Storytime with Rachel F Hundred

George Hammond sighed and rubbed his forehead with his thumb as he listened to Agent Barrett’s news. He frowned heavily and, despite the NID agent being unable to see, nodded his agreement with the actions taken to track down why FBI Agent Farrity had suddenly been so interested in Samantha Carter. Regret nibbled at him; if he’d only known about the background into the Major a few hours before…but Hammond had never been one to dwell on what couldn’t be changed. Hammond realised Barrett was suggesting that a NID agent interview Pete Shanahan and sighed under his breath.

‘That won’t be necessary, Agent Barrett.’ Hammond said firmly. ‘I’m aware of the situation; Shanahan is a friend of the Major’s brother. He was apparently concerned about her,’ he lied, ‘and, well, got himself involved with things that don’t concern him.’

His irritation coated the final sentence enough that Barratt deferred to Hammond and ended the call.

Hammond set down the phone into its cradle gently and glared at it. He leaned back in his chair and contemplated the events that had transpired to make his life difficult.

He pursed his lips. The Major was dating Pete Shanahan, her brother’s friend and a detective in the Denver PD on assignment in Colorado Springs. That in itself was unusual. Not that he kept track of the personal lives of those he commanded but he would have bet serious money on Sam being half-way in love with her CO and Jack being more than a little in love with her. He didn’t have any hard evidence and what little he did have – glances, occasional touches that lingered, occasional lack of personal space between them – he had long decided to turn a blind eye to because SG1 performed miracles with both of them in the team and he didn’t want to break that up if he could help it. He also knew both of them took their duty to the mission seriously and he liked to think he honoured that choice. There had only been a few times, one just a few weeks before when Sam had gone missing on the Prometheus, when their emotions had been so close to the surface to make him reconsider that.

Hammond sighed again, shifting forward. So, Sam was dating and her personal and professional lives had become entangled earlier that morning when Shanahan had gotten himself in the middle of SG1’s mission to capture Osiris. The Goa’uld, who had taken over Daniel Jackson’s former colleague and girlfriend, Sarah Gardner, had been torturing the archaeologist in his sleep trying to see whether he had subconscious knowledge of a lost city with powerful Ancient weapons. The sting they had set-up at Daniel’s house had two goals: one, to see if Daniel did know the information, and two, to capture Osiris so her host could be freed.

He flipped open a folder on his desk and sorted through the papers to find Shanahan’s statement. It had been taken by Colonel Reynolds immediately after Shanahan had received medical care and the neat precise narrative was exactly what Hammond expected of him. Shanahan claimed that he had heard about the stake-out from colleagues in local law enforcement, had been curious enough to check it out, and concerned when he had seen Sam’s car in the vicinity. He had been about to discreetly enter the surveillance van and ask for more information when Sam had exited and ‘the woman with glowing eyes attacked.’ Shanahan had gone on to state that his primary thought at that point was to assist and protect Sam.

It was a good story. Hammond even believed that there was an element of truth to it. In the light of Barrett’s news, he also believed that Pete knew how to bullshit and the whole thing stunk to high heaven. Pete had requested a background check on Sam the day before the stake-out.

Hammond shook his head. He didn’t think Shanahan was a rogue operative working for some unknown enemy but he couldn’t let go of the concern that the man’s actions had prompted. Shanahan had run a background check on a woman he was dating. With that in mind, his presence at the stake-out suggested forethought rather than coincidence. It suggested that he had followed Sam there; that he had approached the van to talk with her, perhaps to confront her.

Sam would be mortified. She had vouched for Shanahan as soon as the team had entered the SGC; she had requested that she give him the standard brief that they gave to those who had to be read in on the Stargate but who had no direct involvement in the day to day activity, on the basis that Shanahan had seen too much that could be explained away with a simple explanation. She had looked so delighted when Hammond had acquiesced – subject to Shanahan signing the usual non-disclosure agreements.

Hammond grimaced, torn between his personal reaction of a worried family friend that wanted to do the best for Sam and his need to remain objective as the commander of the Stargate programme; he needed a second opinion. He picked up the phone and ordered the Sergeant in the control room to track down Jack O’Neill.

He mulled over what to say as he waited, letting himself relax back into his comfortable leather chair. His eyes skated around the cosy office without seeing the pictures and furnishings that softened the cold space. He didn’t want to put Jack in an uncomfortable position especially if his suspicions were correct.

A rap on the outer door took him by surprise and he called out permission to enter, sitting forward abruptly. Jack entered briskly, closing the door behind him.

Hammond waved him into a chair, noticing Jack’s grimace with a faint twinge of amusement. He tapped Shanahan’s statement. ‘You’ve read Detective Shanahan’s account of what happened?’

‘I’ve reviewed it.’ Jack confirmed, settling back into the plush leather and folding his arms over his chest. His dog tags dangled brightly against the black of the BDU t-shirt.

‘I’ve been reviewing it myself. Did he interfere in the operation?’ Hammond asked, trying to dig subtly at Shanahan’s motivations.

‘Are you having second thoughts about giving Carter permission about giving him the standard brief? Because if you are, sir, you should know she headed into see him as soon as you gave her the go ahead.’ Jack shifted in his chair. ‘That ship has flown; bird has sailed…’ his hand weaved through the air descriptively.

‘Let’s just say I’m reconsidering whether my initial conclusions were correct when I gave her that permission.’ Hammond said mildly.

Jack’s face contorted as he considered his words carefully. Hammond figured Jack was trying to be fair to Sam by filtering his own bias out of his reactions while retaining his honesty.

‘I can’t say I appreciate his curiosity,’ Jack said eventually, ‘but his actions might have, maybe, helped to keep Osiris occupied until we could take the snake down.’ He shrugged. ‘On the other hand, Carter could have kept done that without having to worry about her…’ he waved a hand in lieu of a term, ‘being on the scene.’

Hammond nodded, trusting Jack’s viewpoint. He sounded mildly annoyed at Shanahan effectively crashing the operation, and guarded about whether the man’s efforts helped or hindered. It fitted with Hammond’s own view prior to the call from Barrett and why he had agreed to the standard briefing. ‘Do we think Shanahan has any other agenda other than curiosity?’

Jack gave another grimace indicating his discomfort. ‘Teal’c thinks Shanahan’s agenda is all about Carter.’ He paused. ‘We might have, uh, talked about it on the way in from Daniel’s.’

Without Sam being around to overhear, Hammond surmised as he nodded knowingly at Jack.

‘I probably agree with him on that.’ Jack continued, absently stroking a thumb over his bicep. ‘Carter told me Shanahan was a blind date set-up by her brother.’ He gestured at Hammond. ‘If he’d bumped into her in the park or at the gym or…wherever, I’d have more of a concern, but a blind date and one set-up by a family member?’ He shook his head.

Hammond felt some of the tension leave him. He also agreed with the conclusion; Shanahan’s agenda was unlikely to be nefarious which meant that if simple curiosity was discarded as an explanation for his actions, Sam was left as the subject of his interest. He closed the folder and let himself appear to relax into the solid leather cushions. ‘What are your thoughts generally on Shanahan?’ He asked impulsively.

Jack lifted one scarred eyebrow. ‘Sir?’

‘Lose the sir, Jack.’ Hammond ordered, placing the discussion firmly into personal territory.

