Fanfiction: Bad Days and Bad Ideas

[rachel500]

Fandom: Stargate SG1
Series: Aftershocks
TAG to Episode: S4 The Other Side
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note: Daniel/Jack friendship.  Sam/Jack UST. 
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.  Written for entertainment purposes only.

 

Bad Days and Bad Ideas

His house was a welcome sight as Jack O’Neill pulled into the driveway and switched the engine off. He rested his head on the back of his seat and looked at the front door sightlessly through his windshield. It had been a hell of a rotten day. He had gone in early expecting to get some time in the gym; work out some tension. He’d had problems sleeping, dreams – or more specifically nightmares – of the SGC being invaded sometimes by Jaffa; sometimes by Replicators – all because he had failed to find what they needed to protect themselves from the Goa’uld.

He rubbed a hand over his face, wiping away the memory of the nightmare and pushed the drivers’ door open. Jack jumped out and slammed it shut. He reached into the back for his bag and headed to his front door. He paused with the keys in his hand. He dumped the bag and walked round to the ladder. He climbed it quickly and slumped into the cosy chair he kept on the roof. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back. He let the air rush over his face; cleansing and fresh.

It felt good.

The mission had seemed like a godsend after his nightmare; an advanced civilisation finally ready to trade with them. Sure, they had a few problems and needed some help but they were willing to give them advanced technology. It had seemed too good to be true. In one fell swoop they would have what they needed to protect themselves; fulfil their mission and alleviate some of the pressure being brought to bear by the Pentagon and the government for demonstrable results. Jack swiped a hand through his short hair. He knew Hammond had been disappointed when they had failed to bring back the technology but then…it had seemed too good to be true and it had been too good to be true. They’d almost ended up making a deal with the devil. A civilisation that had started a World War on the planet they had visited; who believed in genetic purity and white supremacy. He had been so intent on getting his hands on the technology he had almost missed the bigger picture.

Daniel Jackson hadn’t; the archaeologist had zeroed in on the morality questions as soon as the Eurondans’ leader Alar had revealed Earth providing them with fuel would lead to them striking back at their enemy. Daniel hadn’t accepted the Eurondans at face value; he had questioned their motives especially in light of their unwillingness to let go of a war. The archaeologist had wanted to question them and Jack had shut him down. He had snapped at the younger man; told him to shut up. He had been wrong. So wrong.

Jack sighed deeply and opened his eyes. He looked down at his shoes and shook his head. He should have listened to Daniel. He had promised himself once that he would listen to Daniel because it made him a better man; it made him less likely to repeat the mistakes of his past, less likely to repeat the objectionable, distasteful things he had done his past. He hadn’t listened to Daniel; had been too eager to get his hands on the technology and he had made mistakes.

He had killed; ruthlessly, coldly. Two men. The first an enemy pilot who he hadn’t realised was in the plane; maybe that was forgiveable. He had believed he was destroying an unmanned drone not a human being. But the life he’d taken had been the reason why he’d helped the enemy pilots through the Eurondan line of defence. He knew it couldn’t make up for what he had done but he hoped it had helped even his karmic balance a little.

The second man he had killed though, the Eurondan leader, Alar, he didn’t regret that. The man was a prejudiced bigot who believed wholeheartedly in the right of his cause, a man who believed in genocide in order to win a war. Was it so wrong to have killed him? He had warned him not to follow them; he had been clear. Alar had known about their iris. Jack hadn’t promised Alar anything in response to the begging plea to be taken with them. He had ignored Alar, turned and followed Samantha Carter through the wormhole. He had known deep down that Alar was too much of a coward to stay in the underground building as it was destroyed; that he would follow them through the wormhole; that the iris would kill him. He had made a choice when he had ordered the iris closed. He knew it and Carter knew it. The look in her eyes…his own eyes closed again.

