestite to another level, huh?"

I snort despite my frustration and anger, but my laughter quickly fades. "Damnit, Jack. Don't you understand? By punishing me, he's punishing Sarah. She's a prisoner and he's using her memories to get to me. He actually gloated when he told me we could have…" I wave my hand vaguely over my lower body.

"And those snakes have that gloating thing down to an art, don’t they?"

I shake my head and lower my head to my chest. I feel a warm hand on my nape and fingers rub my tight muscles.

"Actually, it's a pretty smart move on Osiris' part."

I raise my head too fast I see stars for a second or two. Jack's fingers keep rubbing as I listen to his words.

"What better host than someone who knows the Tau'ri better than the Tau'ri themselves? But you're probably right. Part of the reason Osiris is hanging onto Sarah is because of your history together, but at the same time, he can get all kinds of intel out of a human. Just be thankful he didn't decide to jump hosts and go into you."

I stare at him, mouth agape, remembering that same fear at one point when Osiris had his mouth on mine. I'm feeling a little out of control thanks to my fatigue and Janet's meds. He's right. It's not just about me. Anyone from Earth would have been a prime subject as a host. Jack's mouth curves into a smile and his eyes soften and suddenly I want his mouth all over mine, want his hands all over me. I curse as I feel my cock twitch with interest at my mental images.

"You gonna be okay?"

"Oh yeah," I say with conviction. I am. I will be. All the previous tension has drained away with Jack's explanation. But there's still that little niggling thought about why didn't he take me as a host when he had me in his grip. What better host than someone who knows the SGC as intimately as a member of SG-1? And I acknowledge there's some kind of warped obsession going on with Osiris, how he prefers to continue to torture Sarah by taunting me with her. But his main reason for keeping Sarah has to be the knowledge that's still in her head. Which means she's still useful to him, and there's still a chance we can eventually save her, unlike Shau'ri.

And I know now I'll be able to sleep just as long as Jack continues to look at me this way.

I'm suddenly exhausted and feel the pull of sleep tugging at me. I slide down on the bed and shift around, trying to get comfortable. Jack leans forward and pulls the sheet up over my shoulder.

"I wanna go straight to bed when we get home tonight," I whisper as he leans close to me.

"Oh?" Jack's face splits into a wide grin for a second.

"Yeah." I burrow my face into my pillow, careful of my burned forehead. "I want to help me get the taste of that thing out of my mouth, feel your hands on my body, your cock inside me."

"I can do that." Jack's grin widens as he pats my shoulder.

"Make me forget." I yawn, and close my eyes. I hear Jack's whispered "youbetcha" and slide into a dreamless sleep.