Jack’s brown eyes widened but it was the only betrayal of his surprise on an otherwise impassive face that would have made his Jaffa team-mate proud. ‘OK,’ he drawled slowly, ‘well I have to tell you that my main thought is…that I’m trying very hard not to have any thoughts at all.’

Hammond gave a huff of laughter at the blunt answer.

‘Since this is all off the record, George, can I ask what prompted all this?’ Jack made a circular gesture with his hand.

And there was the question Hammond had hoped Jack wouldn’t ask. He pressed his lips together and assessed what he was going to tell Jack about Barrett’s information. Nothing, he decided. He wouldn’t have Sam embarrassed, not even in front of Jack, because of an act of stupidity performed by the man she was seeing personally.

‘You’re aware of my friendship with Jacob.’ Hammond said instead. He lifted a hand as though that was explanation enough.

Jack’s expression morphed into one of understanding. ‘In loco parentis, sir?’

‘Something like that.’ Hammond sighed. ‘Like you I’d rather not have thoughts but as Jacob’s proxy…’

‘You want to make certain of Shanahan’s intentions.’ Jack completed somewhat gleefully.

Hammond shot him a look.

Jack gave an apologetic wave. ‘There is an easy way to do that.’ He smirked. ‘Just go visit him in the infirmary and scare the crap out of him.’

Hammond laughed appreciatively. He motioned absently towards the door; a subtle dismissal but still a dismissal. ‘Thanks for the advice, Colonel.’

‘My pleasure, sir.’ Jack sprang up from the chair and headed to the door. He hesitated when he got to opening it and turned back unexpectedly.

Hammond looked at him quizzically.

‘If I do have one thought…’ Jack began, awkwardly, stuffing his hands into his pockets and his gaze meeting Hammond’s almost defiantly, ‘it’s that nobody’s ever going to be good enough for Carter, but she deserves to be happy.’

Nobody. Hammond would bet his bottom dollar Jack included himself in that. He nodded briskly and Jack left swiftly.

He shook away the feeling of sadness, unsure why it had crept upon him, and focused on the issue at hand, his mind skimming over the conclusions he’d reached in his discussion with Jack. Shanahan could be discounted as a threat to national security and the Stargate programme, Hammond was certain of that. Hammond was also in agreement that Shanahan’s agenda was all about Sam. Which gave him a serious problem.

With the knowledge that Shanahan had run a background check on her, he was certain that Shanahan had probably followed Sam to the stake-out, watched her and when his curiosity had gotten too much for him, he had gone to confront her without a single thought for the operation he was inserting himself into. He’d placed Sam and the rest of SG1 in danger. As the General who had signed off on the mission, Hammond was annoyed and pissed.

And on a personal note, he was concerned, seriously concerned, about the lack of trust Shanahan had demonstrated in Sam in running the check; about the controlling behaviour demonstrated by Shanahan through what basically amounted to stalking. There was a line and Shanahan had crossed it. Hammond remembered all too well Jacob’s worry when Sam had gotten engaged to the late and unlamented Jonas Hansen. Jacob had been concerned at how possessive Hansen was with her; how controlling. They’d all been relieved when she’d handed the engagement ring back. Maybe Shanahan wasn’t in Hansen’s league but the warning signs that he could be were there.

Hammond sighed and stroked a hand over his head. He was only too aware that as Sam’s CO he wasn’t supposed to insert himself into her personal life nor show favouritism but…but Hammond couldn’t ignore Shanahan’s actions as base CO nor as Jacob’s friend; he couldn’t leave Sam uninformed about Shanahan’s behaviour.

But maybe there was a way. Jack was right, Hammond considered thoughtfully; he needed to scare the crap out of Shanahan. He stood up. There was no time like the present.

Hammond took a moment to shrug into his jacket. He fastened it up, shook out the sleeves and brushed a hand down the front. He wanted to look imposing and nothing worked better than the uniform.

A thought stopped him before he left his office; Sam. It was very likely that she was with Shanahan or likely to interrupt. He frowned and tapped his fingers impatiently on his desk. He went by the control room and ordered them to call Sam to his office and for her to wait for him to return. He’d think of some excuse when he’d finished with Shanahan.

The walk to the infirmary was short and Hammond turned over how he was going to handle Shanahan in his head the entire way. He checked in with Janet Fraiser to ensure that he would have privacy for their discussion from medical staff and made his way to the infirmary room allocated to their guest. The door stood ajar; Shanahan was alone, resting in the bed with his eyes closed.

‘Detective Shanahan.’ Hammond entered without ceremony and closed the door behind him.

Shanahan’s eyes snapped open, a wary look entering his gaze as Hammond walked right up to his bedside. He struggled to sit up more, wincing at the pull on his abdominal injury. ‘You must be General Hammond. Sam’s talked about you; Mark too.’ He gave a charming smile that invited Hammond to trust him as fellow friends of the Carter family. ‘Do I get to call you Uncle George too?’

‘General will be fine for this conversation.’ Hammond stated sternly.

Shanahan’s smile faded. ‘Of course.’ He smoothed his covers and folded his arms over his chest.

‘I was wondering what Mark would say if I told him that the good buddy he had set his sister up with had requested the FBI run an illegal and unwarranted background check on her invading her privacy and disrespecting her as an individual.’ Hammond began, careful to keep his anger out of his words. He glared at Shanahan unaware that his pale blue eyes gave away his inner fury.

Shanahan paled before his face flooded with colour. ‘Ah.’ His eyes flickered to Hammond’s. ‘I have an explanation…’

‘I don’t want to hear it.’ Hammond cut in brusquely. ‘What I do want is the truth about what happened in regards to the stake-out.’

Shanahan squirmed, shifting minutely in the bed. He kept his gaze on the covers. ‘I was concerned about Sam,’ he said firmly, ‘I knew she was involved with something dangerous because of the background check.’

‘So you followed her.’ Hammond stated.

‘I followed her.’ Shanahan confirmed. He had the grace to look shamefaced. ‘Look, I didn’t know what she was involved with just that she wasn’t willing to talk about it and…’

‘And you had a problem with that.’ Hammond shot back.

‘I was concerned.’ Shanahan stated again. ‘I figured it was something dangerous and that I owed it to Mark to find out if it was something she was doing willingly or if she was in over her head.’

Hammond snorted. ‘Samantha Carter is one of most dedicated and brilliant people in my command. Your concern,’ he sneered the word, ‘was entirely unwarranted and if you knew her at all you would have known that.’

‘Sam and I still getting to know each other,’ Shanahan allowed, ‘and I made a mistake.’ He lifted his gaze defiantly to Hammond. ‘But it was a mistake made with the best of intentions.’

Hammond glowered right back at him. ‘Bullshit. You didn’t like not knowing something she wouldn’t tell you and you set out to find out without regard for her or the consequences of what you were doing.’ He held up a hand to stop Shanahan from speaking. ‘I could have you arrested for interfering with a mission of national security.’

‘But you’re not going to.’ Shanahan deduced.

‘No,’ Hammond allowed, ‘I’m not. But only for the Major’s sake, not yours.’ He pointed at him. ‘I’m satisfied you were ignorant of what you were interrupting and she doesn’t need to be embarrassed in front of her peers because of your idiotic behaviour.’