Jack recognised that he had slipped way past what was allowed where his feelings for the blonde Air Force officer were concerned. He wasn’t meant to care as much as he did for her; wasn’t meant to notice how her new hairstyle made him itch to run his hands through the blonde strands or how blue her eyes were; wasn’t meant to feel happy when she simply smiled at him; wasn’t meant to love her…

The shocking thing was that Sam seemed to feel the same way about him. She cared about him enough to work herself into the ground to bring him home when he was missing; enough to follow him on a suicide mission; enough that the week they had spent alone together on a planet awaiting the Earth gate to be fixed had become a memory he treasured. His mind slipped back to their conversation on that planet; of the realisation that they both felt the same way and their agreement that they were needed too much on SG1 to continue their mission to give into those feelings but maybe, just possibly, one day…

Jack sighed and wearily opened his eyes. He didn’t know why she cared about him, just that she did. He didn’t deserve her. Sam wasn’t perfect; he knew that. But she was bright and young; she was going places and he couldn’t – wouldn’t – do anything to put her or her career at risk. He was a beaten-up, old soldier who had done some damn distasteful things in his past.

Sam’s face after the last mission was etched into his mind’s eye. The startled look as he gave the order to close the iris; the shock as they listened to the thud against the iris; the way she had turned and walked away. He didn’t know what was worse; that he demonstrated to her just how damaged he was and why she shouldn’t be interested in him or that he had disappointed her. Maybe he had managed to destroy whatever it was Sam did feel for him…maybe that was for the best. His heart ached at the idea that the promise of one day was over. He closed his eyes again and let his head fall back against the cushion.

He’d managed in one day to disappoint Hammond, piss off Daniel and ruin any chance he might have had with Sam…hell, he’d probably managed to annoy Teal’c in some way too. A rotten day seemed too mild a description in hindsight.

o-O-o

Sam frowned at the report on the screen; the numbers were beginning to blur in front of her She sighed and reached for the mug of coffee by her keyboard. She took a sip and screwed up her face at the cold liquid. She glanced at the clock and sighed again. She hadn’t realised it was so late. She saved the file. The latest analysis on the naquadah generator power output could wait; she should probably leave the base.

A knock on the door behind her had her turning in surprise to greet her visitor. ‘General Hammond.’

Hammond waved her back onto her stool. ‘Don’t get up on my account, Major.’ The General wandered in a few more steps to stand beside her. His uniform still seemed crisp and fresh despite the late hour and she figured that he was on his way home as he was wearing his jacket over his usual shirt. She could see how tired he was in the shadows under his eyes and the faint tension lines that marked his face.

‘What can I do for you, sir?’ Sam asked softly.

‘Actually, it’s more a question of what I can do for you.’ Hammond murmured, lightly tapping the bench beside him. He waved a hand at her as his pale blue eyes met hers firmly. ‘You were very quiet during the debriefing, Major. I wanted to check that everything was alright.’

Sam swallowed nervously. ‘Everything’s fine, sir.’ She held his sceptical gaze.

Hammond rocked back on his heels and took a deep breath. ‘You know you can tell me anything, Sam.’

Sam pressed her lips together, disconcerted by the General’s use of her first name and the look of warm concern he directed at her. Hammond rarely allowed his friendship with her family to encroach into their professional relationship. ‘I’m fine, sir.’ She responded stubbornly. Her fingers worried at the edge of the bench and she stilled them, folding her hands into her lap.

The General sighed. ‘The Joint Chiefs have requested that you make a full technical report on the weapons and equipment that you observed during your time with the Eurondans.’

Sam’s heart sank but she schooled her expression and gave a brisk nod of acknowledgement. ‘Yes, sir.’

‘They want to see if we can’t salvage something from our mission there.’ Hammond explained.

She caught the edge of frustration in his voice. ‘I take it they weren’t pleased with the…the outcome of the mission, sir.’

‘Let’s just say they would have preferred if we hadn’t explored the Eurondans as closely as we did, Major, before we got our hands on their technology.’ Hammond said mildly.

She nodded, knowing the General was unlikely to expand further. ‘I’ll get on that report, sir.’

