Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter 1

Jack sat down on the locker room bench and dropped the large cardboard box to the floor beside him. The longest three months of his life were finally coming to a quiet close. He ran a tired hand through his hair. It wasn't that he had doubts exactly, it was just that this was a rather lonely way to end eight years of dedication and friendship.

The decision he'd made all those weeks ago, to retire quietly and without fanfare, had been made after many long nights spent tossing and turning instead of sleeping. Hammond hadn't been happy about it. Hell, the President had practically begged him to stay, which was both flattering and, in a way, frightening. Surely he wasn't the only one on the face of the planet who could keep a lid on this joint.

He opened his locker, haphazardly pulling things out and dropping them into the open box. He'd agreed to stay until they found somebody else, but only under the condition that his impending retirement wouldn't be made public knowledge until absolutely necessary. He didn't want pomp and circumstance, didn't want people gaping at him and wondering what he was going to do next. And he definitely didn't want people staring at Carter and speculating about his reasons for retirement. She didn't deserve to be fodder for the gossip mill. God knew there'd been enough of that around the base already.

In the end, he'd decided not to tell his team until after the fact. They'd be hurt, he knew. Hell, they'd probably be furious with him. But he'd rather that than put his friends in the uncomfortable position of having to defend his choices. Besides, if Carter were just as pissed at him as everybody else would be, there'd be little doubt as to the status of their relationship – or lack thereof. And if, by some lucky chance, he was able to win back their trust and acceptance, he'd just be that much more convinced that he still had a tiny bit of good Karma left somewhere in his screwed-up psyche.

He put his jacket into the box and closed the locker, his movements a little slower than usual, a little less sure. When he heard the door open, he cursed under his breath. So much for being gone before anybody noticed. Straightening, he looked up. Daniel. Damn.

Sure enough, Daniel stood just inside the door, leaning almost too casually against the bank of lockers. The overhead lights glinted off his glasses, effectively hiding his expression. Jack decided to play it light and hope for the best. Maybe, if he was especially lucky, he could still escape without Daniel being any the wiser.

"Daniel," he said, the single word rising in pitch at the end, making it both greeting and question.

"Jack." Daniel's response, framed in the same tones, didn't bode well. "What's going on?"

"Not much." Suitably casual. He was proud of himself.

"Going somewhere?"

Damn, damn, triple damn. The box. He stood and turned slightly, shielding it from Daniel's view, but he sensed that it was already too late.

"Just tidying up."

"Uh huh." Daniel's tone dripped skepticism as he moved across to the locker. "You took your lock off."

"Yeah. Well…" he hedged. "Time for a new one."

"I see."

Surprisingly, Jack didn't expect Daniel's next move. If he had, he might've been able to stop it. As it was, the locker was open before Jack could do much more than blink.

"Wow," Daniel said, "That's really tidy."

Daniel had learned a lot about sarcasm in the years they'd worked together. It was pretty damned obvious he wasn't buying Jack's story. Still… Nothing ventured, nothing gained. "It is, isn't it?" He smiled proudly. "I'm thinking of painting."

"You're going to paint." There was patent disbelief in Daniel's voice now.

"Yep. Peridot, I think." Jack grinned and resisted the sudden urge to shift his balance.

The locker door slammed suddenly, and Jack twitched despite himself.

Daniel eyed him quizzically. "Little jumpy, Jack?"

"So." Time for a change of subject. "I'm heading out. Was there something you needed?"

Daniel's arms were folded now. Thunderclouds loomed on the horizon, and here Jack was without an umbrella.

"I stopped by your office a second ago. Wanted to talk to you about something."

"Oh yeah?" Oh no. General Landry. Looming conversational black hole. He saw it coming, but couldn't do a damn thing to escape its grasp. Carter would have a twenty dollar name for that phenomenon.

"Yep." Daniel took off his glasses. So much for hidden expressions. Pissed would sum this one up nicely. "Odd thing, though."

"Odd, you say." Jack wasn't about to wave a white flag.

"Very."

"And, um… What was odd about it? Exactly." He played for time, hoping inspiration would strike.

"It was nothing, really." There was that sarcasm again.

"And yet," Jack said, reaching for his jacket. "You mention it."

"Yeah, well…" Another theatrical pause.

Jack wondered if he could grab his gear and make a run for it. He eyed the distance to the door and sighed. It'd never work.

"See," Daniel was saying, "it's just that there was this strange general in there."

"Really." Jack tried to sound surprised.

"Yep." Daniel nodded.

"A strange one, you say."

"Uh huh."

"Well." Jack coughed and reached for his things. "Imagine that."

A large, leather clad foot landed neatly on top of the box, forcing Jack to set it back on the floor. He looked up.

"Name's Landry, apparently." Daniel's arms were folded across his chest again, and his foot remained squarely on top of the box. Jack considered leaving it and making a solo dash for the door, but vetoed the thought. Too undignified. Besides, he'd never run from a fight before, and he wasn't about to start now.

"Landry, huh?" he said instead, pretending he needed to tie his shoelace.

"Yep."

"Good name."

"Maybe." Daniel's response was noncommittal.

The silence in the room began to take on a life of its own, and Jack finally took a deep breath and looked his friend squarely in the eyes.

"What's your point, Daniel?"

Daniel continued to observe him silently for a few seconds before putting his glasses back on with a sigh. "I figure it's one of two things, Jack. Either you're leaving the SGC for good, and trying to slip away unnoticed, or …"

"Or what?"

"That's just it." Daniel said. "I don't know what else it could be."

Jack reached for his box again. Daniel's foot didn't move.

"Daniel."

"No, Jack. Not until you tell me what's going on."

"Damn it, Daniel. Can't you just leave it alone?"

"No."

Jack sighed his exasperation. "Empty locker, empty office, new general… What the hell do you think is going on, Daniel?"

"So you are leaving."

Jack nodded.

"Without a word?"

"Apparently not." It was Jack's turn for sarcasm.

"Sorry to spoil your big exit." There was anger in Daniel's voice now, and Jack responded in kind, tired of dancing around the subject.

"What would you have me do, Daniel? Should I tell Teal'c I'm tired of fighting a war that never ends? Tell you that I can't stand the thought of looking at one more Ancient artifact? Tell Carter…" He trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought, but Daniel wouldn't let it go.

"Tell Sam what, Jack?" His voice was soft.

"Never mind."

Daniel let it drop, finally lifting his foot off the box. "I used to think you weren't afraid of anything."

Jack slid on his jacket, picked up the box, and headed for the door. "Looks like you were wrong."

"Yeah," said Daniel, his voice almost lost behind the closing door. "Looks like I was."

Chapter 2

The empty chair at the head of the table was a silent reminder of Jack's absence, and the three remaining members of SG-1 avoided looking at it while they waited for the briefing to start.

Sam paced back and forth in front of the window, too angry to sit still. "I can't believe he just left like that."

Daniel shrugged, trying to rationalize Jack's odd behavior for Sam's sake. "You know he doesn't like pomp and circumstance."

"But he likes cake." There was the faintest hint of desperation in Sam's voice as she gazed down at the Stargate. "We would've had cake."

There was no answer to that, and Daniel took refuge in his coffee.

"In Jaffa society it is not unusual for an aging warrior to choose to die alone," Teal'c said.

Sam spun around, and she and Daniel stared at Teal'c, aghast.

Daniel found his voice first. "He's not dying, Teal'c."

"And he isn't…" Sam almost choked on the word, "aging."

Teal'c didn't look convinced.

Sam turned to Daniel. "Are you sure he didn't say anything else?"

Daniel shook his head. "Sorry, Sam."

The door opened and General Landry came in, effectively ending the conversation and bringing Daniel and Teal'c to their feet.

"At ease, people."

The four of them sat down, and for a few moments there was much shuffling of paper and clicking of pens as the group prepared for the briefing.

"Before we begin," Landry said, "I want the three of you to know that I realize how difficult this is."

Sam and Daniel exchanged a doubtful glance.

"This change of command is both sudden and unexpected," Landry continued. "I want to assure you that I'm not looking to upset any apple carts. For now at least, activities here at the SGC will continue the way they always have."

"Yes, Sir." Sam's voice was subdued, but relieved. Daniel and Teal'c settled for nods.

"Now," Landry went on, "if you'll open your briefing folders, we'll get busy."

Much later, Sam sat in her lab, toying absently with a screwdriver while her mind wandered. After those few words, the briefing had been…well… normal. The rest of the day had also been altogether normal. Things were as they always had been, except for one thing. Jack was gone. His seat at the conference table – empty. His seat in the commissary – also empty. His gentle gibes and self-deprecating humor – absent. Everything was the same as it had always been, only not.

A pile of half-finished reports lay in a jumble next to her computer, the screen of which had long since switched to power saver mode. She knew she needed to get something done, but every time she tried to work she ended up thinking about Jack. With a sudden curse, she threw the screwdriver across the room.

"Whoa there." Daniel ducked just in time to avoid getting his nose pierced. He peered cautiously at her from the safe side of the door frame. "Hey, Sam."

"Hey, Daniel. Sorry about that."

She must not have sounded very convincing, because he kept a close eye on her as he edged further into the room.

"Everything okay?" He asked.

"Yeahsureyoubetcha," she said with a weak smile.

"It's weird without him around, isn't it."

"Ya think?"

Daniel ignored her sarcasm. "Give it time, Sam."

"Give what time? Him? His replacement? The general weirdness of his sudden disappearance?" She knew she didn't have to name the 'him' she was referring to. Daniel was a bright guy.

"D. All of the above."

She huffed angrily. "He had no right to do this."

"This is Jack we're talking about. Predictability isn't exactly his stock in trade." He leaned a shoulder against the open door. "Are you really so surprised?"

She sighed in resignation. "I guess not." She interrupted his nod before he could finish it. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

He grinned a little at that. "I wouldn't expect you to."

"So now what?" Sam asked. The question was rhetorical. There was only one possible answer, and they both knew it.

He shrugged a shoulder. "Now we get back to doing what we do best, I guess."

"Exploring the galaxy, cheating death, and occasionally saving the planet, you mean?"

Daniel's smile was lopsided. "Yeahsureyoubetcha."

Chapter 3

Two weeks later, Teal'c made his way to the commissary to meet Daniel Jackson and Colonel Carter for lunch. His workout had taken longer than usual, and he expected his friends would already be there waiting for him. When he arrived, he saw that the two scientists had chosen a table at the far end of the dining hall where they appeared to be discussing a matter of some importance. Teal'c watched them as he moved through the line, concerned by the apparent tension between them.

"You can't do that!" Daniel's outrage carried across the commissary to where Teal'c was choosing from the dessert selections. Something about his tone made Teal'c put down the slice of pie and turn to see what was going on.

"That's where you're wrong, Daniel." Sam's voice was tight with anger. "I can. SG-7 brought that device back from their last mission. After General Landry, they report any technological discoveries directly to me. You know that."

"Damn it, Sam, if you take that thing apart before my department gets a look at it…"

"What, Daniel?" She was in full battle mode now. "You worried my ham-handed techs will damage it?"

"Yes, actually! That's exactly what I'm worried about!"

The two of them were on their feet now, oblivious to the tense silence that had fallen over the room. Teal'c shook his head, nodded at the airman behind the counter, and moved toward them, intent on preventing actual bloodshed. Daniel Jackson and Colonel Carter often engaged in conversations of this type, but rarely did they become so heated.

"It's good to know you have such confidence in my department."

Teal'c lifted an eyebrow. He had never heard her speak to Daniel Jackson in those tones before.

Daniel snorted. "I have confidence all right. The last time your group turned a device over to us it was so badly mangled it was practically useless!"

"Perhaps," Teal'c suggested, calmly inserting himself between them, "this conversation would be more readily resolved elsewhere."

It only took a moment for his words to reach their intended targets. Daniel and Sam, still angry, were forced to acknowledge their spellbound audience. They sat down, glaring at each other across Teal'c's overloaded lunch tray.

"What do you think, Teal'c?" Sam asked, watching Teal'c peel his orange.

"As I did not hear your entire conversation, I do not feel that it would be appropriate to render an opinion at this time."

"Oh come on, Teal'c. You've heard it all before." Daniel refused to back down. "SG teams bring artifacts back from their missions and the damn scientists rip it apart. By the time we get it, there's not much left to work with."

"Are you not also a scientist, Daniel Jackson?"

Daniel snorted his exasperation. "You know what I mean."

"I do not." Teal'c dropped the orange peel on his tray and looked up at Sam. "Is it not possible to allow Daniel Jackson's team to examine the device first?" He was playing with fire. Colonel Carter was very protective of alien devices.

"No way. I promised General Landry I'd have a report to him tomorrow."

Sometimes, thought Teal'c, the best way to solve a problem was to ignore it. "There is another device on Dakara that may be of some interest to the scientists of this world."

Thankfully, the diversionary tactic was successful.

"What kind of device?" Daniel asked, still glaring at Sam.

Teal'c took his time folding his napkin before answering. "Of that I am not sure, Daniel Jackson."

"Describe it to us." Colonel Carter this time. She shoved her still full tray to one side. Teal'c had noticed that Samantha Carter did not eat properly when she was unhappy.

