Chapter 1

The shaman danced in the fire light.

Jack sighed. His knees ached from sitting cross legged in the circle of about 50 people that surrounded the fire. Jack tried to think back to the last time he'd been this bored but Daniel assured him that it was necessary if they wanted to do this trade deal. Something about trust and openness and all that kind of touchy-feely crap. He had to admit it was a pretty sweet deal, sit through some weird ritual spiritual thing for a couple of hours and the locals would share their herbs and spices with them. Normally he wouldn't care about that sort of stuff, but quite a few of them had Janet talking animatedly. One or two of them even interested Carter to the point where she got that excited look in her eyes and started babbling her tecno-speak.

So he sat quietly, watching an old man dance, hoping his junk wouldn't fall out of this ceremonial get up. He glanced along the wide circle at his team. Teal'c sat next to him looking impassive as ever but if he had to guess he would say the Jaffa was interested in the ceremony. Next was Daniel. he was talking excitedly with the young native sat next to him who'd been their guide throughout the negotiations, Teo. The boy was just a little younger than Daniel and was just as eager to learn about Earth as he was to discuss his own culture so the two had pretty much talked non stop for the past 5 days.

And on the other side of the native sat Carter. She was briefly cast in shadow as the shaman moved between her and the fire, somehow though her eyes continued to glisten. The shadow moved away as her eyes flicked in his direction catching his. She glowed brilliantly as a smile spread over her lips.

He offered a small smile and nod in return.

She smiled wider.

He found himself unable to look away though he knew he should.

He wasn't supposed to look at her the way he was doing now. He wasn't supposed to think about her they way he was doing now. He wasn't supposed to feel what he felt for her every damn moment of every day.

Maybe it was the firelight, or the spiced fruit wine, or the atmosphere around the circle that seemed to be thickening with each passing moment but he felt drawn to her. More so than usual.

There was a bright flash as the shaman tossed some powder into the fire, drawing the attention of everyone around the circle, even breaking the spell that had temporarily settled over him.

A hush descended.

He shook his head slightly trying to get back to some semblance of reality. He focused on the fire trying desperately not to think about the way Carter had been staring back at him.

'It's starting.' the boy whispered to Daniel.

'It's just starting?' Jack hissed quietly, his ass was already numb.

'The spirits have been called, now it is time for them to reveal the souls that need their guidance.'

Jack rolled his eyes and looked back at the shaman. The old man walked around the fire and chanted throatily. Almost exactly opposite a man and a woman jerked and convulsed.

Jack smirked a little, thinking about the those crazy shows on evangelical television where they claimed to heal with the power of touch. He ducked his head, his hands fiddling with the cap in his hand as he wondered when the hell this would be over and he could get some sleep.

'Holy Hannah.' he heard Carter gasp.

Lifting his chin he was astounded by what he saw.

The man and woman opposite dropped their heads back, mouths wide, light shone out from their parted lips. They sat frozen like that for a second or so until a small glowing orb rose up from their throats and into the night sky. They glowed a dim pink with shadows of pure black moving over the surface and flew off in opposite directions before flying back towards the centre of the circle. They orbs brushed past one another, the light from them flashing angrily before they dove around the circle constantly trying to catch the other in what could clearly be discerned as a threatening manner.

'What...' Daniel started.

Teo smiled knowing the strangers had not experienced something like this before. 'The orbs mirror the soul. The colour indicates the feelings between the souls, in this case love in the form of pink but black representing anger. The behaviour of the orbs gives an indication of what actions the spirits would like them to take in order for the matters to be resolved. It is only when all souls in the community have attained resolution can we proceed with trade.'

The orbs slowed in speed, instead of flying at the other began to circle and dance. Occasionally touching, causing the light from them to become brighter and the blackness on them disappear. Once they had become entirely pink they flew to the shamans waiting palm and reverted to their initial colouring and behaviour only on a miniature scale.

A lesser shaman came forward with something that looked like a clear glass jar. The two orbs were placed in the jar before it was sealed and carried to the couple on the other side of the circle.

The couple now stood, standing a little apart and looking a little embarrassed. The guy accepted the jar and together he and the woman left the circle.

The shaman began dancing again.

'So that couple...' Daniel prompted.

'They are newly married. They must have something which the spirits wish them to discuss that will allow the anger between them to dissipate and the love they have for each other to grow. When the orbs had attained the state that the spirits desire we can proceed.'

'This ceremony then it...'

He didn't get to finish his question before another couple were overcome along with another man sitting not to far from them.

From the woman rose a bright pink and red light, the man next to her a pink and green orb and from the other man a green sphere.

The crowd watched as the pink and red light danced with the pink and green one, all the while the green orb of the lone male circled the two. The green drew closer to the pink and red light causing a fresh streak of green light to spread over the other guys orb. Eventually the green light approached the green and pink orb. The green in both spheres dulled and became a shade of yellow, the pink and red light then joined them. All three orbs now touching they spun horizontally, moving up and down in an increasing pace. There were a few giggles and titters around the circle, obviously knowing what the movement meant.

The visitors could guess the meaning behind that motion too.

The lights continued to move until the red dissipated from the woman's orb becoming entirely pink as did another of spheres. The other light, presumably the lone man's that was once green, was now almost entirely yellow with a few faint flickers of pink. The lights separated and moved around each other, much more contentedly than before then approached the shaman's palms the couples orbs in one hand and the lone man's in the other. The lesser shaman approached with two jars this time.