‘It will wait until morning.’ Hammond took a step back from her. ‘You should get yourself home.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Sam nodded. ‘I was just leaving.’

He looked surprised.

‘I do leave, sir.’ She said defensively.

Amusement brightened his round face and she wondered if he’d heard of her CO’s joking order for her to get a life. ‘I know you do, Major. I was just on my way home myself.’ He gestured at the door. ‘May I walk you to the elevator?’

‘Thank you, sir.’ Sam switched the computer off and hit the lights as they exited her lab and stepped into the corridor.

‘So, any plans for this evening, sir?’ Sam asked as she pressed the button to call the elevator.

‘Just dinner with my grandkids.’ Hammond smiled. ‘Tessa won her school spelling bee.’

‘Really?’ Sam smiled. ‘Say hi to her for me.’ She said as the elevator doors slid open.

‘I will.’ Hammond waited as they entered the small compartment. ‘You know you’re more than welcome to join us for dinner. Tessa would love to see you.’ He smiled at her. ‘You’re her hero.’

‘Maybe another time.’ Sam’s smile softened her rejection. ‘I think I need an early night.’

‘You did have quite a day.’ Hammond agreed. ‘I’m just pleased that we managed to ascertain that the Eurondans were not who we thought they were before it went much further even if it does mean we didn’t secure their technology.’

Sam nodded at his words, clasping her hands behind her back.

Hammond sighed. ‘I’m also thanking our lucky stars that the Colonel closed that iris.’ He pursed his lips thoughtfully. ‘The last thing we need right now on Earth is the NID getting their hands on a man like that.’

Sam bit her lip and nodded.

Hammond looked over at her. ‘You wouldn’t have closed the iris.’

Her shocked gaze snapped to his. ‘Sir, I…uh, I don’t disagree with Colonel O’Neill’s decision.’ She stuttered out hurriedly.

‘I’m not suggesting you do, Sam.’ He stressed her name as though to underscore it was a personal conversation. ‘It was just an observation.’

Sam’s fingers twisted together nervously behind her back. ‘If the Colonel had chosen differently, sir.’ She began.

‘Neither decision is right or wrong.’ Hammond broke in. His eyes gleamed with understanding. ‘If the Colonel had chosen to leave the iris open, we may have got useful intel from Alar but on the other hand, by closing the iris, we don’t have to worry about the morality and ethics of using information provided by a genocidal maniac.’

Sam nodded again in agreement as the elevator slid to a halt. ‘This is me.’ She said.

‘Have a good night, Major.’ Hammond said as he waved her forward.

She stepped out of the elevator. ‘You too, sir.’ She waited until the doors slid shut before she walked away. She pondered over the General’s comments as she stripped and dressed into her civilian clothes.

Sam couldn’t deny she had been initially shocked by the Colonel’s command to close the iris. She had turned with her gun poised to cover Alar when he exited; she had been certain that the Colonel would have granted him permission to come with them. She knew her CO well enough that she knew he had no respect for Alar himself given the revelations about the Eurondans’ beliefs and their actions in poisoning their planet; that he wouldn’t have granted permission because it was saving Alar’s sorry life. But she had thought the Colonel would have decided Alar had value as a resource they could use. His decision not to allow Alar to come with them had been a shock.

That hadn’t been the only shock; when the Colonel had asked for the iris to be closed, she had originally assumed that something must have happened after she had stepped into the wormhole – that he had refused Alar or shot him but then the thud…that had shocked her. She’d known instantly that he’d been aware that Alar would follow them and had closed the iris anyway.

Her feelings must have been written all over her face, Sam realised. He had looked at her with such…she didn’t know how to describe it…she had recognised his stubborn look, the one he got when he had made a decision and the discussion was over. She had recognised detachment and ruthlessness – both qualities underscoring his training as a soldier and a commander. But there had been something else in the way he had looked at her…something…a man asking for…what? Understanding? For her to forgive him? There wasn’t anything to forgive or understand; he was her CO. He had made a tactical decision and maybe it wasn’t the one she would have made but she respected that he’d been the one who’d had to make it.