Shanahan flushed again. He looked at Hammond warily. ‘I know Sam was called to your office just before you came in. I assume you’re going to tell her?’

‘My reasons for calling the Major to my office are none of your business.’ Hammond returned, raising his thinning eyebrows a little. ‘In regards to the other matter, I’m not going to tell her.’ He paused significantly, allowing relief to suffuse Shanahan’s expression before landing his blow. ‘You are.’

Panic flared across Shanahan’s features, widening his eyes and nostrils; his breathing escalated. ‘General…’

‘I spoke with Doctor Fraiser; she’s releasing you tomorrow and the Major has volunteered to take you back to Denver. You will inform her then.’ Hammond said forcefully. ‘And believe me I will know if you don’t.’

‘But…’ Shanahan trailed away as he realised Hammond wouldn’t relent. He let his head slump back against the pillow. ‘Nothing I say is going to change your mind, is it?’

‘She deserves to know what kind of man you are.’ Hammond said quietly.

‘Look, you may not believe it but I was concerned about her.’ Shanahan said.

‘It doesn’t matter if I believe you,’ Hammond rejoined although he could see that Shanahan believed it fervently, ‘Sam will make up her own mind.’ He took a step toward the bed, looming over Shanahan. ‘But whether she forgives you or not, I won’t forget that you stepped over a line here and if you step over it ever again, or harm her in any way, I will kick you through the Stargate to the most inhospitable place in this universe and leave you there.’ He held Shanahan’s apprehensive gaze with one of his own that showed the younger man the soldier Hammond had once been in a jungle in ‘Nam; in a hellhole in Korea. ‘Do we understand each other?’

‘We understand each other.’ Shanahan replied evenly.

Hammond straightened. ‘Enjoy the rest of your stay, Detective. As long as I’m in charge here, you won’t see the SGC again.’ He turned and walked out, closing the door behind him.

In the corridor, he took a deep breath and recovered his usual calm. He would need to keep Sam occupied for the next few hours; perhaps a deep space analysis to see whether they could find Osiris’s cloaked ship was in order. Teal’c had made mention that the Goa’uld undoubtedly had a ship somewhere in orbit in his after-action report. Hammond nodded decisively and headed for his office with the amused thought that sometimes what they did really was deep space telemetry.

o-O-o

Daniel handed Sarah the mug and watched as she took an appreciative sip.

Her eyes looked up at him with surprised amusement. ‘Tea?’

‘Earl Grey.’ Daniel confirmed. He sat down on the bed and watched as she took another sip before handing him the mug back. He set it on the bedside table while she snuggled back into the pillows. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘I don’t know.’ Sarah murmured. Her hand reached out and snagged his, intertwining their fingers loosely. ‘It all seems unreal.’

Her clipped accent filled Daniel with memories – memories he’d spent reliving in his dreams for almost a week. He didn’t move his hand but he didn’t encourage her clasp. As much as he remembered why they’d fallen in love once, he also remembered too well why they’d fallen out.

‘I’m sorry.’ Daniel said softly instead. ‘I should have realised that the Goa’uld might have left souvenirs behind and, I don’t know…’

‘Checked through every single antiquity on the planet?’ Sarah raised elegant eyebrows upward. ‘Even you aren’t that good, Daniel.’ She wet her lips. ‘Professor Jordan asked me for a consult. We wondered why they’d preserved a snake. I accidentally,’ her face took on a chagrined expression, ‘opened the jar and it slipped through my fingers…and then it moved.’ Her lips twisted wryly. ‘I might have screamed. The next thing I remember clearly is…you – when you showed up at the funeral.’ She shook her head. Her strawberry blonde curls went flying. ‘The rest of it…it was like living in a nightmare and not being able to wake up.’

Daniel squeezed her fingers. ‘We have people who you can talk to…’

‘No.’ Sarah shook her head again. ‘I don’t want to think about it or talk about it or…’

He shushed her. ‘It’s OK.’

Sarah blinked up at him wearily, and pushed her hand through her hair. ‘Daniel, I don’t even know what I’m going to do when I leave here.’ She hesitated. ‘I can leave, can’t I?’

‘Of course,’ Daniel reassured her quickly, patting her hand, ‘you’re not under arrest or anything like that. The Air Force or NID will want to monitor you for a while to make sure, uh…’

‘That I haven’t become a Goa’uld spy?’ Sarah commented dryly.

‘That,’ Daniel agreed, ‘and to make sure that you don’t tell all about the Stargate programme to some keen reporter type.’

Sarah gave a tired laugh. ‘No-one would believe me anymore than they believed you when you published your theories.’ She smiled suddenly and tugged on his hand. ‘You were right, Daniel.’

He shrugged and adjusted his glasses. ‘It doesn’t matter. The world isn’t ready to hear it.’

‘No, it isn’t.’ Sarah let her fingers rub over his and withdrew suddenly. ‘What am I going to do? I can’t return to archaeology knowing what I know…I just can’t.’ She grimaced. ‘Do I even have a life here anymore?’

‘The British government declared you dead about a year ago.’ Daniel admitted. ‘Around, uh, the same time I, uh…’

‘Died.’ Sarah stared at him. ‘I thought you were a ghost when you visited me.’

Daniel froze. He blinked at her. ‘I visited you?’ He asked carefully.

‘Osiris was retrieving an Eye from a temple. You did something to make her immobile and spoke with me.’ Sarah smiled at Daniel’s shock.

‘I don’t remember.’ Daniel admitted. ‘I know I visited with people but I don’t remember any of it.’

‘You encouraged me to find a way to make her come home to Earth. When Anubis told Osiris of your resurrection after the set-back you gave him in blowing up his weapon and fooling him about the tablet, I began to do what you said; I began to whisper to Osiris, tried to influence him. It’s taken me months but…here I am.’ She looked around again as though stunned. ‘I think I’m dreaming.’

‘Not dreaming.’ Daniel assured her. He took in her pallor and the dark circles under her eyes. ‘But you do need to go to sleep.’

‘And when I wake up? What am I going to do?’ Sarah said again tiredly.

‘We’ll think of something.’ Daniel promised.

‘I’m so tired, Daniel.’ Sarah’s eyes started to drift downward and she blinked them open again.

A throat being cleared across the room had both of their heads turning to the doorway.

Teal’c walked forward, bowing his head slightly to Sarah before settling his dark gaze on Daniel. ‘The forensic team has left your house, Daniel Jackson.’

Daniel grimaced. ‘I should probably go and see what damage they’ve done.’ He looked over at Sarah and stilled. How could he leave her?

‘Go.’ Sarah said. ‘You don’t have to sit with me.’

‘Uh…’ Daniel said, flustered and uncertain. He was sure she didn’t want him to leave and yet as much as he didn’t want to leave her alone, he couldn’t deny he was itching for some space to think.

‘In Daniel Jackson’s absence, I would be honoured if you would allow me to sit with you in his stead, Doctor Gardner.’ Teal’c said formally.

Sarah nodded. ‘Thank you, Teal’c.’ She nudged Daniel’s knee with her hand. ‘Go. I’ll be fine.’

Daniel nodded and hopped off the bed, straightening the green blanket. He placed a hand on Teal’c’s shoulder as he passed him, a silent thank you for his support. He walked out of the infirmary.