'Are they supposed to, you know...?' Daniel started unable to find the words.

'The spirits wish for the men to please her together.' Teo said with a grin.

'And this happens a lot in your culture?'

'Our people like to enjoy themselves. There is no sense in denying the feelings we have or denying the pleasure we crave. Our souls inhabit these forms only once, why shy away from it's wants and needs?'

The lesser shaman took the jars to those who were chosen before.

Jack's body was shaking, the shaman hadn't even started singing again but he knew instinctively that he was next.

'O'Neill.' Teal'c enquired softly.

The shaman's voice rose up into the night calling lost souls.

Insides stirring, Jack groaned loudly and wrapped his arms around his body wishing whatever part of him that was being called out would stay inside him, hunched forward he raised his head slightly to look over at the only person he could think about right now.

Carter was in a similar state, her body shaking and shivering, her eyes fixed on him.

He could see fear in those beautiful eyes.

He smiled sadly, hoping to reassure her, before his body was pulled back by some invisible force, spine ram rod straight. Every inch of skin was burning. He let loose a mangled cry as he felt something surge up his throat. A similar cry from Carter mixed with his own, as a light escaped him. It hovered directly in above his upturned face, for just a few moments, brightly glowing pink and red.

The orb rushed forward to meet the other pink and red light that had risen from Carter.

He could feel it. He could feel his body spinning and tingling as if it were him and Sam up there, no longer dancing around one another but laying everything bare.

The spheres moved around each other tentatively at first but then with increasing purpose as pink finally gave way entirely to red. The two lights joined in a manner not unlike the three orbs had done before. They touched, glowing entirely too brightly for the deepness of the red colour they had adopted, and began spinning and moving up and down.

Giggles spread around the circle again.

Jack groaned seeing his deepest desires being acted out by a couple of lights in front of a group of strangers, two close friends and the woman at the centre of those desires.

As the spheres moved in their ever increasing pace the colour changed, red gave way to pink but it didn't stop there. Amid the pink were flashes of white.

There was total silence, not even the crackle of logs on the fire could be heard.

Very suddenly there was a brilliant flash of white light, so bright that it seemed the noonday sun had returned. The light was infused with emotion, it washed over everyone in the circle giving them a taste of the love and elation the two souls were capable of feeling. Most of the energy, however, was focused on Jack and Sam.

And it was too much.

As Jack and Sam lost consciousness, collapsing backwards into the dirt, the light from the orbs faded leaving everyone else blinking in the darkness as their eyes struggled to adjust.

Only the shamans didn't seem to be phased.

The shaman accepted the two pink and red orbs into his hand and, with more care than he showed on the last two occasions, transferred them to the container the lesser shaman held. This time the other shaman carried the jar to the head shaman's tent. The head shaman followed his underling.

'We must take your friends to the tent.' said Teo standing.

'Sam!' squeaked Daniel suddenly aware of the unconscious state of half of SG1.

The circle broke and swathes of villagers made their way around the two people that were still utterly lost to reality. They lifted them carefully, several hands sharing the load keeping both of their bodies perfectly horizontal as they were carried to the shaman's tent.

'I don't understand.' Daniel said getting to his feet carefully 'Is the ceremony over?'

'Yes. Souls are assisted in order, leaving those who need most help until last. There is no greater need than the situation the members of your team have presented.' Teo said shaking his head sadly. 'Oh great spirits, how they could they have remained apart so long!'

The boy stood at the entrance to the tent and waved them in.

The shaman sat in a throne like chair, his eyes wild but kind as he watched Teal'c and Daniel enter.

To the side Sam and Jack lay side by side, someone had rested Jack's right hand over Sam's left on the bed of cushions between them.

'They're not going to be happy about waking up like that.' Daniel observed.

'They would not wake at all without that physical contact.' The shaman spoke softly.

'What? Why?'

'It can be a difficult thing for the mind and body to take in, the possibilities of the soul are endless. They require one another to accept this and to follow the path laid down by the spirits.'

'What if they can't follow that path?'

'Why ever would they not? Did you not sense it when the light touched you?'

'Indeed.' Teal'c said with a slight bow. 'But Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter are bound by oaths of honour to the Air Force.'

'If they do not then they will be in pain the rest of their lives. The ache of their souls manifest in such physical torture you cannot begin to imagine. We cannot proceed with trade between our worlds until the ritual is complete. My people will follow the path the spirits have laid for them. So should they.' The shaman sighed deeply. 'I am sorry. Had I perceived that this may have happened we would not have commenced the ceremony or engaged in trade discussions. We have not needed the spirits assistance in matters such as this for some time.'

'Teo said you have quite an open culture.'

'Openness is required for impartial trade and a good relationship between the parties involved. That is why we ask the spirits for guidance before an exchange begins.'

Daniel sighed and looked over at his friends hoping that there would be a way for them to move through this without leaving the Stargate program. Or worse, ending up in jail.

'When will they wake up?'

'Soon.' he said standing. 'Then you may leave. Return only when the orbs have become white. We cannot engage with a culture that would sacrifice the needs of the soul so readily.'

And with that the shaman left, Teo nodded sadly and followed his spiritual leader leaving Daniel and Teal'c with still sleeping Sam and Jack.

'So... that went well.' Daniel said sarcastically.

Teal'c's only response was to raise an eyebrow.