She closed her locker door with a bang of metal. It had all got so complicated since she had developed feelings for Jack, she mused, as she headed out of the base and started the drive home. Sam frowned as she pushed in a CD and let Bon Jovi blast from the speakers. She was beginning to develop a deeper appreciation why the regulations that governed the relationships between military officers existed. When she had first realised her feelings she had talked herself into believing that she could handle it. She cared about Daniel and Teal’c as though they were family so it wasn’t as though just her feelings for Jack fell outside what the regulations allowed. But since she had realised he felt the same…

She pulled up in front of her apartment building. They had agreed, she reminded herself. When they had been stuck together on P3X234, they had agreed that they were both needed on SG1 and that they could handle their feelings. They would be friends, and only friends, until one day in the future when their circumstances changed.

Sam got out of the car and headed up to her apartment almost absently. She entered the small hallway, threw the locks and shrugged out of her coat. She rifled through the mail; checked her messages on her answer-phone. She stood in the middle of the living area and frowned. She hardly lived there; the Colonel was right, she considered ruefully. She had no life outside the SGC.

It was a depressing thought. She had a sudden urge to do something fast and reckless. Something not boring.

She hurried into her bedroom and changed into her leathers; maybe a ride on her motorbike would fulfil the requirement.

o-O-o

Jack woke with a start. He stared up at the dark, night sky. It was cloudy; the stars blocked from view. It looked like it was going to rain. He winced as he registered the chill in the air and the way his joints had stiffened from sitting in the chair. He sighed and rubbed his hands over his cold face. He must have fallen asleep. He wondered what had woken him. A noise by the ladder had his head swinging round to the edge of the roof. His eyes widened.

Evidently, he had died and gone to heaven.

Or he was still dreaming.

Because there was no other way Sam would be climbing onto his roof dressed in the sweetest and hottest looking leathers he had ever laid eyes on.

‘Sir?’ Sam looked at him concerned.

Jack snapped his mouth shut and shook his head a little. ‘Carter?’ He asked in disbelief as his brown eyes travelled back over her. Leather trousers, tight leather jacket. God, she looked…

‘Sir?’ Sam took another step towards him and Jack stood up slowly unfolding himself from his chair.

He stared at her.

‘Are you OK?’ Sam asked worried.

Sam.

On his roof.

In leathers.

He had to pull it together before he lost it completely. Jack shook himself. His heart sank a little; she’d probably come to talk about Alar and his decision to kill him. A guard slammed over his brown eyes. ‘What are you doing here?’ He asked gruffly.

Sam shuffled nervously and he saw her hands playing with her gloves anxiously. He didn’t back down; his body tensed as he waited for her to say something.

‘Funny story, really.’ Sam began. ‘I was out riding and I, um, I ended up here.’

Jack raised an eyebrow. ‘Funny.’

‘Yeah.’ Sam looked around the roof and at the sky. She frowned. ‘It’s cloudy.’

‘I came up when I got home and fell asleep.’ Jack admitted. The noise of her motorbike must have woken him, he realised.

There was an awkward silence.

‘I should probably,’ Sam gestured over her shoulder, ‘go.’

‘Why don’t you just say what you came to say?’ Jack said stiffly, folding his arms across his chest and glaring at her defiantly.

‘OK.’ She stretched the word out a little. ‘I’m thinking of buying a house.’ She blurted out.

Jack looked back at her nonplussed. ‘A house?’

‘Yeah. Crazy, I know, I mean I’ve been thinking about what you said about life outside of work and I got to my apartment and realised I hate it there. I got to thinking that I’d spend more time outside of the base maybe if I had somewhere a bit more like a…’

‘Home?’ Jack suggested.