"That will be difficult." He paused to drink a carton of milk before going on. "As you are aware, a number of free Jaffa have been studying the possibility of creating a sustainable food source on Dakara."

"Yes, yes, I know," Daniel said, obviously still irritated with Sam and, for the moment at least, taking it out on Teal'c's rather stubborn refusal to get to the point. "Having fought so hard for your own freedom, the Jaffa don't want to enslave the peoples of other planets for the purpose of providing food."

Teal'c rewarded Daniel with a slight nod. "Precisely."

"Why Dakara?" Sam asked. "From what I've seen, the planet's surface composition is too rocky for farming, its climate too hot and dry. Aren't there other planets that make more sense?"

"Indeed."

"So then…" Daniel trailed off, looking confused.

Teal'c swallowed a bite of mashed potatoes. "Several days ago, a group of Jaffa was exploring a section of Dakara that had not been visited for many centuries."

"And?" Sam, never particularly patient, had become much less so during her years working with Jack O'Neill.

"And they discovered a device of unknown origin and purpose," he looked at Daniel, "with unfamiliar symbols inscribed upon its face."

At this point, had General O'Neill been present, there would've been a loud groan of protest. As it was, there was nobody to temper Daniel and Sam's excitement.

"Were you able to translate any of it?" Daniel asked his question at precisely the same moment Sam asked hers.

"Any idea what it does?"

"No," Teal'c answered Daniel first. Then, turning to look at Sam, "and no."

"So you want us to come out there and take a look?"

Teal'c nodded slightly. "Indeed."

Daniel and Sam were almost instantly on their feet, a pair of bloodhounds on the scent of a rabbit.

"I think General Landry's in his office," Sam said.

Teal'c resigned himself to missing the rest of his lunch. One meal was a small sacrifice if it distracted his friends from the ill tempers that had plagued them since O'Neill's unexpected departure. Taking one of the sandwiches and an apple off of his tray, he followed them out of the commissary.

Chapter 4

Rocks. Big rocks, medium sized rocks, and what seemed like thousands of tiny rocks whose only purpose in life was to find a way into her boots. All in all, Sam was finding it hard to believe anybody would consider turning this desolate planet into farmland. They'd been climbing steadily for almost two hours. It was hot, as usual on Dakara, and dry, also as usual, with nothing but rock and red dust as far the eye could see.

Teal'c finally stopped on a ridge overlooking a narrow box canyon, and waited for Sam and Daniel to catch up. The terrain here was mountainous, studded with craggy peaks and deep valleys - a thoroughly unlikely place to hide an alien artifact.

"Teal'c?"

Teal'c tilted his head slightly to one side, eyebrow raised in polite interest.

"I don't see any device."

Sam was startled by the note of irritation in Daniel's normally enthusiastic voice. Then again, they were all hot, thirsty, and cranky as hell. "I don't either," she said.

Teal'c pointed toward the end of the canyon, unperturbed. "It is there."

Daniel squinted. "All I see is more rock."

Sam unclipped her pack and reached inside, pulling out her binoculars. She stared through them for several moments before handing the glasses over to Daniel. "I'm sorry, Teal'c, but I agree with Daniel."

"You will see it when we get closer." Teal'c started to turn away.

"I have a question." Daniel nudged a fist-sized rock over the edge of the ridge with his toe. It skittered down the steep slope, raising a cloud of dust as it went. "Why didn't we use a tel'tak?"

"Do you require rest, Daniel Jackson?" There was the faintest hint of amusement in Teal'c's voice.

Sam felt a laugh bubble up in her chest, and devoted her attention to screwing the top on her canteen, biting her lip to hold the smile at bay.

"No, not at all." Daniel's response was swift.

Teal'c continued to gaze steadily at Daniel for a moment, as though deciding whether or not he believed him. "There is no tel'tak available at this time."

Daniel put his own canteen away and waved Teal'c ahead. "Lead on."

It took another half hour of steady hiking to reach the place Teal'c wanted them to see, and it wasn't until they'd actually arrived that she and Daniel were able to recognize the fact that there was, indeed, a manmade object here. The device, whatever it was, had been built into the wall of the canyon near where it came to an abrupt dead end. Its position several hundred meters above the valley floor meant that the only way to reach it would be by climbing down to it from above.

Sam dropped her pack and rifled through it for the rope and harness Teal'c had suggested she bring. She started to step into the harness, but stopped when she felt Daniel's hand on her arm.

"Shouldn't we get some idea of what that thing is before you go poking and prodding at it?"

She yanked the harness up and started buckling it around her waist. "That's exactly what I'm going to do, Daniel."

"Okay, maybe I should rephrase." He folded his arms and rocked back on his heels. "Teal'c already told us that the device has some kind of markings on it, and there's a fair chance those symbols are in an ancient language. Have you become a linguist in your spare time?"

She shook her head. "You know I haven't."

"Then doesn't it make sense that I should be the one going down first?"

"Perhaps Daniel Jackson is correct," Teal'c said mildly.

Sam blew out an exasperated breath and took off the harness, reluctantly handing it over to her teammate. "Daniel, so help me God, if you start pushing buttons…"

He held up his hands, "No buttons. I swear."

She snorted. She didn't trust him for an instant, but she had to acknowledge that he was right. It really did make more sense for him to go down first. Teal'c took the other end of the rope, wrapping it around his waist and leaning back slightly to better support Daniel's weight. Daniel eased himself over the edge, taking his time to find stable toe holds as he worked his way down the rock wall and then across to a narrow ledge that would allow him to reach the device.

Several minutes passed during which Sam lent her strength to Teal'c's, and Daniel concentrated on his footing. Finally, the rope went slack.

"Daniel?" she called.

"Yeah, Sam. I'm good. Lock the rope, would you?"

Sam nodded to Teal'c, who wrapped the end of the rope several times around a large boulder. He tied it securely before coming over to where Sam lay flat on her stomach, her head hanging over the edge to better see what Daniel was doing. Camera in hand, he was already recording digital images, his free hand moving lightly over the rock face.

"Daniel!" Surely he knew how sensitive some of these things could be. "No buttons!"

He looked up at her. "Sam! Give it a rest! I'm not-"

The rest of his comment was lost in a low rumble as Sam felt the ground beneath her shift ominously.

"Daniel!" Suddenly she wasn't angry or irritated. She was scared. The ledge Daniel was standing on was only just wide enough for his feet, and, rope and harness not withstanding, it wouldn't take much to dislodge him. She looked around to where Teal'c had rolled to his feet in a single smooth motion and was now once again holding onto the rope.

Teal'c's calm voice was almost lost in the grating noise of rock shifting against rock. "Shall I pull him up, Colonel Carter?"

"Just a sec, Teal'c." Reassured that the lifeline was stable, Sam looked back down to see that Daniel had flattened himself against the cliff wall, the fingers of one hand wrapped securely around the rope, the other holding onto something she couldn't see. The digital camera hung freely from its strap around his neck. Luckily, a small outcropping above his head offered protection against the cascade of small stones and rocks that been dislodged by the tremor.

"Not yet, Teal'c. Right now, he's safer where he is." She got a nod in reply as the rumbling finally slowed to a stop. She breathed a tentative sigh of relief. She hadn't known Dakara was prone to earthquakes, but given its geological makeup, she wasn't all that surprised.

Daniel looked up at her, a crooked smile of relief on his face. "I swear, Sam. I didn't touch a thing."

She laughed a little nervously. "Maybe the mountain just prefers a feminine touch."

He snorted at that and went back to his work. A few minutes later, he called up that he was finished, and Sam and Teal'c worked together to pull him back up the steep incline. Daniel took off the harness and Sam reached for it, preparing to take her own look at this new discovery.

"Sam." Daniel caught her arm, preventing her from fastening the buckle around her waist. "I think you should wait."

"Excuse me?" Daniel usually knew better than to try to protect her. She could take care of herself. Besides, this discovery could be important to the Jaffa people, and it seemed to her that –

He interrupted her train of thought. "I just think we should get a geological survey done before we take any more risks. Look, if that quake had happened before I'd gone down there I would have said the same thing. It's too dangerous."

Sam looked over to where Teal'c was coiling up the rope. "It would be exceedingly unwise to linger, Colonel Carter," he said. "This area may indeed be unstable."

She sighed in frustration. They were right. It made sense to get a survey done before they did too much poking around. Besides, from what little she could tell, the machine was turned off at the moment and no apparent danger to anybody.

"Fine," she said finally. "We'll go back. General Landry can decide what happens next." She looked around at the rapidly deepening gloom. "There's no way we'll make it back to the gate tonight, though. Let's make camp."

It was nearly 1130 by the time they reached the gate the next day. Sam adjusted her pack on her shoulders and moved to the DHD beside Daniel, but Teal'c held back.

"I regret that I will not be joining you on your return," he said quietly.

Sam snapped her head up from where she'd been watching Daniel punch in the coordinates. "You aren't coming back?"

"Not at this time."

"And you wait until now to say something?" Daniel voiced the incredulity Sam was feeling. He looked at her. "Is the O'Neill disease contagious?"

Sam shrugged a puzzled shoulder before turning back to Teal'c. "Why?"

"My presence is required here," he said. "I must help my people find a new way now that they no longer serve the Goa'uld."

"What about the mission?" Sam asked.

"I will rejoin you upon your return to Dakara."

"Does General Landry know about this?" Sam knew she was grasping at straws, hoping that Teal'c's sense of duty would work in her favor.

"Indeed," Teal'c nodded, disappointing her. "We discussed the matter yesterday."

"And yet, you didn't tell us."

"I did not see the need."

Sam rolled her eyes at that. What was it with the men in her life all of a sudden?

"So… Is this a permanent thing?" Daniel asked.

"I do not believe so," answered Teal'c. "My place is with the Tau'ri."

Sam swallowed her sigh of relief. Well, that was something, anyway. "We'll miss you, Teal'c."

He bowed slightly in her direction. "And I you, Colonel Carter."

She hugged him, closing her eyes as she was briefly enveloped in a cocoon of secure affection. When she pulled away, she hid the mistiness in her eyes, focusing her attention on her gear until she was sure she could look up without revealing her emotions. Daniel hugged Teal'c as well, the gesture one of masculine affection and respect.

"Dial it up, Daniel," she said, needing a distraction from the lump in her throat. "Let's go home."

Chapter 5

Moments later, Sam stepped out of the event horizon, shook off the familiar cold, and turned to watch Daniel's arrival. It wasn't until she turned back to give Siler the all clear that she saw him. She stiffened, glancing over at Daniel, who apparently hadn't noticed yet. What was he doing here? And, more to the point, where did he get the unmitigated gall to show up again after the way he'd left?

"Sam?" Daniel's voice interrupted her thoughts. "What's up? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

She exhaled sharply. "I think I have."

Daniel scanned the control booth, and Sam sensed the instant he saw Jack.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Daniel kept his voice low, but it was tight with controlled anger.

She didn't bother to answer, merely shaking her head and starting down the ramp, intent on making it to the infirmary before having to face Jack. She knew she couldn't avoid him forever, but she could certainly delay the inevitable for a few minutes.

It was mid-afternoon by the time she'd finished with her exam and had a shower, her mind churning the entire time about what she was going to say to Jack when she saw him. Her temptation was to avoid him altogether, but she knew that wasn't going to happen. It was a safe bet that he would be invited to sit in on the briefing that was scheduled to start in fifteen minutes. Retired or not, nobody would deny Jack O'Neill access to the SGC. Besides, it had only been a little over three weeks since he'd left. With a sigh, she collected a pen and notepad from her workbench and headed for the conference room. There was no point in trying to put it off any longer.

Daniel had gotten there before her and was already sitting at the table, doodling on a legal pad. He looked up when she came in, his expression tense, eyes dark with emotion.

"Hey, Sam," he said. "Medical go okay?"

She grinned at him. "You're asking me? I'm not the one who spent fifteen seconds glued to a cliff!"

"Yeah, well, since you're asking, I'm fine." He smiled back at her. She seated herself across from him, and they were both writing notes for their mission reports when the door opened and Jack came in. Sam, out of long habit, was on her feet and at attention before she remembered that he was, officially at least, retired. Feeling slightly flustered, a little off balance, and royally pissed at herself, she sat back down and buried her face in her notes, desperate to hide a flush of embarrassment. Damn. This was so not how she'd wanted this to go.

Daniel apparently had no such difficulties. "Never thought I'd see you around here again, Jack." His voice was coolly polite, revealing nothing of his feelings. Sam mentally gave him a gold star for grace under pressure.

"Carter," Jack nodded over at her. "Daniel." There was caution in his voice, as though he half expected one of them to come at him with fists flying.

Sam, determined to maintain some professional distance from the situation, settled for nodding back.

"Where's General Landry?" Daniel asked.

"Emergency leave," Jack said simply. "The Pentagon needed somebody in here who already knew the ropes, so—" He lifted his hands, palms outward in an expression of good faith. "Here I am."

"Here you are," Sam said with a decided lack of enthusiasm.