He passed Detective Shanahan’s room on his way and slowed, wondering whether to poke his head inside and see if Sam was there. He decided against it. He didn’t want to have to make nice with the guy either way. As much as he respected Sam’s right to choose who she wanted to be with and even understood her unspoken reasons for why it wasn’t Jack she had chosen, he couldn’t help thinking she was making a mistake. But it was hers to make and, Daniel had no intention of giving Sam a hard time over it just as he hadn’t given Jack a hard time when he had tried dating someone else. However, Daniel thought determinedly, just because he wasn’t going to give Sam a hard time, it didn’t mean that he had to make friends with Shanahan either.

He headed for the locker room and changed into civilian gear; jeans, a checked shirt and a heavy leather coat that kept out the chill. He arranged a driver to get him to his house – he’d travelled in the ambulance with Sarah that morning – and spent the journey dozing. Intellectually, he knew he’d only spent the last week fencing with Osiris in his dreams and losing sleep, but it felt like he hadn’t slept for years.

The driver pulled up in front of his house and Daniel staggered out, waving the Airman away wearily. He looked at the building and shivered. He walked up to the front door and hesitated with his hand on the wood. He didn’t want to go inside. He wasn’t sure he wanted to be inside of his house ever again. The memory of coming to with Osiris in his bedroom; the pain as the hand device had hit him…

Daniel pushed his hands into his pockets and found his keys. He headed for his car. A moment later, he was driving. He made for Jack’s house without consciously making the decision to head there. Daniel had spotted that Jack had left the base when he’d signed out himself.

Jack’s house looked cosy and inviting; lived in. Daniel parked the car and bounded up to the front door. He knocked and waited even though he knew Jack had probably left the door open. It took Jack a moment to let him in, waving him forward and into the house with a beer bottle.

‘You want one?’ Jack asked, lifting the bottle again.

Daniel slipped off his coat and hung it up by the door. ‘Yeah, I think I do.’

Jack nodded and made for the kitchen. Daniel wandered into the den. He sat down on the battered sofa and looked at the photo album that was open on the coffee table with fascination. His fingers grazed over the pictures of a young Jack, half-naked with his dog-tags swinging against his chest, lifting a young laughing boy above his head.

Jack smacked his shoulder with the beer. ‘Here.’

‘Thanks.’ Daniel gestured at the pictures. ‘Sorry but I couldn’t resist looking. That’s you and Charlie, right?’

‘His third birthday.’ Jack put his beer down and flipped the album shut. ‘I haven’t seen that picture in years.’

‘So…’

‘Sara’s Dad died a couple of months ago. She called and said she’d found the album when she was clearing out the house.’ Jack said anticipating Daniel’s question. He pointed with the album at Daniel. ‘She has her own copy so…’

‘So she offered it to you.’ Daniel had always thought Jack’s ex-wife was a class act.

Jack nodded. He slipped the photo album onto a shelf in the bookcase. Daniel didn’t press him to keep it out and go through it no matter how curious he was. Jack still hurt over Charlie, and after the day’s events Daniel didn’t want to poke at an open wound. He figured Jack was already smarting over the existence of Pete Shanahan despite not doing anything to prevent Sam from moving on.

Daniel rested his head back on the cushion and took a long gulp of beer. ‘Can I stay here tonight?’

‘Stay as long you want.’ Jack offered easily, returning to the sofa and picking up the TV remote.

Daniel sighed gratefully. ‘I don’t think I can live there anymore.’ Which was a major pain in the ass; he’d only just bought the place.

‘So, don’t.’ Jack flipped through the channels until he found an old movie and sat back, lifting his feet and placing them on the coffee table.

‘Sarah, my Sarah,’ Daniel clarified, ‘wants to know what next.’

‘You mean…’ Jack trailed off with an expressive lift of his eyebrows that said ‘you and her?’ He took a sip of his beer.

‘No!’ Daniel said immediately before the thought struck him that maybe Sarah had ideas on that front. ‘God, I hope not.’ He rubbed his thumb at the edge of the beer label. ‘I mean, I loved her once but it was over a long time ago and…’ he sighed, staring at the TV screen without paying attention to what was playing on it, ‘you know what I’ve spent the entire day doing?’

‘I’m sure you’re about to tell me.’ Jack commented dryly.

‘Wishing she was Sha’re.’ Daniel let out a breath in a disgusted huff. ‘How much of a bastard am I?’

‘Daniel…’ Jack tried to break in.

‘No, it’s completely…screwed up.’ Daniel insisted. ‘I know I should be happy that I got Sarah back; that she’s OK or will be OK but…all I can think is that if I’d had a choice…’

‘And if you did have a choice, you would have tried to save them both anyway.’ Jack pointed out brusquely.

Daniel couldn’t argue with Jack’s blunt statement because he knew Jack was right. ‘Apparently I visited her when I was, uh, Ascended.’

‘Yeah?’ Jack tipped his beer bottle towards him.

‘I don’t remember it.’ Daniel shook his head and winced. ‘I think Sam’s going to be irritated with me again.’ He knew that she had never understood why he hadn’t visited her and neither did he.

‘I think Carter has other things on her mind.’ Jack said with too much care for it not to be deliberate.

‘You knew she was seeing someone.’ Daniel stated hesitantly, in case Jack did want to talk about it.

‘Yep.’ Jack’s tone warned Daniel off the subject.

Daniel kept silent. If Jack wanted to talk…

Jack sighed and rubbed a hand furiously through his short grey hair. ‘She’s happy.’

Daniel nodded and knew without question that Jack would never say anything else about the matter. ‘What am I going to do about Sarah?’

‘There are options.’ Jack said. ‘We can give her a new life wherever she wants in the world, or off-world; she can join the SGC if that’s what she wants – you can always do with more geeks, right?’

‘Right.’ Daniel replied. He’d sleep on it, he decided as his eyes closed of their own volition. He didn’t protest when Jack sighed heavily and plucked the bottle from his fingers.

‘Go to bed, Daniel.’ Jack pushed him off the sofa.

Daniel staggered down the corridor and into the spare room. He stripped efficiently, not caring that his clothes ended up in a messy heap on the floor. He clambered into the bed and pulled the covers up over his body, shivering at the cold until the cotton warmed up with his body heat. He heard the faint sounds of Jack moving around the house; breathed in the scent of freshly washed linen and the furniture polish Jack preferred. He was safe. Sarah was safe. Daniel closed his eyes and went to sleep.

o-O-o

Sam hummed under her breath as she pulled the car to a gentle stop by Pete’s apartment building. She looked over at him. He was asleep; he’d slept most of the way to Denver, and he’d been quiet all day.

Nerves fluttered through her. Maybe he was having second thoughts about them now he knew the truth about her work and the Stargate. She thought back to just after she had finished giving him the standard brief; he had seemed fine – a little disbelieving but accepting. Of course, she’d had to leave him to perform a search for Osiris’s ship but she’d thought Pete was OK with it. Maybe her absence had given him a chance to assimilate everything and decide that he didn’t want to be involved after all.