She sighed but nodded sheepishly. ‘So, I was thinking there’s probably a lot more to owning a house than an apartment and you’re the only person I know apart from General Hammond who owns an actual house because I know Janet rents hers, so I was thinking, well, hoping, you might have some advice.’ She ran out of breath and had to take another. ‘Sir.’

Jack cocked his head and narrowed his eyes on her pale face. ‘You came to ask me for house advice?’

Sam nodded hesitantly.

‘You’re not here because of,’ he waved a hand in a vague gesture, ‘today.’

She frowned at him. ‘Why would I…’ she stopped abruptly and he saw the comprehension dawning in her eyes. ‘Oh.’ She straightened up. ‘You thought I’d come to talk to you about what happened at the end of the mission.’

‘Well, I…’ Jack bristled. ‘You walked off pretty damn quickly after and you hardly said a word during the debriefing.’ He pointed out accusingly. ‘You were pissed at me for killing Alar.’

‘No!’ She denied vehemently.

‘Yes, you were.’ Jack retorted.

Sam sighed heavily and glared at him. ‘I was shocked, yes.’

‘Aha!’ Jack pointed at her triumphantly. ‘I knew it!’

‘Sir.’ Sam snapped, unconsciously taking an angry step toward him. ‘You made a command decision…’

‘Which you don’t agree with.’ Jack interrupted loudly.

‘So, why do you care?’ She almost yelled the words at him. ‘You’re my CO! It shouldn’t matter if I agree with your decision or not!’

He held her furious gaze, his heart pounding loudly. He dropped his eyes suddenly and turned away from her. ‘You’re right.’ He admitted softly. It shouldn’t matter but it did and that was a problem. He took a step away from her toward the edge of his roof. He could feel her gaze on his back and he wasn’t surprised when she joined him.

‘I wouldn’t have made the decision you did, sir.’ Sam said quietly. ‘But I understand why you did it; you were protecting Earth.’

Jack risked a glance at her and was surprised to see her looking back at him with understanding. He shifted his weight, compelled to be honest with her. ‘I deliberately closed the iris, Carter. I knew the son-of-a-bitch would follow us anyway. I don’t blame you for being shocked at what I did.’

Sam gestured at him with her gloves. ‘I wasn’t shocked that you wanted to kill him, sir, or that you did. But, in that moment when it happened, I guess I was shocked at the way you did it with closing the iris.’ She explained.

Jack nodded; he could understand that. He jerked his eyes away from her and stared out at the sky; so he had disappointed her after all.

‘You remember when the wormhole was connected to the black hole?’

Her question surprised him into looking at her again. ‘I’m hardly likely to forget, Carter.’ Jack muttered.

‘Do you remember what you said to me when I apologised about suggesting we watch the black hole?’

‘That you were just being you…’

‘And you were being you when you couldn’t forgive Colonel Cromwell.’ Sam added. Her blue eyes rested on him compassionately. ‘You were being you when you ordered the iris closed.’

And she was OK with that, he realised. The relief of it almost made him drop to his knees. He settled for shoving his hands in his pockets.

She reached out to touch him; her hand dropped mid-way to his arm. ‘I might not like what you did but I do understand why you did it and I respect your decision.’ She paused. ‘Sir.’ She added with a sigh.

‘Sir.’ Jack repeated. He sighed and turned away from her. It shouldn’t matter to him what she thought but it did. His words of easy assurance that they could remain on SG1 and handle their feelings came back to him mockingly. He figured Sam must have had the same thought because she took a step back from him.

‘I shouldn’t be here.’

‘Hey.’ Jack turned back to her swiftly, reluctant to let her leave. He tried an apologetic smile. ‘Look, you came over here to talk about houses, why don’t we do that?’

‘Maybe my coming over wasn’t a good idea, sir.’ Sam said regretfully. She tried a smile but it didn’t quite make her eyes. Her eyes met his and he registered the disappointment in the blue depths as he felt his own descend.

Jack nodded at the ladder. ‘Come on. I’ll see you down.’

They climbed down and made their way to her motorbike. She mounted with ease and reached for her helmet.