She felt Jack glance sharply at her before taking his seat at the end of the table, but she didn't look up. Let him wonder.

"So," Jack said, "Where's Teal'c?"

"He stayed on Dakara to do some work with the Jaffa," Daniel answered.

"Oh?" Jack looked over at Sam. "How long?"

"He didn't say," she answered, "beyond telling us that it isn't forever."

Jack pondered that for a moment, and then flipped open his notebook. "So, kids, tell me about your trip."

Funny, Sam thought, being called a "kid" didn't used to bother her this much. This time, though, she found she had to resist the urge to call him a condescending bastard. Go figure.

"Standard mission," said Daniel. "There's some type of device built into a cliff wall about twelve clicks from the gate."

"That's quite a hike," Jack said. "Or did you use a tel'tak?"

"We walked it, Sir," Sam said. "No other transport available at the time."

"That explains why you elected to stay the night."

"Yes, Sir. We cleared that with General Landry before we left. Didn't know how long the mission would take."

"So what about this device?" Jack said. "Does it do anything cool?"

Sam and Daniel exchanged a glance. "Cool, Sir?"

Jack sighed. "You know what I mean, Colonel. Does it have military or civil potential, either for us or for the Jaffa?"

"Hard to say, Sir. I didn't get a good look at it."

"But you said…"

"I'm the only one who got to see it close up," Daniel interrupted. "The device is built right into the cliff wall. There's barely enough room for one person to get to it, much less two."

"It didn't occur to you to take turns?"

"We would have," Sam said, "but after the earthquake, we didn't think it would be such a great idea."

Jack's slightly raised eyebrow was the only indication that he'd noticed her sarcasm. "So, Daniel?" Jack swiveled slightly in his seat to direct his full attention to the other man. "What's the story?"

Daniel shrugged. "It's impossible to say right now. I need time to analyze the video before I can give any useful answers."

"Surely you've got a guess."

"No, actually. I don't." The terse answer notched up the already high tension in the room.

Sam waited, wondering whether Jack was going to tackle the elephant in the room or ignore it.

"So what's your suggested course of action, Carter?" Jack finally asked, professional facade solidly in place.

Ignore it, apparently. Aloud, she said, "I'd like a geological survey done on the area before we go in again, Sir."

"Fine. I'll send SG-7 over to take a look." He turned back to Daniel. "In the meantime, I'd like to hear your analysis of the artifact as soon as possible."

Analysis? Artifact? Sam bent her head to her paper, scribbling something inane about the briefing and effectively hiding her expression from Jack. Normally, he would have just asked Daniel to take a look at the video and get back to him. The man really was rattled.

"I'll get it done just as soon as I can," Daniel said.

"Good."

And that was that. Jack ended the briefing, and five minutes later Sam sat down at her workbench with a sigh of relief. Well, she thought. That was fun.

Chapter 6

"Antikythera!"

Sam mumbled something under her breath about hyperactive archeologists, and slowly set down the soldering iron. Daniel's expression was both apologetic and excited, a combination that only he could manage to pull off successfully.

"Sorry, Sam."

"Uh huh," she said, switching off a nearby piece of equipment with a tolerant half smile. "Now. Antique… what?"

"Not antique," he corrected patiently. "Antikythera."

"Okay," she answered, wondering if he actually expected her to know what he was talking about. "Who's Antikythera?"

"Not who. What."

She blew out an exasperated breath. "Okay, then. What is Antikythera?"

"It's a…" he struggled for the right words. "A calendar. Sort of."

"Sort of?"

"You don't understand. It's more than just a calendar." Daniel's enthusiasm bubbled over again. "I remembered reading something about a device that looked a little like what we found on Dakara. Took me a day and a half to find the reference, but I finally did!"

Sam raised her hands in self defense. "Slow down, will you?"

"I'll show you." He pointed at her computer. "May I?"

She turned back to her soldering iron. "Help yourself."

"This'll only take a sec."

Sighing, she placed the tool back on its stand and set her project to one side. It didn't look like she'd be working on it again for a while.

"There!" he said triumphantly.

Daniel had pulled up a web page that showed several images of what appeared to be a rather complex gear-driven mechanism. "I see, but I still don't understand," she said.

"These are line drawings of a device divers found off the coast of an island called Antikythera in 1901."

"That explains the name."

Daniel barely spared her a glance before rushing on with his explanation. "Anyway, the theory is that the ancient Greeks used the Antikythera device to predict the movements of the moon and the sun against a static background of stars."

"You're joking, right? This is way beyond any technology they would have had at the time."

"I know! I know! That's what made it all so exciting! It threw everything we thought we knew about ancient Greek engineering out the window!"

Sam moved closer to get a better look. There were pictures of the device as it had looked when it was found, covered in calcium deposits and badly fragmented. She glanced briefly at them, and then turned her attention to the line drawings that showed the internal design of the mechanism. She let out a low whistle.

"How many gears are there?"

"Thirty-two."

"And you're sure about the age?"

He nodded.

Fascinated, she spent a few more minutes examining the images before straightening and looking over at Daniel. "I'm guessing you think this is what that device on Dakara is for?"

"Yes!" Daniel ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. He glanced over at the computer screen again. "I mean, it makes sense, except…"

"Except?"

"Well, I couldn't see the inside, so I can't be absolutely sure. I've translated most of the figures on the cliff face, and they pretty much match what we're seeing here, except that the ones on Dakara aren't in Greek."

"What language are they in?"

"Ancient. Which isn't so surprising, considering."

"So it's a sort of high tech calendar?"

"Well, I'm not sure of all the details yet, but basically, yes. At least – I think it does the same thing the original Antikythera device did."

"I'm sorry, Daniel, but this just doesn't make any sense. Why would they build a calendar into the side of a cliff?"

"What if there's more behind what we saw?"

"Inside, you mean?"

"Yeah."

"Did you see anything that made you think there might be?"

"I'm working on that, but there are still some symbols that I haven't been able to translate. It makes sense, though, doesn't it?"

"Seems to," she said, "so now what?"

"Now we wait for SG-7 to come back. Then we beg for a chance to go play."

"Daniel," Sam grinned. "I like the way you think."

Chapter 7

Several days later, Daniel sat at his desk, head bent over an enlarged digital image of the Dakaran device. His gaze skipped from the image to his notes and then back again. Frowning slightly, he picked up his pencil and circled a section, then examined it with a magnifying glass. He was so completely absorbed in his work that when Jack cleared his throat behind him, he jumped.

"Jack."

"Daniel."

The air between them was instantly heavy with the weight of things unsaid. Jack cleared his throat again.

"Need a glass of water?" Daniel's voice was mildly sardonic.

"No." Jack waved a hand. "I'm good."

"Right." Daniel pushed his glasses back into place. "Did you need something?"

Jack winced slightly. "Still mad, huh?"

"Mad?" Daniel asked. "About what?" He wasn't about to make this easy.

"Remember…" Jack was obviously wishing he were anywhere else. "That thing?"

"If by 'that thing' you're referring to the way you handled the news of your retirement," Daniel said, "then no. I'm not mad." He flipped a book closed with rather more force than strictly necessary. "Irritated as hell, maybe. But not mad."

Jack shifted uncomfortably. "Look, Daniel, I…" The gate activation warning sounded, an effective, if ill-timed interruption. "Damn it!" He waved a hand in the direction of Daniel's phone. "May I?"

"Knock yourself out." Daniel's voice was just a shade too emphatic, and Jack gave him a sharp look before he reached to pick up the handset.

"O'Neill."

There was a brief silence, and then: "Yeah. I'll be right there."

He hung up and looked over at Daniel. "Seven's back."

"It's about time." Daniel got up from his chair, closing his laptop as he stood.

"Daniel…"

Something about the tone of Jack's voice made Daniel look over at him, meeting his eyes for the first time in days. "What?"

Jack sighed. "For what it's worth… I'm sorry."

Jack O'Neill didn't apologize easily, but it wasn't because he didn't have regrets. It was just that he kept his feelings deeply buried out of a hard learned sense of self-preservation. To actually voice an apology was to take a huge emotional risk, and Daniel well knew how difficult that was for his friend.

"Yeah. Well…" Daniel shifted his feet. "Why did you leave like that, anyway?"

"Can we not talk about that right now?"

"Right." Daniel knew better than to push too hard. This was hardly the time for a meaningful conversation. Still… "Have you talked to Sam yet?"

Jack winced. "Can we not talk about that either?"

Daniel smiled. Sam was angry. Seriously angry. And apparently Jack knew it. What he wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.

Chapter 8

There was an inevitable delay while SG-7 was debriefed and cleared through medical, so it was early the next morning before the teams could meet to discuss the results of the survey.

Jack waited until everybody was seated, then got straight to the point. "So, Reynolds," he said. "What's the scoop?"

"I'm no geologist," Reynolds answered, indicating one of his team members. "Solomon here's the man you want."

"Solomon?" Sam nearly choked on her coffee. "As in 'The Wise'?"

Across from her, the young lieutenant glared briefly at his CO before turning to Sam. "Nickname, ma'am."

Beside her, Daniel covered a snicker with a cough, hastily rearranging the papers in front of him in an attempt to cover his amusement. Sam felt her own lips twitch dangerously. "So, Lieutenant…"

"Soldarini, Ma'am." The young man's eyes twinkled at his own expense.

She nodded. "What did you find out?"

"Dakara is similar to Earth in many ways," he said, punching up an image on the view screen. "Including the fact that its crust appears to be composed of an ever shifting array of tectonic plates." The image rotated and pulled apart, showing a group of six tectonic plates arranged like the pieces of a child's jigsaw puzzle.

"Is this thing Daniel and Carter found sitting on the edge of one of those plates?" Jack asked.

"Not exactly, Sir." Soldarini touched a few keys on the keyboard and a new image appeared on the screen. It was a high altitude aerial view of Dakara, probably taken by the crew on the Prometheus.

"You see here?" He pointed at a line of mountains that ran along the northern edge of the main continent. "And here?" He pointed to another, this one along the southern edge. He tapped a few more keys and the image magnified to reveal towering mountains the likes of which didn't exist on earth. "These are convergent plate boundaries, and they're caused, at least in these cases, by one tectonic plate sliding underneath another one."

Sam glanced at Jack just as he decided he'd had enough. "You're trying to tell me that a mountain range thousands of miles away from this device almost shook Daniel off the edge of a cliff?"

Soldarini shook his head. "Theoretically, it's possible, Sir. But no, I don't think it was the case this time. Nobody reported feeling the tremor except the members of SG-1. I was just getting to that."

"Then get there already."

Sam ducked her head to hide a smile. Some things never changed. Soldarini, new to the SGC and not used to Jack's ways, looked flustered.

"I was just going to say that it was doubtful the convergent zones and respective fault lines were the cause of the quake SG-1 experienced."

"Well why didn't you just say that, then?" Jack grumbled.

Soldarini, thoroughly deflated, took his seat.

"So?" Jack asked. "What exactly did happen, then?"

When an answer didn't appear to be immediately forthcoming, Jack turned to the team's CO. "Reynolds?"

Reynolds exchanged an uncomfortable look with his teammates before answering. "We don't exactly know, Sir."

"You don't know?"

Reynolds shook his head.

Jack sighed. "Seventy-two hours of off-world reconnaissance with nothing to show for it. The number crunchers are gonna love that news."

"Actually, Sir, that's not entirely true."

"Oh?" Jack sounded skeptical, but he dropped his pen, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his arms. "Do tell."

Reynolds turned to Sam. "Didn't you say the Jaffa were interested in starting an agricultural community on Dakara?"

"Actually," Sam corrected, "Teal'c said it. But that's what they hope, yes."

Jack leaned forward abruptly. "Farming? On Dakara? Big rocks, hot sun, suffocating quantities of red dust… That Dakara?"

Sam nodded.

"You have got to be joking."

"Actually, she's not," Daniel said. "The Jaffa have found written records that support its existence thousands of years ago."

Jack shook his head. "Wow," he said under his breath. "That's some drought."

"Anyway," Reynolds said, "our reconnaissance did find proof of what might once have been a fertile valley." He stood, moving over to the keyboard and punching up another image. He pointed. "Here."

Daniel studied the image for a moment. "That's not far from the device."

Reynolds nodded. "About thirty clicks as the crow flies."

For a few seconds the only sound in the room was that of Jack's pen drumming a restless rhythm on his notepad.

"Tell me this," he finally said, directing his words to Soldarini again. "Can you guarantee that there are no fault lines near the location of this device?"

"Guarantee as in a hundred percent, Sir?"

Jack nodded.

"No, Sir. It would take years of research to gather enough data to prove that."

"Fine, then. How sure are you?"

"Sir?"

The pen dropped back to the table with a sharp click. "I mean," Jack said with exaggerated patience. "Are we talking a fifty-fifty chance? Seventy-five twenty-five? What?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say there's about an eighty percent chance the area's safe."

Jack had the pen back in his hands now, and he rolled it back and forth between his palms while he considered the options. Finally, he turned back to Daniel.

"How important is this thing, anyway?"

"Without getting a closer look at it, I couldn't really say," said Daniel.