A weird mix of relief and trepidation shot through her at the thought. Trepidation because she liked Pete. She liked him a lot. He was funny and kind; smart. They got along well despite different interests. He tried a little too hard on the romance front maybe, but she didn’t mind. He made her feel special and wanted in a way that she hadn’t felt for a very long time, and enough that she’d invited him into her bedroom. She’d thought she’d blown it the morning after when Pete had walked out when she’d refused to tell him anything more about her work.

Sam grimaced.

And there was the relief because she’d forgotten how much a relationship could intrude on her life – making time to be with someone else, worrying about whether they would like something or hate something about her, the worry over whether the physical side was moving too fast or too slow, worry over saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.

Not to mention there was the whole thing with Jack.

Sam bit her lip. He had kept his distance ever since the stake-out. He’d called in the back-up team and sent Teal’c to help her with Pete. They’d sat opposite sides of the table during the debriefing with the General. But he’d supported her request to give Pete the standard brief on the Stargate and he’d been nothing but supportive in every conversation she’d had with him about her relationship.

She chewed on her lip. If she’d needed evidence that the Colonel simply wanted to be friends with her, she’d gotten it in spades when she’d told him about Pete. He’d dismissed her attempts to downplay the relationship as nothing serious and told her he was happy she was happy. She frowned, feeling the same hurt and disappointment that had suffused her when he’d left the elevator.

As much as she hated to admit it, although he’d acknowledged it was awkward, the Colonel had made himself clear; he had no problems with her moving on, wasn’t going to protest and ask her to wait for him, to give up Pete.

Her heart ached painfully.

Stupid, Sam berated herself; stupid to love one man so much. And she needed to move on if she was going to be fair to Pete. She’d already allowed her hurt over Jack’s apparent unconcern for her dating someone else to push her into moving too fast with Pete. In truth, she knew she hadn’t been ready to take their relationship to the bedroom but she’d been so determined on the date to prove that she was sexy and attractive; so willing to let herself be seduced by Pete’s efforts and his apparent want to have the same thing they’d seen the couple at the dance enjoy; a lifelong commitment.

‘We’re here.’

Pete’s voice intruded and pulled her from her thoughts. She glanced over at him and found him looking back at her shrewdly. She wondered how long he’d been awake and flushed. She pinned a smile on her face.

‘We’re here.’ Sam agreed brightly. She released the seat belt and got out, walking around to help Pete out of the car on the other side. She supported him as she helped him into the building and up the stairs to his apartment.

She looked around curiously at the small open plan living area, kitchen off to the back with a big window over the sink, bed tucked up to the right with a door that probably led to a bathroom. The furnishings were dark, masculine; the colours deep greens and blues. Everything was neat and tidied away. ‘I’ll get your stuff from the car.’ She kissed him softly and walked back out.

It only took one trip to retrieve Pete’s duffel and a bag of groceries they’d picked up on the way. Sam dumped the duffel by his bed and went into the kitchen. She started to put things away and Pete looked over from his place on the sofa to watch her. She smiled as she realised the tins and packets were all lined up alphabetically. She put the last of the perishables away, put the bag in the trash and washed her hands, wiping them off on her jeans when she couldn’t find a towel.

‘Come and sit with me.’ Pete invited, patting the cushion next to him.

Sam smiled nervously and sat down on the brown leather, letting Pete take her hand.

‘I want to thank you for trusting me to tell me about your work,’ Pete began, his eyes on their interlinked hands, ‘it meant a lot to me.’

‘I know.’ Sam murmured. She took a deep breath. ‘But you know that I’m never going to be able to tell you everything. The work I do is highly classified and I was only given permission to share what I did with you; nothing else.’

‘I understand.’ Pete said, one corner of his lips turning upwards. ‘I can live with that.’

‘Can you?’ Sam looked into his eyes intently. ‘I got the impression when you left the other morning that full disclosure is important to you.’

Pete looked away. ‘I was an ass.’

Sam felt some of her tension eke away. ‘Yes, you were.’ She was glad that he’d admitted it. Although she’d been mostly annoyed at herself for having a job that would screw up a potential relationship when she’d taken the step towards intimacy, she’d been a little annoyed at how he’d pushed her on it and how he’d walked out.

‘And then I was more of an ass.’ Pete added unexpectedly.

Sam regarded him quizzically. ‘If you’re talking about the stake-out…’

‘No,’ Pete’s fingers tightened on hers, ‘kind of; well, it’s all related.’ He sighed and looked at her.

Sam could read the apprehension in his eyes. She had a sinking feeling she wasn’t going to like whatever he was going to tell her.

‘When I left you that morning,’ Pete said, ‘I was pissed at you. My ex-wife, she, well, she cheated on me; kept secrets about her life that were part of the reason we failed. It’s no excuse but I was angry and I thought you were doing the same thing.’

‘OK,’ Sam said slowly, ‘I can see why you might have thought that but it’s a completely different thing, Pete. You must have been involved with or seen undercover ops in the force, right?’

‘Yeah, and I know; I was an ass but I had this mixed up notion in my head that if you trusted me, if you’re falling for me the way I’m falling for you, that it wouldn’t matter; you’d tell me anyway.’

‘It doesn’t work that way.’ Sam insisted gently. ‘I gave an oath, Pete, and besides that, it’s not just my life on the line but Earth.’

‘I realise that now but then…I was angry and concerned about you, about what you might be involved with. You’re the sister of a really good friend; I felt a responsibility to look out for you and…’ Pete sighed. ‘There’s no easy way to say this so I’m just going to say it. I called a friend of mine at the FBI to run a background check on you.’

Sam inhaled sharply. Her mind spun on his words. He’d run a check on her? If he’d done that…she lowered her gaze and pulled her hand free of his. The General had to know already; his notification was part of the protocol she’d set up with the NID.

She blanched. Did the Colonel know? The rest of her team? She didn’t think Hammond had informed them. The rest of the SG1 team had been fine with her when they’d hashed out a plan for Sarah Gardner earlier that day and she figured they would have said something if they’d known. She stood up, needing some distance from Pete.

‘So, you’re probably mad right now but there’s, uh, more.’

She whirled around to face him. ‘What?’ She demanded.

‘My friend told me your background was scrubbed.’ Pete said quietly. ‘It only made me more concerned about what you were involved with. I, uh, I followed you.’

Sam made the leap easily. ‘You followed me to the stake-out!’ She whirled away from him. ‘You intended to interrupt our operation because you…’ she put her hands over her face.

Pete struggled to his feet. ‘Sam…’

‘Don’t touch me.’ Sam avoided his outstretched hand. She looked anywhere but at him. She took a step toward the door, wanting, needing to escape.

‘I’m sorry.’ Pete said, raising his voice as he moved to place himself in her path although he wisely didn’t try to touch her again. ‘I’m so sorry I didn’t trust you.’

‘Get out of my way.’ Sam stated angrily, her hands clenching into fists by her side. ‘Or I swear, injured or not, I will kick you on your ass.’

‘I don’t doubt it,’ Pete lifted his hands in supplication, ‘but please just hear me out. I get that I screwed up big time here, but I’m a cop; I investigate when something doesn’t add up and I was worried about you! You can’t tell me that you wouldn’t have done the same thing!’

‘I wouldn’t!’ Sam retorted, furious. ‘I would have respected your privacy and respected the fact that there are parts of your job you couldn’t discuss with me. And even if I followed you to a stake-out, I would have had more sense than to approach you in the middle of it and endanger your operation and your team!’