"Sir," said Sam, "I'd really like to get a look at it myself. From the pictures Daniel brought back, it looks like something the Ancients might have created, which means that it's probably a highly advanced piece of alien technology."

"And you just can't wait to get your hands on it," Jack said.

"With all due respect, Sir… Yes." She knew she'd let too much attitude slip into her voice when he looked sharply at her. She dropped her gaze back to her notes. This was neither the time nor the place to provoke a confrontation.

Several seconds passed, and then he finally sighed his capitulation. "You've got forty-eight hours."

Sam swallowed her relief. Forty-eight hours off world, away from Jack, with a new device to distract her. There really was a god.

"But I want Teal'c at the site with you," Jack said, pointing a warning finger at his former teammates. "And no heroics. If that rock so much as twitches, the deal's off."

Chapter 9

Baths, Sam thought, truly were God's gift to women. Only a woman could properly appreciate the soothing effects of hot water and fragrant bubbles on frayed nerves. She lingered in the tub for a long time, indulging in a pleasure she knew she wouldn't find in the middle of the Dakaran desert.

Dealing with Jack had been a monumental pain in the ass this week, stretching her professional reserves to the breaking point. She was damned if she'd confront him about the way he'd left, though. If he'd wanted to explain himself, he would have. As it was, she could only assume that whatever feelings he might once have had for her had faded beneath the weight of time and self-denial. Still, she thought, it was disappointing to realize that he hadn't even cared enough to say goodbye.

As the water finally began to cool, and the few remaining bubbles disappeared one by one, she reluctantly climbed out of the tub. Wrapping her still damp hair in one fluffy white towel, and her equally damp body in another, she pulled the plug, watching as the water drained away. What a waste, she thought. At one time she'd been convinced that she and Jack could have something special - so convinced, in fact, that she'd called off her engagement to a thoroughly decent guy, hoping for a miracle. She scoffed lightly at herself. Theoretical astrophysicists should know better than to believe in miracles.

Once she'd dried her hair and tidied the bathroom, she collected the few things she'd need for the next day's mission. The she put her pack by the front door and settled down with a book, determined to spend the remainder of her evening on completely mindless entertainment.

Deeply involved in the latest Robin Cook novel, she almost didn't notice the light tap at her front door. Frowning, she looked at the clock. Nobody she knew would make an unannounced visit at this hour. She checked to make sure the deadbolt and safety chain were engaged, and then looked through the peephole. A bottle of beer met her gaze, and then a very familiar eye. Okay, so maybe someone she knew would make an unannounced visit.

"We come in peace!" He called through the door.

She considered ignoring him. In a matter of hours she'd be safely off world. A few days after that, he'd be gone again, most likely disappearing back into the fabric of humanity without a word, the same way he had before.

He knocked again. Louder this time.

"Carter!" He barked. He was the only man she'd ever known who could speak in a manner that fit that particular verb. Even her drill instructors had never quite pulled it off. "Carter, come on! Let me in before your neighbors call the cops!"

She sighed. They'd probably do exactly that. She lived in a quiet neighborhood, and it was well-known that she lived alone. Her neighbors wouldn't be impressed if a raving lunatic disturbed their rest, and bailing her former CO out of jail didn't sound like something she wanted to be doing tonight. Reluctantly, she released the locks and opened the door.

"Sir!" she said. "What are you doing here?"

"Drop the 'sir,' Carter. I'm a civilian now."

He hadn't answered her question, but she didn't push – yet. Instead, she waited for him to step inside, then closed the door and turned to face him, arms folded protectively across her chest. Something about greeting him in a fluffy white bathrobe and little else made her feel rather at a disadvantage.

He held up a six pack of beer. "I brought a peace offering," he said. "Kitchen?"

She jerked her head slightly, pointing him in the right direction, but didn't say anything else. He'd been in her house before. He already knew where the damn kitchen was. Jack smiled a little weakly and headed off to put the beer in the fridge. Meanwhile, she sat back down on the couch, tucking her suddenly cold feet beneath her.

Jack came back, two beers in hand, and offered one to her. She accepted it, but didn't pop the top. The coming conversation was better handled with a clear head. She watched him take a long drink of liquid courage.

"Why are you here, Jack?" His given name felt strange in her mouth.

He mulled that over for a few seconds, obviously uncomfortable. She considered saying something to make this easier on him, but rejected the idea. Let him squirm. She'd made a fool of herself over him often enough already. She thought back to the time she'd gone to his house unannounced and discovered him entertaining another woman. No way was she going to set herself up for that kind of embarrassment again.

"Teal'c called," he said, looking pleased. Only Jack would liken a wormhole transmission to a simple telephone call.

"Did he?" Maybe his reasons for coming weren't what she'd thought they were.

"Yep. Said he'd be glad to meet you at the gate tomorrow."

"That's good news." Inane Conversation 101 she thought to herself. Surely he didn't come all the way over here to tell her something she could have found out in the morning briefing.

When he didn't say anything else, she uncurled her legs and stood up, thoroughly frustrated with his inability to communicate. "It's late, and I'm tired, so if you don't mind…"

He stood as well, but he made no move to leave. Something about the way he looked at her made her tighten the tie of her robe. "Is something wrong?"

"Nope," he said, and Sam would have sworn that he was nervous as well. Now, there was an interesting thought.

Tired of waiting for him to get to the point, Sam moved to the door, stopping beside it and staring pointedly at him. "Is there anything else?"

"No," he said at first. Then, angrily, "Yes! Damn it!"

"Which is it?" she asked coolly. "Yes or no?"

"Carter!" He glared at her in frustration. "Will ya just…?"

She held her peace, waiting for him to go on.

Finally, he raked a frustrated hand through his silver hair. "Look, I screwed up, okay?"

She snorted. Yes, he'd screwed up, as he so diplomatically stated it. No, it wasn't okay. Not by a long shot.

"So what?" she asked bitterly. "Is this where we're supposed to share a couple of beers and pretend it never happened?" She couldn't do that. He'd hurt her badly. And it was going to take a hell of a lot more than a six pack of beer to make it right.

"Yes!" He almost shouted the word. Then, with a sigh, "No."

She watched him as he finished his beer and set the bottle on a nearby table. There was something defeated about the way he moved, something that made her wonder, just for a second, if maybe she was being too hard on him. Then she remembered the sucker punch feeling she'd had when she'd first heard about his retirement, and the faint stirring of sympathy faded as quickly as it had come.

"Why did you do it, Jack?" She spoke softly, the words barely making it across the room to where he stood. "Would it really have been so hard to say something?"

"I just… couldn't," he said finally, his voice as soft as hers had been.

"The great Jack O'Neill, slayer of gods, couldn't say goodbye?"

She'd hit a nerve. Spinning abruptly on his heel, Jack grabbed the empty beer bottle and threw it towards the trash. It hit the wall with a dull thud before dropping in. Ordinarily, she would have applauded his aim. Tonight, she just looked at him.

When he looked back at her, his dark eyes were angry. "You know, for a scientist, sometimes you aren't too bright."

"Excuse me?" She felt defensive anger flooding into her system, adrenaline beginning to pump through her veins.

"You heard me."

"I think you'd better explain yourself."

He walked toward her, his steps almost predatory. Unaccountably nervous, she nevertheless held her ground.

"Why do you think I left?"

He took another step towards her, so that now she could easily have reached out to touch him. Instead, she clenched her hands into fists at her sides.

"I don't have a clue, Jack." She took a steadying breath. "And frankly, I don't give a damn."

"Is that so?" He smiled thinly, his eyes openly communicating his disbelief.

She shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. "I can only assume you'd had enough."

"Close," he said, "but not quite."

Sam had to resist the urge to stamp her foot in childish frustration. Why were they playing this game of cat and mouse? All at once her emotions boiled up and out, bursting through the barrier of professional distance she'd so carefully maintained for so many years.

"All I know is that one minute you were telling me you'd 'always' be there, and the next minute you were gone without so much as a single damned word!" She snapped the deadbolt free, jerking the door open. "And then you show up at the SGC acting as though nothing happened." She stood back out of his way. "Obviously I completely misinterpreted something somewhere, but then that shouldn't be so surprising." She fought for control, breathing heavily, as bitterness replaced anger. "I am only a scientist after all."

"Sam…"

"Just… Go, Jack." Suddenly all she wanted to do was to curl back up on the couch with Robin Cook and forget her personal problems. At least in storybooks, relationships sometimes behaved the way they were supposed to.

"Damn it, Sam. You don't get it!"

She looked at him, seeing the anger and frustration she felt reflected in his eyes. "Then why don't you explain it to me?"

"Fine!"

And suddenly his arms were around her, pulling her so tightly against him that the open collar of his shirt brushed against her neck and sent an involuntary shiver down her spine. She opened her mouth to ask him what was going on, but before she could speak he took her lips in a kiss that made all higher level brain activity come to a screeching halt. And then, for a long time, there was no thought at all, just the touch and taste and smell of him. And while her first reaction might have been surprise, it only took a heartbeat for her to give in to the explosion of feeling that rocked them both to the core.

When he finally eased the kiss to gentle end, and she wobbled slightly on weak knees, he held her until she steadied herself enough to pull away.

"That," he said softly, "is why I left."

And that was it. Before she could gather her scattered wits enough to respond, the door clicked softly shut and he was gone.

Chapter 10

There was no time to talk to him the next morning and, if the truth were told, she doubted she would have been able to carry on an intelligent conversation anyway. Whatever they were going to say to each other next was going to have to wait until after she got back from Dakara. In the meantime, she had a mission to accomplish, and no matter how jumbled, confused, and upside down her personal life was at the moment, that had to come first.

Something of her mood must have communicated itself to her friends, because on the hike out to the site, Daniel dropped back to walk beside her.

"You okay?" He asked, concern clear in his eyes.

She glanced over at him, unsure of how much to say. Then again, Daniel was her friend, and a pretty insightful guy. "Jack stopped by last night."

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Oh? As in stopped by your house?"

"Yeah."

"I see."

Sam almost wanted to laugh at that – would have if she hadn't been so muddled just now. He probably did see, all too clearly.

"And," Daniel was choosing his words carefully, picking his way through a potential minefield. "What did he have to say?"

She shrugged. "Mostly that he was sorry." It wasn't what he'd said that had Sam so edgy. It was more what he'd done, but she wasn't yet ready to talk about that part.

"Really." Daniel sounded pleasantly surprised, and she looked over at him. "He apologized to me, too."

"Wow," was all Sam could think of to say in answer to that.

They were both quiet for a few minutes as they considered the implications of Jack O'Neill apologizing not just once, but twice on the same day.

"Was that it, then?" Daniel said at least. "Just dropped in, said he was sorry, and left?"

"Mostly." She so was not going to go into details.

"Odd timing, that." He spoke under his breath, almost inaudibly.

"Excuse me?"

"Well…" He hesitated. "It's just that…" Then rushing ahead in typical Daniel fashion, "Why didn't he just come to your lab? Why the trip to your house?"

Sam ducked her head, pretending interest in the dusty landscape in a desperate attempt to hide the blush she felt creeping up the back of her neck. She sensed him watching her, could almost feel the sudden intensity of his gaze, but she remained stubbornly silent.

Several minutes passed before he said anything else. Then, "So, did you?"

She blinked. She'd lost track of the conversation. "Did I what?"

"Did you forgive him?"

"Oh." She kicked a rock out of her way. "I guess so."

"You guess so."

"Well… Yeah. I mean, what's not to forgive?" Other than that kiss, which was a conversation for another time – like in a hundred years or so.

"That's good."

She smiled at him. "Yes," she said. "It is."

It was mid afternoon by the time the three of them stood at the edge of the cliff once again. The scene had remained undisturbed since their last visit, and it didn't take long for Daniel to rappel down the cliff face. Sam settled on her stomach again to watch the descent. She signaled Teal'c when Daniel had arrived safely on the ledge, then watched him drop his pack and take out his brush and a small pick.

"Daniel!" She called good-naturedly, "No button pushing!"

He grinned up at her. "Not to worry. I leave the truly insane work to you."

She laughed at that and rolled back to a sitting position, watching Teal'c while he secured Daniel's belay line.

"So, Teal'c," she said conversationally.

He tied off the line and turned to her, eyebrow raised in his polite interest.

"How goes the nation making business?"

He smiled slightly and tilted his head. "It is not without its difficulties, Colonel Carter."

"No," she said. "I imagine it isn't."

Teal'c sat down with his back to the rock, turning his face up to the sun.

"How's Bra'tac?"

"He is well."

"Ry'ac?"

"He is also well."

Sam gave up. One of these days she'd learn not to try to engage Teal'c in small talk. She took a drink from her canteen, recapped the bottle, and leaned back against the rocks, closing her eyes. She'd not slept well the night before, and the warmth of the sun, combined with a light breeze and Teal'c's calm presence relaxed her into a light doze.

Sometime later, she was startled into full wakefulness by a sudden shaking of the ground beneath her. Stones rattled off the edge of the cliff, and Teal'c, instantly alert, already held Daniel's belay rope in his hands. Sam scooted to the edge of the cliff on hands and knees, keeping her center of gravity as low to the ground as she could.

"Daniel!" she shouted. "Are you all right?"

The tremor stopped, but when Daniel didn't answer right away she started to worry. "Daniel!"

She breathed a sigh of relief when she finally heard his voice on her radio.

"Yeah, Sam. I'm fine," he said. "You've got to see this!"

Sam keyed her own radio. "Daniel, what the hell just happened?"

"Oh." There was a guilty pause. "Umm... Yeah. That was sort of my fault."

"Your fault?" Sam and Teal'c exchanged a puzzled glance. Daniel caused an earthquake? She hadn't known he'd learned that from the Ancients.

"Well, actually, it was the device."

"Daniel," Sam said, a note of warning in her voice. "Did you push buttons?"

"No!"

His response was way too quick, and his next words confirmed her suspicions.

"Well," he said. "Yes. One."

Sam rolled her eyes. Jack would have expected that. He never would have let Daniel loose down there alone.

"We were right, Sam!" The guilt was gone as fast as it had come. "There's a panel here that opens!"

Lovely. Aladdin and the Forty Thieves, here we come. She only hoped he hadn't tried telling the thing to 'open sesame.' She shot an inquiring glance at Teal'c, and received a slight nod in reply.

Sam keyed her radio. "Daniel? I'm coming down."

"Great!" He was excited again. "You really need to see this!"

Sam pulled the extra harness and rope out of her pack and buckled herself in. "You sure you're okay with this, Teal'c? If there's another tremor…"

"I will be fine, Colonel Carter."

"But with both of us down there?" Left unspoken was her concern that he wouldn't be able to haul them up quickly enough or, worse, that he'd be forced to choose between the two of them.

Teal'c didn't bother answering her. Instead, he merely continued making preparations to support her trip down the cliff.

"Teal'c. If anything happens… I want you to pull Daniel up first."

He looked at her calmly. "Colonel Carter. If another earthquake should occur, I will pull both of you up together."

Oh. Yeah. He probably could do that. She turned her attention to getting down the rock wall without mishap.

On closer inspection, the outside of the device did indeed look like a doorway or portal of some sort. She glanced briefly at the mechanism on the outer wall. It was very similar to the one Daniel had shown her on the Internet, albeit in significantly better condition. Below the mechanism was a circular inset with a series of switches arranged much like the slices of a pie. The markings on the switches were meaningless to Sam, but Daniel had obviously figured out how to use them to open the door.

Once activated, the door itself had apparently slid down into the side of the cliff, explaining the tremor she and Teal'c had felt. The resulting opening was barely big enough to squeeze through.

"Daniel?" Sam called quietly, peering into the darkness. "You in there someplace?"

"Here, Sam. It's safe. Come on in."

She stepped inside and waited for her eyes to adjust to the dim light. A cloud of dust drifted down from the ceiling, and she blinked, peering through the haze.

"What've you got, Daniel?"

"Over here."

The floor of the alcove was smooth, she noticed, and level as well, so the area had most likely been hand crafted for its purpose. Able to see better now, she moved across to where Daniel stood looking at an entire wall of switches, knobs, and dials with a befuddling array of symbols inscribed above and below each one.

Daniel reached out to touch one of the symbols, and Sam caught his arm, visions of disaster cascading through her mind. "Daniel. Don't."

"Sam…"

"No. We don't even know what it is yet."

"Sam…"

"I mean it, Daniel. At least let me run some tests first."

"Sam will you just shut up for a minute?"

She dropped her hand, startled by his vehemence.

"Sorry," he said. "It's just… They're stone!" He lightly traced the outer edges of one of the switches, then another, and when he finally turned back to meet her eyes again his sparkled with enthusiasm. "The entire thing has been carved right out of the side of the cliff!"

"Are you sure?" She asked. "The technology required to do that would be…"

"Incredibly advanced, I know." He threw her a teasing look, and for a split second she was tempted to stick her tongue out at him.

"Exactly," she said instead. "If whoever built this was that advanced…"

"Ancient, you mean?"

"Yeah. Maybe. Anyway, if they were that advanced, we need to be very sure of what we're doing before we start messing around."

"Agreed."

"Give me a few minutes to get some readings. I can at least find out if there's any kind of energy source here." She pulled off the pack she'd brought down with her and rummaged inside for some of her tools.

"While you work on that, I'll see if I can figure out any of these symbols."

The two of them, long used to working together in unusual conditions, slipped easily into a comfortable silence punctuated now and again by a comment from one or the other about something they'd found. Every fifteen minutes one of them would check in with Teal'c, but beyond that their concentration was focused entirely on their work. Nearly three hours passed before they felt they had even a vague idea of what the device did.

"We're sure about this, right?" Sam said. "They desperately need it, but if we're wrong…"

"I know." Daniel nodded. "There's always the possibility that we've spent all this time chasing a dead end, but we won't know for sure until we try."

"I agree." Sam put away her voltmeter. "But it bothers me that I'm not getting any energy readings in here."

"Is it possible that it somehow generates its own power?" Daniel asked.

"It's possible, but it'd still need something to kick start it." She stood up and turned back to him. "The same way a car won't start if it has a dead battery."

"Maybe there's a way to start it manually? You know, like how they used to crank start cars in the old days."

Sam considered that, and then studied the panels again.

"Wait a minute. Let me see your notes."

Daniel handed them over and waited patiently while she compared what he'd written to the dizzying array of switches on the large panel. When she finally spoke again, there was excitement in her voice. "I think you're right, Daniel. I think if I do things in exactly the right order…"

"It'll start?"

"Either that or it'll self destruct. There's only one way to find out."

Daniel wasn't entirely sure he liked the sound of that. "Check with Teal'c. See what he wants to do."

She nodded and keyed her radio. "Teal'c, I think we may have good news."

"I am listening, Colonel Carter." His deep voice bounced hollowly off the walls.

"As near as we can tell, this device controls an underground water source of some kind. If we can get it turned on, we think you'll be able to successfully irrigate several thousand kilometers of farmland."

"That is good news indeed," Teal'c said. "Are you able to activate it?"

Sam looked at Daniel, who shrugged. "Maybe," she said. "We're going to try."

"I await news of your success with great anticipation."

"So." Sam said, turning to Daniel. "You should probably head back up." She didn't see any reason for both of them to risk their necks in this venture.

"You go. I can handle this."

She shook her head. "No way. I need to do this in exactly the right order, or else…"

"Sam…" There was worry in his dark eyes.

"Daniel. Don't make me make it an order."

He sighed in resignation. "Teal'c," he said into his radio. "I'm coming up."

Teal'c's calm voice answered immediately. "I am ready, Daniel Jackson."

Daniel moved back to the entrance and checked to see that his harness was still secure. "Be careful, Sam," he said.

She smiled reassuringly. "See you in a few minutes."

With a last glance her way, Daniel signaled Teal'c that he was coming up.

Chapter 11

Daniel reached the top safely, nodded his thanks to Teal'c, and took off his harness.

"Sam has to activate the device from below," he said. "She'll signal us to pull her up when she's ready."

Teal'c nodded, and Daniel lay down at the edge of the cliff to watch for Sam. Nothing happened for several minutes, and he was about to use the radio to check on her when he felt a slight tremor in the rock beneath him.

"Did you feel that?" He asked, turning to Teal'c.

"I did not."

The first gentle tremor was followed almost immediately by a much bigger quake. Nearby, several boulders shook themselves free and rolled off the edge of the cliff, making a sound like thunder as they fell.

Daniel leaped back from the edge of the cliff. "Sam?" He called into the radio, his voice urgent. "All hell's breaking loose up here!"

Teal'c already had Sam's belay rope in his hands, his legs spread wide for balance against the heaving ground.

"I know, Daniel." She sounded tense, but controlled, and he relaxed slightly in the knowledge that she seemed to know what she was doing. "I think I got it," she continued. "Tell Teal'c I'm on my way up."

Teal'c nodded that he had heard, and Daniel grabbed a handful of rope to help pull her to safety. Both were too concerned with Sam's well-being to think much about what was happening in the gorge below until she stood safely beside them. It was only then that they noticed the new sound in the air. They turned just in time to see a wall of water burst through what had once been solid rock at the end of the canyon. With a roar of noise and frothing whitecaps, it churned through the ravine, seeking out every nook and cranny as it fought its way to freedom. In a matter of minutes, they were looking at a wide river, its waters nearly reaching the edge of the cliff where SG1 stood watching.

When the worst of the flood had passed, Sam turned to Daniel with a satisfied smile. "I guess it worked."

He grinned back, and they exchanged a high five that made Teal'c shake his head indulgently at them. But even he looked pleased as he watched the precious liquid boil down the length of the canyon toward the lowlands beyond.

"My people will benefit greatly from this discovery," he said. "Thank you for your assistance."

"Anytime, Teal'c," Sam said happily.

They watched the water for a few more seconds. "Right, then," Sam said, when it looked like the show was over. "Shall we head back?"

Daniel and Teal'c nodded and moved to the boulder where the belay ropes still lay. They coiled the ropes quickly, stowing them and the rest of the gear safely in their packs to be carried back to the Stargate. All in all, Daniel was well pleased with the day's adventure.

It wasn't until he turned to pick up his pack that he realized something was amiss. "Teal'c?" He should have expected something like this. After all, when had an SG-1 mission ever gone off without a hitch? "Where's Sam?"

**********

Sam had been standing by the side of the river, checking to see if they still had access to the alcove where the device was located. One of the science teams should return to study it further, but that wouldn't make any sense if said machinery was now floating somewhere beneath several million gallons of churning water. Luckily, she could see the ledge, which meant the device was probably still accessible.

She'd turned to reach for her pack when she felt the bank crumble beneath her feet, rocks and dirt sliding away too fast for her to attempt a leap to safety. Later, she wouldn't even be sure if she had shouted. She would only remember the desperate fight for survival as the current forced her downstream in a maelstrom of froth and tumbling rocks that turned her world into a kaleidoscope of muddy water, white foam, and the occasional all too brief flash of bright blue sky.

She became the river's plaything, tossed about, dunked, and then bounced against rock after rock until she barely retained the will to fight. But fight she did. She'd survived the Goa'uld. She'd survived more than one alien invasion of body and soul. And she would survive this.

The water tumbled her over and around and then over again a dozen times or more before finally spitting her over the edge of a waterfall and down into a deep pool of water that sucked her in while her lungs screamed for air, arms and legs fighting desperately against the current. Exhaustion was the enemy now, weakness its ally.

She fought against her body's urgent demand that she inhale, She so did not intend to die this way, ignominiously defeated by a heartbeat's inattention to her surroundings. Then finally, blessedly, her feet touched solid ground, and with her last remaining ounce of strength she bent her knees and sprang upward, clawing her way to the surface.

Beyond the pool, the water slowed, as though having finally tired of play, it was ready to settle down and take a look around. She dragged herself to the muddy bank, pulling herself as far up the muddy slope as she could before giving in to the exhaustion that forced her eyes closed while the toes of her waterlogged boots still lay in the gently lapping waters of the river.

**********

Daniel and Teal'c called her name repeatedly as they hiked downstream, searching the frothing waters for any sign of their friend. Neither dared voice the thoughts that whispered their ugly threats at the back of their minds, that Sam couldn't possibly survive these rapids, or that if she did, she'd likely arrive at the other end mangled beyond recognition. Instead they walked until it got too dark to see the other bank. Then they pulled flashlights out of their packs and walked back the way they had come, circling the end of the canyon and hiking down the other side.

Finally, Daniel turned to Teal'c. "I'm heading back to the SGC for a Search and Rescue team," he said. "We're never going to find her this way."

Teal'c nodded, his expression grave. "I too will arrange a search party." He said. He didn't utter any reassurances. Both men knew that they might not find her, no matter how hard they looked.

**********

Sam didn't know how long she'd slept, but when she awoke, it was dark. She shivered, the slight movement stirring aches in places she hadn't known she had. She took a mental inventory, thankful to discover that all of her appendages were still attached and functioning mostly as designed. She was bruised and battered, her clothes badly torn, but nothing felt broken.

She eased herself further up the bank, and then took off her socks and shoes, watching the water sluice through the mud to the deceptively calm river beyond. She shivered again and looked around, straining to see her surroundings in the darkness. Now what? No trees meant no fire. Wet clothes meant a possibility of exposure or worse. No pack meant no food. She needed to find shelter. If she could conserve her body heat, she could probably make it through the night.

Cautiously, she climbed to her feet, relieved when her original hypothesis about functioning appendages proved accurate. Leaving her boots where they lay, she picked her way along the bank, her eyes turned away from the water as she scanned the landscape for shelter. It took several minutes, but at last she found a place where a group of rocks had been pushed several feet up the bank by the first rush of water, ending up in a semi-circular arrangement that, if not exactly cozy, would at least prevent a modicum of body heat from escaping into the chilly night air. She'd rest here until daylight and then work her way back upstream and toward the Stargate. With luck, she'd meet a rescue party somewhere along the way.

Chapter 12

Jack had just stepped out of the shower when his cell phone rang. He grabbed a towel and reached for the phone.

"O'Neill."