Pete sat down heavily on the nearest object which was the chair of the sofa. He placed a hand over his abdomen where he’d been caught by shrapnel from the exploding van and sucked in a breath.

Sam hovered, torn between her want to leave and innate decency to see if he was OK.

‘I don’t know how to make this right.’ Pete admitted. ‘But I want to.’

She looked away from him and stared instead at the hardwood floor; the scars of scuff marks across the wood holding her attention.

‘I think we have something good here, Sam.’ Pete said. ‘I’m already crazy about you. Maybe that’s why I overreacted when you wouldn’t tell me what you did. I felt shut out and I didn’t handle that well. All I can do now is swear that I won’t do anything like that ever again.’

Sam stuffed her hands in the pockets of her jacket. ‘Because you don’t have to; because you know what I do.’ She pointed out ruthlessly. ‘And I’m so angry that I asked the General to give me permission to tell you right now because clearly you don’t deserve to know.’

She felt her stomach churn; so many of the men and women at the SGC served without their families ever knowing what their loved ones did to save the planet every day. She was suddenly questioning why she’d felt the need to insist Pete needed the standard brief. The thought that she might have only requested it because she’d known it would make things easier between them made her feel nauseous.

‘Sam…’

‘You say you want to make this right,’ Sam said tersely, ‘let me ask you this: would you have told me if the General hadn’t called you on running the background check?’

Pete’s shock was written all over his face.

She smiled grimly. ‘I wrote the security protocol for when someone runs a background check on SGC personnel, Pete. I know he was informed and his sudden need to have me in his office yesterday when he was somewhere else for a good twenty minutes is making a lot more sense to me now.’ God, she was so embarrassed. Her relationship with the General was complicated by his being her childhood Uncle George, and she didn’t know which had spoken with Pete.

‘OK. I admit he talked to me but I would have told you. Maybe not now,’ he waved at his injury, ‘but eventually.’

After they’d become more involved and he’d been sure she wouldn’t walk out on him for it, Sam surmised.

Pete took another deep breath and captured her gaze. ‘Can we get past this?’

‘I don’t know.’ Sam said honestly. ‘Right now I’m not sure I want to.’ She felt humiliated and she was furious that he’d placed her team in danger.

‘What can I do to change your mind?’ Pete asked seriously.

‘Give me some space.’ Sam said immediately.

‘I can do that.’ Pete said.

Sam felt her breath stutter and she went for the door, the urge to escape pushing her through it. Pete didn’t attempt to stop her again. She made it to her car before she broke down; tears seeping out of her eyes and sobs catching sharply in the back of her throat. She swiped at her face, furious with herself.

She had worked long and hard to establish her career and that Pete had undermined her with a man she respected so much hurt worse than knowing he’d respected her boundaries so little. She was also furious, Sam allowed to herself; furious that her judgement about men sucked so much, furious that she’d placed her team in danger through her relationship with Pete albeit unknowingly.

Damn it. She wiped her face and gunned the engine. The drive back to Colorado Springs was cathartic; the speed of the car and the open road doing much to get her back on an even keel. But she ignored the turn off for her home and continued on, taking the route to the General’s house in the most beautiful part of the suburbs.

She rang the doorbell and stepped back. She wasn’t surprised when Hammond opened the heavy door and led the way to his study without a word. He left her for a few moments returning with two steaming mugs of coffee.

Sam took her coffee and almost burned her tongue when she took a sip. She wrapped her hands around the warmth and the familiarity of Hammond and his home ease her for a moment. ‘I’m sorry to disturb you, sir.’

‘You can lose the ranks, Sam.’ Hammond said gently, sitting down in one of the easy chairs in front of his desk. He gestured at the empty one beside him.

‘Pete told me everything.’ Sam said simply, sitting down and putting her mug next to his on the desk. ‘Or at least, he told me most of it.’ She laughed humourlessly as she smoothed her hands down her thighs. ‘I worked out your involvement in his sudden need to confess myself.’ She smiled at his surprise. ‘I wrote the security protocols.’

‘Ah.’ Hammond looked chagrined. ‘I’d forgotten that.’

‘I…can’t apologise enough…’ Sam began.

Hammond stopped her with a sharp motion of his hand. He sat forward, almost perching on the edge of the seat. ‘You have nothing to apologise for.’

‘I trusted him,’ Sam argued tightly, ‘I vouched for him when I requested permission for the standard brief to be given.’ She shook her head. ‘How can you ever trust my judgment again?’

‘You don’t believe that he was simply concerned for you?’ Hammond questioned.

‘I don’t know.’ Sam said tiredly, running a hand through her hair. ‘I believe he believes it.’

Hammond harrumphed in agreement.

‘He has issues because of his ex-wife.’ Sam allowed. Mark had warned her when he’d told her about Pete but she hadn’t taken him too seriously because everyone had their baggage her included. ‘I think he was influenced by that more than he wants to admit but…’ she bit her lip, ‘it doesn’t excuse what he did.’

‘Can I ask if you’ve made a decision on the future of your relationship with him?’ Hammond inquired.

Sam felt her cheeks flare red but nodded. ‘I told him I needed some space but beyond that I really don’t know.’ She informed him. She took a deep breath and forced herself to meet his gaze. ‘Do…have…do my team know?’

‘No.’ Hammond shook his head. ‘I handled this myself.’

Her body sagged with relief. She had suspected but it was good to know for certain. ‘Thank you, sir.’ She looked down and tried hard to blink away the tears.

Hammond plucked a tissue from a box on the desk and handed it to her.

‘I feel stupid.’ Sam admitted as she blew her nose. ‘He as good as stalked me!’

‘He did.’ Hammond said mildly. ‘He crossed a line.’ He paused. ‘For what it’s worth, I don’t think it’s a mistake he’ll make again.’

Sam sighed and accepted the mug he handed her again. She took another hesitant sip and wasn’t surprised to find the coffee had cooled. ‘I’m sorry you were put in an awkward position because of my personal life, sir.’

Hammond waved away her apology. ‘I’m more worried about you than concerned about that.’ He smiled at her. ‘We always knew when you transferred to my command that there may be occasional issues given my friendship with your family and Jacob.’

‘At least Dad doesn’t know about all this.’ Her eyes flew to him questioningly.

‘No,’ Hammond agreed, ‘I haven’t told him. To all extents and purposes, Sam, this is your personal business.’ He raised his mug. ‘It was my duty as commander of the programme to speak to Detective Shanahan and warn him off any further attempts to dig into things that don’t concern him but other than that.’ He sighed. ‘Admittedly I may have overstepped my professional boundaries in suggesting in strong terms that he tell you what he’d done.’

Sam was smarting too much to be grateful for his interference but she made an attempt. ‘I understand that you were looking out for me and I am grateful that it forced him into telling me sooner rather than later.’ She traced a finger around the rim of her mug. ‘I don’t know what I’m going tell them.’ The words tumbled out before she could help herself.

‘You don’t have to tell them anything.’ Hammond stated quietly, understanding without explanation that she meant SG1.

‘You know my team, sir.’ Sam pointed dryly. ‘Trying to keep anything from them is difficult.’ And she didn’t want to have to explain Pete’s actions and reveal her lack of judgment. It felt too much like admitting she’d failed. The thought of explaining anything to Jack just made her cringe; the conversations they’d already shared on the subject had been awkward enough.