"Jack. It's Daniel."

Something about the tone of his voice made Jack freeze, the forgotten towel dangling limply in his hand. "Daniel," he said, hoping against hope that he'd imagined that eerie note of fear. "You're back early."

"Yeah. There's been an accident."

Oh God. He dropped the towel and snatched his shirt from its hanger. "What happened?"

"Bank gave way." There was the briefest hesitation, and then, very quietly. "It's Sam."

No. God no. This wasn't happening. Fear made his heart race, but he forced the beast back, slamming the door on it. Panic wouldn't help anything. When he spoke, his voice was tight, but controlled. "Is she hurt?"

"She's missing, Jack. She went into the river and Teal'c and I couldn't find her. I came back for SG-6."

"Take 8 as well."

"Will do."

"Be there in twenty minutes."

"Yeah."

Jack disconnected the phone, finished dressing, and was out of the house in under three minutes. By the time he arrived at the SGC, Daniel was nearly ready to go. The gate room was filled with men and women making last minute checks of their gear. Daniel stood at the base of the ramp, talking to the CO of SG-6, and Jack made a beeline in that direction, barely noticing the people who scrambled to get out of his way.

"Daniel!" Jack said, "You were out there all night. You sure you're up to this?" He already knew the answer, knew that death itself probably couldn't keep Daniel from looking for her, but as acting CO, he had to ask.

"I'm fine, Jack." Daniel nodded at SG-6's team leader, who moved off to check on his team. "There's not a chance in hell I'm staying here."

Jack snorted at that. "You think I'd try to make you?"

Daniel shook his head. "No."

"I believe the phrase was, 'not a chance in hell'."

"Yeah. Well."

"I just…" Jack stopped. Looked away. Met Daniel's eyes again. "Bring her back, Daniel."

"I'll do my best."

Jack nodded, wishing desperately that he could join the search. Then he forced the thought aside, knowing that indulging in if-only's would only frustrate him further. Besides, there wasn't a damn thing he could do for Sam that Daniel, two SG teams, and a group of battle scarred Jaffa wouldn't be able handle just as well, if not better.

He saw that the teams were ready and waved a hand at Walter in the control room. "Fire it up!" He turned back to the assembled personnel. "Bring her home, boys." Then, to Daniel, "Bring her home safe."

Daniel nodded.

"Chevron seven locked!"

There was a burst of sound as the wormhole formed. Barely waiting for the event horizon to stabilize, the teams stepped through and were gone.

**********

Sam had opened her eyes as soon as the sky began to show the faintest hint of the coming dawn. Her rest had been fitful, punctuated by bouts of shivering and the occasional sneeze. She'd shifted frequently, trying in vain to get comfortable in her bed of mud and gravel. Longingly, she'd remembered the bath she'd enjoyed at home the night before this mission. What she wouldn't give to be back in that tub again, her body immersed in water so hot it made her skin tingle.

She needed to get up and moving. The coming of daylight meant that she'd be able to see to work her way back upstream. It also meant an eventual end to the aching cold that had kept her awake for most of the night. She stood carefully, cringing as her muscles loudly protested her decision to move. Still, she was smart enough to know that she couldn't stay here. She needed dry clothes, and she needed food, neither of which was going to come looking for her.

It took a while to drag the still wet socks over her icy feet. She considered not bothering with them, but knew that she had a lot of walking ahead of her, and the socks would protect her from blisters. Besides, they'd dry eventually. There was a faint squishing sound as she forced them into her waterlogged boots, and she grimaced in disgust. Finally ready to face the coming hike, she eyed the waterfall that had concluded her wild trip down the river the previous day. It was steep, but not dangerously so, and she was pretty sure she could make the climb without too much trouble. Determined not to wait around for somebody to come and rescue her, she took a deep breath, and set off.

**********

By tacit agreement, Teal'c took his team of Jaffa down the east bank of the river, while Daniel and the SG teams took the west. Luckily, the search area was confined by both the strength and direction of the current. Most likely, Colonel Carter would have been carried a good distance downstream, unable to work her way to shore until the current slowed. Teal'c did not allow himself to consider the possibility that his friend might not have survived the experience. Colonel Carter was a warrior. She would be fine.

He glanced around, checking on the Jaffa searchers who had fanned out above and below him. It was slow going. During ancient times, the water had carved its way deep into the mountain range, and following its path now was both difficult and dangerous.

They had already worked their way several kilometers down the river, but there had been no sign of Colonel Carter. Teal'c had hoped that she had been able to find a handhold along one of the steep cliff walls, thus pulling herself to safety. But as the time passed, and there continued to be no evidence that she had escaped from the raging torrent, he became more and more concerned.

There was a shout, and he turned to see Bra'tac coming toward him.

"What is it, old friend?"

"One of the warriors found this," Bra'tac said, handing Teal'c Sam's GDO. "It was wedged in the rocks some distance down river."

"Show me." Perhaps there would be some other sign of her nearby. Perhaps they would find her soon after all. He keyed his radio. "Daniel Jackson."

Daniel's tired voice came back almost immediately, frustration and worry sharpening its edges. "Here, Teal'c."

"A Jaffa warrior has located Colonel Carter's wrist device."

"Really?" The device, small as it was, was nevertheless a link to Sam. "Where?"

"I am told the location is some distance down river. We are proceeding in that direction with great haste."

"Thanks, Teal'c. Keep me posted."

"Indeed."

Teal'c nodded at Bra'tac, and the two friends began walking downstream. On the way, they continued to keep a sharp eye on their surroundings. It was always possible that Sam had found a way out of the river someplace upstream from where the device had been found.

**********

Daniel was becoming increasingly frustrated as the hours passed. He'd been hopeful when Teal'c and Bra'tac had reported the find of Sam's GDO, but a further search of that area had proved fruitless. That had been more than two hours ago and there'd been nothing since. The Stargate teams had begun sending doubtful glances his way, and he knew they were thinking that it was time to give up the search. He also knew that nobody wanted to be the first to go back to the SGC with the news that Sam hadn't been found.

Within the past hour, he'd noticed a slow leveling out of the terrain and sensed that the end of the search might be near. Once the canyon widened out into the lower plains the current would slow, and if Sam had survived the horrendous trip through the canyon itself that's where the weight of her body would finally have brought her to a stop. He only hoped that when it had happened she'd still been alive.

His concentration on the search was so intense, his exhaustion by now so complete, that when he finally saw her he didn't immediately believe his own eyes. He stopped, rubbed the grit out of them, and stared at the slim figure moving slowly toward him through the late afternoon sun.

Her shoulders were slumped, chin resting almost on her chest as she trudged along, but she was alive, and walking, and coming his way. Relief washed over him in a great wave, and he broke into a run, ignoring the startled looks of the other searchers, who still hadn't seen her. He didn't hear their own cheers or see them start after him. He only knew that he had to get to her, to make sure she was all right.

"Sam!" He swept her into a hug, ignoring the drying mud that stiffened her uniform beneath his touch. "Thank God."

She hugged him back, wincing a little. "Hey," she said tiredly. Then, with a weak smile, "Miss me?"

He smiled back at her. "Nah. We just figured you were trying out a new extreme sport."

He stepped back, looking her over as the medical corps arrived. Her clothes were torn and muddy, and the bruise on her cheek was probably one for the record books, but she didn't appear to have any broken bones, and in spite of her obvious fatigue she seemed to have survived her adventure remarkably unscathed.

Within moments they were surrounded by medical personnel who, he knew, would poke and prod at her for several minutes. He stepped aside and keyed his radio, glad that this time he had good news to share.

"Teal'c, come in?"

"I am here, Daniel Jackson"

"We've got her, Teal'c. She's alive."

There was a second's silence, and then Teal'c's relieved voice. "That is good news. Is she unharmed?"

"Some bumps and bruises. Nothing that won't heal."

"I am pleased to hear it."

Daniel shook his head. Teal'c's ability to downplay his feelings would never cease to amaze him. For his part, he wanted to jump up and down, dance a jig, throw a party, whatever it took to let the whole world know that he'd found her, and that she was miraculously unharmed.

"It doesn't make sense to hike all the way back up the canyon from here," Daniel said. "Once the med crew is finished checking her out, we're going to head straight back to the gate."

"Then I shall meet you there," Teal'c said. "Please convey my regards to Colonel Carter."

"Will do. Jackson out."

Somebody had loaned Sam a dry jacket, and when he returned to her side she was buttoning it closed under her chin. "I was beginning to think I would never be warm again," she said.

He shook his head admiringly. "I don't know how you did it, Sam."

"Did what?"

"I saw that river. I watched its power. How in the hell did you manage not to get yourself killed?"

She shrugged. "Karma? Fate? Luck?"

He grinned. "Whatever. Just…"

"What?"

"Don't do that again, okay?"

"Believe me, I won't."

The rest of the search parties had been informed that Sam had been found, and SG-6 had already left the area. The SG teams would regroup at the gate before heading home.

"You okay for the walk back?" Daniel asked.

"Daniel, if it meant getting out of these horrid squishy shoes I'd walk to hell and back."

He laughed. "It isn't quite that far."

Chapter 13

Despite her bravado, Sam barely managed to stay on her feet long enough to get back to the Stargate. Her clothes and hair had mostly dried, but they were caked with mud. Her wet boots had begun to chafe her feet through the socks, and the resulting blisters added insult to injury. All in all, she'd rather take on a Goa'uld in hand to hand combat than repeat her previous night's experience.

Muscles aching, she turned to say goodbye to Teal'c, who would once again remain behind on Dakara. He gripped her shoulders, looking gravely into her eyes.

"I am relieved that you are well," he said.

"I don't think I'd go all the way to 'well'," Sam said.

"You are strong. You will recover."

She nodded. "Hot shower, bit of a nap... I'll be good as new in no time." She heard the distinctive whoosh of sound as the Stargate sprang to life. "Please give my thanks to Bra'tac and the other searchers," she said.

Teal'c nodded, and she turned to Daniel who was waiting for her near the gate. The rest of the SG personnel had already left, but Daniel, good friend that he was, wasn't going to take any chances that something else might keep her from making the trip home.

When she stepped through the Stargate on the other side, Jack was waiting at the end of the ramp. His eyes, dark with worry, communicated a depth of emotion that military protocol would never condone. Left unspoken were the words that she didn't need to hear to understand. You're okay? She nodded slightly and saw him breathe a sigh of relief.

A sudden desire to burrow into the warm security of his embrace nearly overcame her then, and she might have acted on the impulse if she hadn't been surrounded almost immediately by the medical corps. Despite her protests, she was bundled onto a gurney. She hated gurneys. Helpless was not something she did well.

"Back off, folks," Jack said from somewhere in the crowd. "You'll suffocate the poor girl."

The crowd of people thinned, and Jack stepped up beside her. His eyes were warm with relief and amusement. "You know Carter, we could've arranged a spirited bit of mud wrestling right here on Earth. All you had to do was ask."

She couldn't quite muster the energy required to glare at him. "I'll try to remember that, Sir."

"Yeah. Well, you do that." He smiled, and she glimpsed a flicker of something in his expression that made her catch her breath. Abruptly, he turned back to the medics. "Off you go," he said to them. "Do your best to put Humpty Dumpty back together again."

"Sir!" Sam protested. "Humpty Dumpty?" But he was already headed the other way. She'd remember that comment. She'd remember, and he'd pay. Grumbling about the injustice of it all, she nevertheless settled back down on the gurney. Independence aside, the thin mattress felt a hell of a lot better than the mud caked rocks of Dakara.

It took two hours for the doctors to assure themselves that she really had survived her harrowing adventure miraculously unscathed. They finally gave her a double dose of Tylenol, an order to rest, and her freedom. Gratefully, she headed straight for the locker room where she indulged in a very long, very hot shower.

Dressing was a battle between her force of will and her muscles' grim determination not to cooperate. She'd managed all but her shoes, and was vehemently unleashing her entire vocabulary of Abydonian epithets on the laces when the locker room door cracked open.

Jack looked in. "You decent?"

She managed a grin. "It's a little late to ask, isn't it?"

"Oh." He looked mildly sheepish. "Right." He watched her struggle for a second, and then came over to kneel beside her. "Here," he said, taking over the task.

"I can do it." He ignored her protest, quickly finishing with one shoe and starting on the other. "I've postponed the debriefing until 1100 tomorrow," he said, not looking up. "Go home and get some sleep."

"Sir, I'm fine."

He pulled the second bow tight and stood up. "That's an order, Colonel."

She sighed. Technically, he was a civilian now. She could argue with him without risking a court martial. Still… Some habits die hard. Besides, the idea of a soft bed was incredibly enticing at the moment. "Yes, Sir."

"Carter…"

She looked up at him. "Sir?" She couldn't call him Jack. Not here.

"I just wanted to say…" He kicked at a clump of dried mud on the floor, and then looked up at her. "I'm sorry about the other night. I was out of line." The words came out in a rush.

Unaccountably nervous, she played for time, pretending interest in the dirty uniform she was stuffing into her duffle bag.

"Anyways… I'll, um, see you tomorrow." Jack said, turning to the door.

By the time she gathered her wits, he already had his hand on the door handle. "Jack." Okay, so maybe she could drop the title after all. "Wait. Please."

He turned back, a question in his eyes. "Yeah?"

"That bit about being out of line?"

"What about it?"

Her smile was just a trifle shy. "Maybe not so much."

As the door clicked shut behind him, she could've sworn she heard him whistling.

Chapter 14

Sam returned to the SGC the next morning feeling stiff, but relatively alert and able to function. She wrote her mission report, careful to maintain emotional distance from the wild ride down the canyon. Writing about the events of those hours brought them back to life in her mind, and she finished as quickly as she could, printing it out without her customary double check for spelling and grammar errors. If there was a problem with the end result, she was pretty sure somebody would let her know. She stuffed the report into a file folder and headed for the conference room. If she was lucky, the coffee would be freshly brewed and piping hot.

She was lucky. She poured herself a mug of ambrosia and stood by the window, sipping it quietly while she thought about the memo that had been on her desk when she'd arrived. It was one of those "For: All SGC Personnel" memos that Jack had always hated, so she'd found it ironic that this one had come from him. According to the memo, today was his last day as temporary CO. General Landry would be returning on Monday.

Her initial reaction had been surprise. She'd slipped so smoothly into the routine of having Jack around that she'd forgotten that his presence here was temporary. Now, faced with his imminent departure, she was thinking hard about what she needed to say to him. It was fairly obvious from their few exchanges over the past days that they needed to talk, but the thought of it made her palms clammy with nervous sweat.

The object of her thoughts came in then. He was deeply engrossed in conversation with Daniel, so he didn't see her at first, so she took the opportunity to observe him as the two men laughed and joked. He looked more relaxed than he had during the entire year he'd spent as CO of the base. In many ways, she wished now that she, Daniel, and Teal'c had fought harder to keep him as team leader. Jack O'Neill just wasn't designed to sit behind a desk.

He noticed her then, and flashed a quick smile in her direction. "Feeling better today, Carter?"

She nodded. "Much."

"Good." He pulled out his chair. "Then let's get this show on the road."

The three of them sat down, but as the briefing began, Sam couldn't help feeling a little nostalgic. She was glad that Jack seemed comfortable with his decision to retire, but she'd miss seeing him around the base every day.

"So who's going to tell me exactly what happened over there?" Jack asked.

"Buttons," Daniel said, eliciting a quickly stifled laugh from Sam.

"Buttons?" Jack looked puzzled.

Daniel grinned at Sam and then cleared his throat. "It turns out that the device on Dakara has a similar, though highly refined, purpose to that of the original Antikythera device found here on Earth in 1901."

"Which supposedly predicted the movements of the sun and the moon, right?" Jack said.

"Right, only in this case, the designers took the concept a step further." Daniel pulled some pictures out of his folder, handing copies to Sam and Jack. "These are aerial images of the area below where we located the device." He waited for a few seconds to give the others time to look at the pictures. "The canyon where the device is located eventually widens out into flatlands. If you remember, when SG-7 did the geological survey, they mentioned it."

"Yes," Jack said. "And as I recall, I commented that it must've been some drought."

"Right." Daniel was getting excited again, his words coming more rapidly. "Apparently, the device the Jaffa found uses the changing positions of Dakara's sun to regulate water flow."

"Excuse me?"

"We think the device was built as a sort of remote controlled dam for a vast system of underground springs."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "On a planet that's ninety percent desert. Odd, that."

"Yes. Well. I'm no expert on geology, so I can't explain that," Daniel said. "But apparently thousands of years ago somebody figured out a way to bring the water to the surface and control its flow so that crops could be grown. They made the device self-maintaining so that people wouldn't have to spend their time pushing buttons and levers. They could spend it growing and harvesting their crops instead."

"Evidently somebody pushed a button," Jack said sardonically.

Daniel nodded. "The local citizens would've found it difficult to survive without their crops. They'd have had to look to somebody else for help, making them vulnerable to takeover by a more advanced race."

"So you think the device was sabotaged."

"Or simply turned off, yes."

"And then you and Carter came along…"

"Right."

"One question," Jack said, turning to Sam. "Why didn't the locals just turn it back on?"

Sam shook her head. "I don't know for sure, but it's possible that the device had been functioning unattended for so long that when it stopped, nobody knew how to get it working again."

"Nobody except the person who turned it off in the first place."

"Right. And that person apparently never changed his mind."

"Or hers," Sam said with a slight smile.

"Or hers," Jack nodded. "Wouldn't be the first time something like that has happened."

"No, Sir. It wouldn't."

"So," Jack said. "Is there anything about this gizmo that I can take to the Pentagon?"

Daniel shrugged. "Maybe, if they've suddenly taken an interest in the growing cycles of corn."

"That's what I was afraid of." Jack closed his folder and pushed it away from him. "Right, then. That's that." He capped his pen and dropped it on the table beside the folder, then leaned back in his chair. "So," he said conversationally. "Did you get the memo?"

Sam didn't miss the irony of Jack asking if anybody had seen a memo, and a swift glance in Daniel's direction was enough to tell her that he hadn't either. "Memo, Sir?"

"You know… The one that said today was my last day?"

"Oh," Daniel said, pretending surprise. "That memo."

Jack glared at Daniel. "Yes. That memo."

"Got it." Daniel's voice was suspiciously casual, but his eyes twinkled with laughter. For her part, Sam was having a hard time keeping a straight face.

"What about it?" She asked, her tone suggesting that the contents of the memo hadn't been anything remarkable.

Jack sighed theatrically. "It's nice to see some things don't change around here."

Daniel and Sam adopted innocent grins.

Jack snorted. "Anyway," he said, "I was thinking about having a little barbeque tomorrow afternoon."

"A barbeque, Sir?"

Jack gave her a pained look. "Yes, Carter. A barbeque. You've heard of those, haven't you? Charred meat. Beer…"

"Oh!" Daniel threw Sam a conspiratorial grin. "That kind of barbeque."

Jack threw up his hands in defeat. "All right, you clowns. I give up. The shindig starts at 1800." He stood up and headed for the door. "And by the way," he said as he opened it. "Teal'c's coming."

And then Sam and Daniel were alone in the conference room, both wondering who'd really been in control of that last conversation.

"What do you suppose he's up to?" Daniel asked.

Sam shrugged. "You know him as well as I do. Care to guess?"

He shook his head. "No way."

"So I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Undomesticated equines couldn't keep me away."

Chapter 15

Sam took a deep breath, raised her hand to knock… And dropped it back to her side. This is ridiculous, she thought. She'd taken on Goa'uld who'd affected her less. She was insane. She should just turn away, get back in her car, and head for the nearest psychiatric institution.

She turned to leave, but apparently she didn't move quite fast enough. Before she could make it halfway down the sidewalk, the door behind her opened. Damn. She looked longingly at her car.

"Carter?"

She stopped. Sighed. Turned around. Took a deep calming breath, and made a weak attempt at a smile. "Sir!"

"Not even going to say hello?"

"Sorry, Sir. I didn't want to disturb you." Lame excuse, she knew. Why would she have driven all the way over here if not to talk to him?

"Well as long as you're here, why don't you come on in? Take a load off. Have a beer…"

She suspected he would've kept talking indefinitely if she hadn't surrendered. With a deliberate glance at her watch, she looked up. "I guess I can stay for a while."

She walked toward him, hoping he would interpret her clenched fists and stiff-shouldered walk as soreness rather than nerves. Taking a deep breath, she crossed the threshold into his home. For better or worse, by the time she left this place she'd know more than she did now. Maybe, she thought, more than she really wanted to know. But she had to face it. The dance of denial they'd both been doing for years needed to come to an end before she really did end up in a straitjacket.

The click of the deadbolt jolted her into action, and she practically leaped to the other end of the living room, putting much needed space between the two of them. When she turned around, he was watching her quizzically.

"Beer?" he offered.

She shook her head.

"Right." He looked mildly disappointed. "There's pizza…"

Her stomach churned a warning and she lifted a hand in self-defense. "No. Thanks."

"So," Jack said when he realized she wasn't going to say anything else. "What brings you here… to my neck of the woods…" He didn't finish the comment. Both of them knew immediately where he was going with it, and the memory wasn't a happy one.

"I just…" She paused, and then tried again. "I need…"

Damn. Why did she always trip over her tongue at times like this?

"What you said the other night. About why you left…" Actually, he hadn't said much of anything, but she wasn't about to bring up the subject of that incredible kiss. "I…"

She bit her lip in nervous frustration and pushed the words out in a thoroughly Daniel-like rush. "I just need you to tell me, Sir."

He arched an eyebrow. "Sir?"

"Jack."

"You sure you don't want that beer?" he asked, hiking a thumb toward the kitchen.

She wondered if he was suggesting it as a way to calm her nerves or his own. "Positive."

He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling beneath his shirt. "You're a bright girl," he said. "Surely you can figure it out."

She shook her head. "This isn't a physics problem, Jack." There. For once his name felt almost natural in her mouth.

"No," he said. "I guess it isn't."

And with that, they stumbled to an impasse. He couldn't, or wouldn't, say anything else, and it didn't take long for her to feel the first twinges of humiliation. Maybe she'd dreamed the kiss. Or maybe… Maybe he hadn't meant it the way she'd taken it. Abruptly, she decided it was time to get the hell out of Dodge before she made an even bigger ass of herself. She started toward the door.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come."

"Sam." His hand on her arm, and the quiet way he said her name made her stop and turn to look at him. "Don't go."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want you to go."

She stared at him, pulse racing. "What did you say?"

"I said I don't want you to go."

The words hovered between them like living things, harbingers of a turning point in their relationship.

"Why?" She held her breath. So much hinged on his answer.

Again, he hesitated.

Frustrated, she blew out a breath. "Damn it, Jack. If we can't talk about this…"

"Because I love you."

It was a moment in time that would be forever imprinted on her mind in exquisite detail. She would remember the play of late afternoon sun against his features, the woody smell of fresh mown grass, and the call of a blue jay from the yard. And she would also remember her sharp intake of breath, the sudden ache of emotion in her chest, and the vulnerable look in his dark eyes.

"Because you…"

"Love you. Yes."

He'd said it twice. Clearly that meant she hadn't imagined it. She took a step closer.

"Is that… Are you…" She swallowed hard. "Do you mean that?"

He grinned crookedly. "Do you really think I'd say something like that without meaning it?"

Her thoughts raced, putting the pieces together with lightning speed. "You left because of me."

He shook his head. "Not entirely."

"Then why?"

"They wanted me to take Homeworld Security."

"General Hammond's job?"

A nod. "He wants to spend more time with his granddaughters. Can't say I blame him."

"And you don't want it."

"I'm not a desk jockey, Carter. I'm an Airman. Hell, I didn't even like being head honcho at the SGC."

"Then why did you take the job in the first place?"

"Because you were right when you said we could've ended up with somebody much worse."

She cringed. "I really wish I hadn't said that."

"Like I already said. You were right."

"And yet…"

"Landry's a good man," Jack said. "I wouldn't have left if I didn't believe that."

Sam considered him for a minute. "Why," she asked, "did you leave without saying goodbye?"

He scrubbed a hand through his hair. "Carter…"

"Jack. I need to know."

With a sigh, he met her eyes again. "If I had announced my intention to retire, what do you think people would've said?"

She shrugged. "That you'd earned it? That you'd served your country with honor? That you were a hero?"

"And that I'd left because of you." The words hit her with all the force of a Goa'uld flash grenade.

"Excuse me?" Shock made her speak more loudly than she'd intended.

"Damn it, Carter, you and I have been fodder for the gossip mill ever since that damned za'tarc incident."

She spoke with rather more vehemence than strictly necessary. "Who the hell cares?"

"I do."

"Let me see if I've got this straight. You left the way you did in order to keep people from talking about us?" Anger straightened her spine and gave her words a knife sharp edge. "In case you haven't noticed, I can take care of myself."

"Don't you think I know that?"

"Then why the martyr act? Why put the rest of us through hell like that?"

He answered her question with one of his own. "Are you planning on retiring from the Air Force anytime soon?"

"No, but…"

He interrupted her before she could complete the thought. "What do you suppose would happen to your career and to SG-1's reputation if rumors started circulating about us?"

She shook her head. "You said it yourself, Jack. The rumors are already out there."

"Damn it, Sam. Think about it!" He bracketed her upper arms with his hands. "What would've happened if I'd stuck around for the big send off and then you and I got together right after?"

"Why should anything happen?"

"Come on, Carter. You're smarter than that," he said. "You know damn well people would've taken it as confirmation of their suspicions, and all that effort we put into 'keeping it in the room' would've been for nothing. Every mission we'd been on together, every tough call we'd made, would've become the subject of endless speculation."

Frustration bloomed inside her. She knew what he was getting at. The stain on SG-1's reputation would have been permanent and ugly. Still, she was thoroughly sick of other people controlling her personal life.

"I wouldn't care if it did," she said, but some of the fire had left her voice. She would care, and they both knew it.

She pulled out of his grasp and walked to the window, staring out at the deepening gloom. "So you were protecting me."