Hammond nodded slowly. ‘Jacob could probably use your help with the power unit on the weapon the Tok’ra have designed from the Telchak device.’

Sam looked at him, slightly stunned at the implied suggestion. ‘I couldn’t ask you to…’

‘I know you would never ask me for favours, Sam.’ Hammond said evenly.

‘Even after my request to tell Pete the Stargate brief?’ Sam mused out loud.

‘Even then.’ Hammond said. He held her gaze forcefully. ‘I still agree Detective Shanahan saw too much for a cover story to have sufficed, and given his curiosity, I think anything short of what was given to him would only have resulted in him digging further on his own.’

On one level, Sam knew Hammond was right; on another, she no longer believed that Pete deserved to know the truth. She took a sip of her coffee to hide her frown.

‘And my sending you to the Alpha site to work with Jacob on this device isn’t exactly a favour.’ Hammond continued wryly. ‘We need that weapon working and you are our technological expert. If it allows you a few days grace to address a personal issue, well, regard that as a bonus.’ He paused. ‘As far as I’m aware there’s nothing else urgent on your assignment list at present?’

Sam shook her head. ‘We’re scheduled to go to Cimmeria with Doctor Gardner tomorrow and beyond that I have some requests for consults from Area 51 and Doctor McKay.’ She was tempted to take the offer Hammond was dangling in front of her. There was a valid mission reason for her to go and it would give her time to sort through the Pete mess and work out what she would tell her team if anything. She’d only asked Pete for space, and although she couldn’t see herself forgiving him and carrying on their relationship as though nothing had happened, there was a nagging voice in her head that wanted her to try to work it out with Pete; she wasn’t the type to give up on something at the first obstacle.

‘Well, then, a few days assisting your father should have no major impact one way or another.’ Hammond said firmly. ‘I can call the base and have your departure authorised immediately.’

Sam nodded decisively. ‘Thank you, sir.’ She’d stop by her house to close it down for a few days and then head straight for the base. She could be at the Alpha site in an under a couple of hours. Sure, she’d have to avoid her father’s questions but she’d had years of experience at that. She put her mug down and went to stand.

‘If you want to talk further, Sam…’ Hammond said invitingly.

‘No, sir. I think I need to work this out myself.’ Sam grimaced. ‘But thank you for the offer.’

They said goodbye and Sam got back into her car with relief. She was lucky her Uncle George was so understanding about what had happened; another CO might have given her a hard time, Sam mused as she navigated the streets to her own home.

The answer machine was flashing when she entered the house and she sighed in the silence of the kitchen before punching the play button.

‘OK, so I know this isn’t giving you space but I hate how you left and…’ There was an audible sigh from Pete. ‘I screwed up; I get that, I get that big time. You have every right to be mad at me. I know that. I also know we’re good together and I don’t want to lose what we’ve started here so…take the time you need but if you can find it in you to give me a second chance, I’ll do whatever it takes to win back your trust; anything. That’s…that’s all I wanted to say. Stay safe, Sam. Bye.’

Sam rubbed her face tiredly. She didn’t know what she wanted to do. She was hurt and, despite Hammond’s assurances that Pete’s actions hadn’t affected his regard for her, she was still embarrassed. She’d only set out to have some fun; to stop fixating on the non-relationship she had Jack. Pete had been fun and easy and…and, sure, there had been the potential for more. He was someone she could see herself being with instead of Jack – she wouldn’t have slept with him if she couldn’t. But this…this hurt and second-guessing herself wasn’t fun.

She shook herself. She pressed ‘the delete all messages’ button. She had a trip to the Alpha site to prepare for; she should get moving.

o-O-o

Daniel sat down heavily on the dry stone wall edging Gairwyn’s property and breathed in the cold crisp air of Cimmeria. The planet hadn’t changed all that much from the first time SG1 had walked through the Stargate and made friends with the Cimmerians despite being ravaged in an attack by Heru’ur. The Asgard teacher that Thor had left behind had helped with that, quickly enabling the Cimmerians to grow their crops and rebuild their villages.

The SGC visited every few months. Medicines and knowledge were traded in exchange for a long term anthropological and archaeological study on Cimmeria. Daniel had thought of it when SG1 had sat down to brainstorm what to do with Sarah. The team was small; Doctor Aaron Casing was a fifty year old Oxford scholar with white hair and a quiet manner; an expert in Viking mythology and culture. His research assistant, Garth Lumi, had returned a few months before because of a family emergency and hadn’t been replaced. Sarah was overqualified but the project would give her time to assess what she wanted to do and give her a measure of security; the Protected Planets treaty was no longer in affect but they were all fairly certain Anubis wouldn’t challenge the Asgard directly again and Thor’s Hammer kept her safe from any other Goa’uld stupid enough to set foot on Cimmeria.

It also helped that the Cimmerians were welcoming to an ex-host after their experience with Kendra and Sam, Daniel thought, breathing in deeply and letting the air cleanse him. He frowned.

SG1 had arrived at the base that morning to the news that Sam had been sent to the Alpha site to assist her father with the weapon they were devising against the super soldiers Anubis was breeding to replace the Jaffa. Jack was furious that he hadn’t been consulted and had requested that the rest of SG1 head to the Alpha site to support Sam after they’d dropped Sarah in Cimmeria. Hammond had been implacable in his refusal.

Daniel understood the root of Jack’s concern; every time the team had split up in recent weeks, it had led to bad things. Sam had only just recovered from a major concussion after an incident on the Prometheus and before that Daniel had found himself kidnapped on Earth.

‘Do you mind if I join you?’ Sarah’s cut glass accent yanked him back from his memories.

He waved at the wall. ‘Pull up a stone.’

Sarah sat down gingerly beside him. She looked good in the green BDUs but vulnerable; like a little girl playing dress-up. ‘This is a lovely planet, Daniel.’

‘It was one of the first places we visited.’ Daniel said. ‘I think we all kind of hold a fondness for it because of that.’

‘I can see why.’ Sarah cleared her throat. ‘Gairwyn asked me if I was your wife.’

Daniel couldn’t prevent the flinch and saw from her expression that he hadn’t hid it in time. He sighed. ‘She knew Sha’re was a host and that I’d hoped to bring her here one day…I didn’t realise I hadn’t told Gairwyn about her death.’

‘She was the host to Ammonet?’ Sarah asked softly.

‘Yes.’

‘I apologise, Daniel.’ Sarah said. ‘I shouldn’t ask…’

‘No, it’s OK, I just…’ Daniel sighed heavily. ‘I still miss her, you know.’

‘I’m surprised you married.’ Sarah shook her head. ‘You were always so caught up in your work.’

‘Well, I didn’t get a choice.’ Daniel admitted with a laugh. ‘I met Sha’re on my first mission through the Stargate. She was given to me as a gift.’

‘Oh.’ Sarah raised her eyebrows, a crease forming along her brow. ‘Is that when you destroyed Ra?’

‘Yeah,’ Daniel gestured out toward the endless blue sky, ‘we blew him up; Jack, Sha’re and me.’ He wet his lips. ‘I stayed behind with Sha’re when Jack came back. A year later, we’d just made contact with Earth again when Apophis attacked Abydos and took Sha’re.’