"I was protecting the team." He tried a weak smile, but was met with stony silence. "Sam…"

If it had been anybody else, she would've kicked ass first and asked questions later. But this wasn't anybody else. This was Jack; the man she knew would readily sacrifice his own life to protect a friend. She realized then that this wasn't about being a martyr. It never had been. It was about honor, and pride, and doing the right thing no matter the cost. "You thought that if Daniel, Teal'c, and I were angry over the way you left, everybody would stop thinking there was something between us."

"Dumb, huh?"

"Not exactly the brightest plan you've ever hatched."

He shrugged. "That may be true."

Turning back to him, she took a deep breath. "You took a hell of a risk. What if we hadn't forgiven you?"

Another slight shrug, "The risk of that was pretty minimal."

"Because…"

"Because family doesn't turn its back on family."

"You turned your back on us."

"No!" he said forcefully. "I didn't. I turned my back on the Pentagon, and the politics, and the next over-the-top bad guy to come walking through that gate." He closed the distance between them. "I never turned my back on you."

His logic made a bizarre kind of sense when viewed in the context of his 'protection at all costs' mentality. Still, there was one minor problem. "Jack?"

"What?"

"I don't exactly think of you as a brother." Her heart started racing again, and she took a deep breath.

"No?" Hope flared in his eyes.

She reached out, resting the flat of her palm against his chest, and he wrapped his fingers around hers. He couldn't have found a more willing captive.

"Why did you come here tonight?" he asked quietly.

"I had to see you."

"Why?"

She took a deep breath. "Because I love you, too."

His lips crooked into a satisfied smile. "Yeah?"

"Yep."

He slid his free hand along her arm and up to her shoulder, coming to rest at the nape of her neck. The touch of his long fingers against her skin sent a delicious tremor through her body.

He tilted his head to one side, amused. "Ticklish?"

"No." She shook her head, her voice unaccountably shaky. "I just never thought…"

He rested his forehead against hers. "Yeah. Well…"

"I'm not dreaming this, am I?" she asked. "This isn't some sort of cruel alien mind game?"

"If it is, remind me to thank somebody later." She felt the gentle caress of his lips against her temple and sighed her pleasure, the slight breeze ruffling the fabric of his shirt as she tilted her head up to meet him.

And then the telephone rang.

Jack cursed under his breath and lifted his head to glare in its direction. He didn't release her though, and she laid her cheek against his shoulder, dropping a kiss on the lean fingers still wrapped around her own. She looped her free hand around his waist, hooking her fingers into his waistband and listened to the steady beat of his heart while they waited for the intrusion to end.

She was dimly aware of his disembodied voice from the answering machine, and then the muffled tones of the unknown caller. But those things happened at a distance, lost in a Brigadoon-like fog along with all thoughts of work, and aliens, and the groceries she needed to get later.

When the machine finally clicked off, she felt him take a deep breath. "So," he said.

She smiled up at him. "So."

A dip of his head, a kiss on the end of her nose, and a grin. "So."

"Eight years I've waited… for 'so'?" She teased.

"You were expecting something else?" He raised an amused eyebrow, and she ran a playful hand across his chest in retaliation, pleased by his low groan of response.

"Ya think?" she asked.

He pulled his head back, looking into her face with an expression of mock confusion. "So... What? You want to go out for a beer or something?"

"You know what?" she said, pulling out of his embrace. "That might be fun." She almost laughed aloud at the stunned expression on his face. Hiding her grin, she marched toward the front door, curious as to how far she'd get before he took action.

Apparently not very far.

In fact, she'd barely gone two steps before she found herself spun back into his arms with a "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"But you said…"

The rest of her words were lost as he captured her mouth with his own. After that, all she could think about was the strength of his arms as he held her close, the warmth of his breath as it fanned against her cheek and the taste... God. After all those years of wanting and wondering and wishing, it was the taste of him that undid her, that made her make that low mewling sound in the back of her throat, made her move restlessly against him, hands knotting in the soft fabric of his shirt as she strained to get closer. She wanted him with an intensity she'd never experienced, wanted the physical barriers of buttons and zippers and fabric to go the way of the emotional barriers that had already fallen.

He responded in kind, saying by touch all those things he'd never been able to say with words, and it was a long time before he lifted his head enough to meet her heavy lidded gaze. When he spoke, his voice was low and rough with need. "Tell me again why we waited eight years?"

"Um…" She nibbled at a particularly fascinating piece of O'Neill real estate just east of his chin. "I don't remember."

"And," he murmured, one hand coming to rest at the base of her spine, the other along her ribs, thumb brushing idly against the outer edges of her breast. "Now that we're finally here…" He pressed a row of tiny nibbling kisses along her hairline. "What happens next?"

She moaned. Even through the fabric of her shirt the light touch was nearly more than she could bear. "I can't speak for you, but I know what I'd like to have happen next."

He pulled her closer, thoroughly eliminating any doubt as to his own desires. "I mean," he said, his voice rumbling near her ear and sending yet another shiver through her. "Besides that."

"Oh," she said, and licked her lips. "Can we talk about that later?"

He smiled. "Samantha Carter, you are a woman after my own heart."

Chapter 16

It had been early morning when she'd finally dragged herself out of Jack's arms and back home, where she'd tumbled into bed for a few short hours before rising to shower and dress for the barbeque. Now she smiled as she pulled up in front of his house. The last time she'd sat here she'd been a bundle of nerves. What a difference a few hours had made. She glanced at her watch. It was still a little early, but somehow she doubted he would mind. She picked up the case of beer that sat on the seat beside her, and stepped out of the car. It wasn't until she was halfway up the walk that she realized she was humming.

The door opened almost before she could knock, and Jack wasted no time in divesting her of the beer so that he could pull her close. She snuggled into his chest, soaking up his freshly showered smell and enjoying his low hum of masculine satisfaction.

"You know—" He pushed the door shut behind her. "If I'd known what I was missing…"

"We wouldn't have done this any differently, and you know it."

He was quiet for a few seconds while he considered that. Then, "Yeah. You're probably right."

"Of course I'm right." She grinned at him. "The woman is always right."

That made him laugh outright. "You may be the brains of this outfit, but I'm the brawn, and don't you forget it."

She fingered a button on his shirt. "And such lovely brawn it is, too."

"Keep that up, and we're going to be in bed when Daniel and Teal'c get here."

He grinned when she immediately dropped her hand and stepped back. "I thought that might get your attention," he said.

"Smart ass."

"Takes one to know one."

Sam had a sudden insane desire to stick her tongue out at him, but she resisted the urge, turning instead to pick up the case of beer. "Fridge?" she asked.

"There's an ice chest on the floor beside it. Just throw them in there." She heard the back door open as she stepped into the kitchen and assumed he was going out to light the grill. A quick peek in the fridge revealed a mouthwatering array of steaks marinating in what she strongly suspected was beer. Her growling stomach was interrupted by the peal of the doorbell.

Daniel and Teal'c had arrived with a sack of potatoes and more beer. Sam grinned when she saw the familiar cardboard carton. There was already enough beer in the house for a frat party. More would definitely be overkill. Oh well. She doubted it would go to waste.

"Come on in, guys. Jack's out back."

Daniel held up the case of beer. "What should I do with this?"

"Ice chest by the fridge," Sam said. "Teal'c, if you'll give me those potatoes I'll get them in the microwave."

"May I assist you, Colonel Carter?"

She smiled at him. "I can manage, thanks."

Daniel came out of the kitchen with a can of beer in one hand, and a bottle of water in the other. He tossed the water to Teal'c. "Jack's out back, you said?"

"Yep." She nodded. "Lighting the grill."

"Got the fire department on stand by?" he joked.

"You'd better believe it."

Teal'c looked puzzled. "For what reason do you require the assistance of the fire services?"

Sam laughed. "It's a joke, Teal'c."

He nodded slightly, though he didn't appear to be entirely satisfied with her answer. "If you will excuse me, I will see if O'Neill requires my assistance."

"I doubt he needs any help, but I'm sure he'd love your company."

Teal'c nodded again and left, leaving her alone with Daniel.

"So," he said, eying her critically. "You look good."

She felt the blush spread across her cheeks. Damn her fair skin anyway. "Do I?"

"Yes, you do. Radiant even, though that's a term usually reserved for…"

He trailed off, giving her a strange look.

What the hell. It wasn't as if she and Jack were still in the same chain of command. "Reserved for what, Daniel?"

"Well," he said slowly, "I was going to say it was a term normally used to describe a woman in love, but…"

Must keep a straight face. Must not blush. Yeah. Right. She might as well try to stop her heart from beating. "But what?"

"Sam, is there…?"

The door opened and Jack stuck his head inside. "Hey, Daniel." Then, with a quick smile in her direction, "Would you bring out those steaks?"

Daniel looked from her to Jack and back again. His eyes went wide in sudden comprehension. "Well, I'll be damned."

Jack stared at Daniel as if he thought his friend had lost his mind. "Something wrong?"

Daniel grinned broadly. "Not as far as I can tell."

"I'll be out in just a sec," Sam said, with a bubble of irrepressible laughter. Jack glanced at Daniel again, shook his head, and disappeared.

Daniel turned back to her. "When did this happen?"

"Last night."

"No wonder you both have that 'cat that caught the canary' look about you."

"Yeah. Well…" A sudden thought occurred to Sam. "You're okay with this, aren't you? I mean, I realize it could be a little awkward…"

"I'm fine, Sam." He pulled her into an affectionate hug. "In fact, I'm thrilled for you. You and Jack waited a long time for this. You deserve to be happy."

Wistfully, Sam remembered when her father had said something similar. She still missed him dreadfully.

The back door opened again. "Carter! Did you get lost?"

"Keep your pants on! I'm coming!" Okay, judging by the leer he sent her way, maybe that wasn't the best choice of words. Deciding a retreat was in order, she headed for the kitchen.

By the time they sat down to eat they were all in such good humor that at one point Teal'c actually laughed at one of Jack's jokes. When the others stopped eating to stare at him Teal'c looked confused.

"Have I caused offense?" he asked.

That sent them all into gales of laughter, and by the end of the meal they were feeling more relaxed than they had in a very long time.

"So Jack," Daniel said, pushing his plate away. "What are you going to do now?"

"I'm thinking cheesecake," Jack said.

Daniel snorted. "I mean, what are you going to do now that you're officially retired?"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Every time I retire I get called back. I'm going to think of this as extended leave. Maybe I'll have better luck with that."

"Okay, then. Extended leave. I still don't picture you as the type of guy who can sit around fishing for the rest of his life."

Jack looked at Sam. "I'm thinking of moving to New Mexico. At least for a while."

"New Mexico?" Daniel asked. "Why?"

It was Sam who answered. "I've been offered a research position at Area 51."

There was a heartbeat of silence while that sank in.

"You will be going together?" Teal'c asked, eyebrow raised.

Sam nodded.

His smile, when it came, spread across his face like the dawning of the sun.

"I am pleased for you," he said.

Under the table, Jack reached for her hand. "Yeah. Um. About that." He took a breath. "Part of the reason I left the way I did was because I didn't want people gossiping about Carter and I."

"Gee," Daniel said. "And we thought you just didn't want cake."

Jack gave Daniel a look of exaggerated patience. "When have you ever known that to be the case?"

"I will not divulge your secret, O'Neill," said Teal'c.

"I won't either," Daniel said. "I've had enough gossip over Sarah and Sha're. I wouldn't wish it on the two of you."

"Thanks, guys."

A firefly landed on Sam's arm, its tiny blinking light a silent call to others of its species, and under the table, Jack rubbed his thumb rhythmically back and forth against the soft skin of her hand. Somewhere nearby a dog barked.

It was Daniel who broke the silence. His tone, a strange mix of excitement and regret, brought Sam's eyes to his face. "I have some news of my own."

"Oh?" Jack prompted. "Do tell."

"Looks like I finally get my trip to Atlantis. I'll be leaving on the Daedalus next week."

"Hey! Congratulations!" Jack thumped Daniel enthusiastically on the back. "It's about time!"

Daniel shot Jack a dubious look. "You didn't know about it?"

"Are you kidding? I'm just the temp. Nobody tells me anything."

They all laughed at that.

The party didn't break up until the moon was high in the sky, and even then it was with a certain amount of reluctance. All of them knew that tonight signaled both an end and a beginning. Sam and Jack would be leaving for Area 51, Teal'c would be going back to Dakara, and Daniel was headed for Atlantis. The team would be split up, probably forever, and it was hard not to be sad about that.

Still, they'd accomplished much of what they'd set out to do eight years ago. Teal'c's people were free. Daniel's wife had died, but he'd made peace with her loss. Jack still hadn't quite forgiven himself for Charlie's death, but at least now he was able to live with it. As for Sam, she had proven her abilities, both as a scientist and as a warrior, so that now she could be content to rest on her laurels for a while. All in all, the partnership had been good for all of them.

She felt Jack's hand settle around her waist as they watched Daniel and Teal'c climb into the car. With a small sigh, she relaxed into him, resting her head on his shoulder. No, she thought, life would never be the same again, but it would still be pretty damned wonderful.