‘You loved her very much.’ Sarah placed a hand on his arm. ‘I can see that.’

‘I love her very much.’ Daniel corrected gently. ‘I’m not sure I’m ever going to be ready to be involved with someone else.’

‘I think it’s going to be a long time before I get involved with someone myself.’ Sarah said, withdrawing her hand. ‘I don’t even know who I am anymore.’

‘Sam went through something similar when she was taken over by a Tok’ra symbiote.’ Daniel murmured. ‘It took her some time to sort through everything but she made it. So did Kendra.’

‘You told me about her; the host who tricked her Goa’uld into coming here.’ Sarah said. She nodded. ‘Gairwyn spoke of her with a great deal of fondness.’

‘They were friends.’ Daniel said. He smiled as he heard footsteps approaching and recognised Jack’s easy gait.

‘Sorry to interrupt, kids, but it’s time for SG1 to head back.’ Jack declared as he approached. He waved a fingerless gloved hand over his shoulder in the direction of the Stargate.

Daniel stood and hugged Sarah goodbye. ‘Take care.’

‘You too.’ Sarah said quietly in his ear.

He gave her a final squeeze and stepped away, waving goodbye to Aaron and Gairwyn as SG1 started the trek back to the Stargate. He wasn’t surprised when Teal’c and Jack flanked him on either side.

‘You sure this is the best thing for her?’ Jack asked.

Daniel shrugged. ‘No,’ he admitted, ‘but she’s safe here. She’s doing something useful if a little boring for her. Aaron isn’t a hard taskmaster and they have the whole English thing in common so…hopefully she’ll recover and determine what she wants to do.’

‘You do not think she will join the fight against the Goa’uld, Daniel Jackson.’ Teal’c queried.

‘Maybe,’ Daniel said, breathless from the fast pace Jack was setting, ‘I don’t know.’ He reached out a hand and hauled Jack back a pace.

‘What?’ Jack demanded.

Daniel glared at him. ‘General Hammond isn’t going to change his mind about the Alpha site.’

Jack glowered. ‘He might if we get back while there’s still plenty of time to gate there.’

‘I believe you are mistaken, O’Neill,’ Teal’c said firmly, ‘General Hammond made his decision to deny your request extremely clear.’

‘She shouldn’t be alone.’ Jack muttered.

‘She’s hardly alone, Jack,’ Daniel pointed out exasperated, ‘Sam has the whole Alpha site command and security force with her, not to mention her father and Selmak, and a whole heap of Jaffa.’

Teal’c raised an eyebrow. ‘The correct term for a collective of Jaffa is not a heap, Daniel Jackson.’

‘Sorry,’ Daniel batted a hand in his direction, ‘you know what I mean. Sam is fine.’

‘She had a whole heap of people with her on the Prometheus too, Daniel,’ Jack retorted, ‘until, you know, she didn’t and had to save all of their asses.’

Daniel winced. ‘OK, but Teal’c’s right; the General’s not going to change his mind because we turn up a few minutes early.’

‘So, what?’ Jack snapped. ‘We’re just supposed to leave her there?’

Teal’c inclined his head. ‘Tomorrow I will request a trip to the Alpha site to confer with M’Zel. He has expressed concerns regarding tension with the Tok’ra. I believe General Hammond will agree to this request.’

All three of them stopped walking. Daniel almost bent double as he tried to regain his breath and he noticed Jack took a few belaboured breaths himself. Teal’c seemed unaffected.

‘Tomorrow, huh?’ Jack considered, taking off his cap and running his fingers through the damp strands.

Teal’c looked back at him evenly.

‘OK, that’s a plan.’ Jack said.

‘Why M’Zel? Rya’c and Bra’tac aren’t at the Alpha site?’ Daniel questioned idly as they began to walk again.

‘They are visiting Hak’tyl.’ Teal’c informed him cheerily.

Jack patted Daniel’s shoulder. ‘Hey, you call that realtor?’ He asked changing the subject.

‘Yeah, the house is on the market. She thinks it will sell quickly.’ Daniel had no regrets over his decision. He’d go apartment hunting when they got back from the Alpha site. He’d rent until he found somewhere to buy. ‘You OK with me being in your spare room for a couple of weeks?’

‘Sure.’ Jack said easily. His gaze moved past Daniel to Teal’c. ‘You want to come over for pizza tonight, Teal’c?’

‘Maybe we should wait for Sam to get back.’ Daniel suggested, pushing his glasses up his nose. ‘Maybe do a team night?’

‘We can do both.’ Jack declared firmly. ‘Carter’s not going to mind us getting together without her.’

Because she has someone else in her life who’ll take up her time, Daniel supplied the rest of Jack’s thought silently. He frowned as a thought occurred to him. ‘We don’t have to invite Detective Shanahan, do we?’

Jack’s eyebrows shot up with alarm. ‘Hell, no.’

‘I am most relieved to hear that, O’Neill.’ Teal’c confirmed.

Jack whirled in front of them and brought them all to a halt again. ‘OK,’ he regarded Daniel and Teal’c with guarded concern, ‘you guys don’t like Shanahan.’

It was a statement not a question but Daniel answered anyway. ‘It’s not really a question of like or dislike so much as…’ he trailed away at Jack’s knowing look and Teal’c’s knowing eyebrow, and sighed, ‘no.’

Jack looked over at the Jaffa. ‘T?’

‘I do not believe he is a suitable mate for Major Carter.’ Teal’c said firmly.

‘You don’t like him either, Jack.’ Daniel said unable to keep the petulance from his tone.

Jack sighed and lifted his hand from the butt of his P90. ‘Look, I’m going to tell you guys what I told Hammond…’

Daniel looked at him quizzically and wondered when Jack had discussed Sam’s boyfriend with the General.

‘…nobody is ever, ever, going to be good enough for Carter,’ Jack continued, his hand gesturing furiously, ‘but she deserves to be happy so…we’re all going to just have to suck it up. He’s her choice.’

Daniel wanted to question that but he knew if he did, Jack would clam up. His friends had made their decisions, Daniel reminded himself; he needed to respect that – not knock their two heads together and insist they kiss each other already no matter how much he might want to.

Teal’c lowered his brow. ‘Does this mean we will not impress upon Detective Shanahan at the earliest opportunity that he will die should he harm Major Carter in any way?’

Daniel exchanged an amused look with Jack.

Jack slapped Teal’c’s shoulder. ‘I tell you what, Teal’c, why don’t you take care of that. Daniel and I will distract Carter.’

Teal’c bowed his head in agreement. Jack shook his head in bemusement. They set off again.

Daniel cleared his throat. ‘You know she’s going to kill all of us if she ever hears about it.’ But despite his innate view that it was better to talk than threaten, he couldn’t deny that he was somewhat looking forward to that particular discussion with Shanahan. There was something decidedly odd about how he had happened to be at the stake-out.

Teal’c nodded. ‘She will be most unhappy.’

‘So, we’re still going to do it, right?’ Daniel checked. He breathed a sigh of relief as the Stargate came into view.

‘Oh yeah.’ Jack said again, cheerfully.

Teal’c’s smile was feral. ‘Indeed.’

‘Just checking.’ Daniel smiled back and went to dial them home.

fin.