‘Carter.’ Jack said softly.

She looked up at him questioningly.

‘Ask me tomorrow at the base.’ He suggested.

She frowned quizzically.

‘About houses.’ Jack clarified.

Sam smiled at him brightly. ‘Yes, sir.’ She put the helmet on and revved the engine. An instant later, he watched as she rode out of sight. It was for the best, he realised regretfully. They were too close; her opinion mattered too much to him already. They could be friends but spending time together was dangerous. Yet, he was pleased that she had come over. Their discussion had helped ease his mood over the day’s events. Sam knew who he was and she accepted him anyway; respected his decision even if she didn’t agree with it. He hadn’t disappointed her, hadn’t ruined the small chance he had with her. He turned and headed for his house. Maybe it hadn’t been such a bad day after all.

o-O-o

Daniel yawned widely and carefully placed his glasses in his locker. He pulled his sweater over his head and shoved it haphazardly into the locker. He glanced over his shoulder at where Jack was tying up his boots. Neither of them had really spoken since they had entered the locker room. Daniel knew it was early; the call from the SGC recalling them to base had come in the middle of the night. Both of them were tired. Daniel wanted to blame it on that but he had a feeling their silence was also down to lingering thoughts about the previous mission. Or maybe that was just him, he mused as he shoved his head through the black t-shirt and tugged it into place. He glanced again at Jack.

They’d clashed badly the day before; clashed in a way they hadn’t for a long while. He knew they had completely different approaches but he’d thought they’d gotten past their differences and agreed that the goal was not just advanced technology. The day before had gotten Daniel questioning that. Jack had been so determined to get his hands on the Eurondans’ technology he had almost allied them with a regime that condoned genocide.

The archaeologist reached for his boots and pushed his feet into them. Half-way through the day before, he had wondered whether he belonged on SG1 anymore. He seemed to be the only one interested in getting to the truth. Jack had treated him with such a lack of respect in front of the Eurondans that he wondered if they actually had any kind of working relationship never mind a friendship; had actually wondered if Jack was performing another undercover mission like he had to bring down the rogue NID operation. Daniel could admit to himself that he was pleased that he had been proven right about the Eurondans; that he had been right to ask questions. There was a childish sense of satisfaction at knowing he had been right and the Colonel had been wrong.

He sneaked another look at Jack. The older man looked tired; deep lines were carved into his face. He felt a flutter of sympathy. Jack might have been wrong the day before but he had apologised and actually had apologised quite fulsomely for Jack. Daniel also knew the military man had pressures he didn’t. He had been privy to some of the political fallout from the way Thor had brought the Replicators to their door, particularly with the Russians. He frowned. If he thought about it, the events with the Replicators had probably resulted in the military putting more pressure on the SGC and its military personnel to bring in results. Jack would never admit if he was under more pressure but it maybe explained Jack’s sudden reversion…and if it did, then Jack was probably facing a rap over the knuckles for not getting the Eurondan technology. That was probably why they had been recalled. Daniel felt his sympathy rise.

He picked his glasses up and put them on. He cleared his throat. ‘So, what did your message say?’

‘Something about the Tok’ra.’ Jack muttered. ‘You?’

‘I didn’t even get that.’ Daniel said. ‘I, uh, thought it might be about yesterday.’

Jack straightened. ‘OK. Just say it and get it over with.’

Daniel looked at him startled. ‘What?’

‘You know.’ Jack snapped at him. He thrust his arms into his shirt and snapped up the buttons angrily. Half-way through he realised he was buttoning it up wrong and stopped, pulling them apart to begin again.

‘I don’t know.’ Daniel claimed truthfully, nudging his glasses further up his nose.

‘Yes, you do.’ Jack said refastening the buttons and not looking at Daniel.

‘No, I don’t.’ Daniel retorted.

‘Yes, you do.’

‘No.’ Daniel insisted. ‘I don’t.’

‘So you have no opinion about what I did yesterday?’ Jack asked, finally getting the buttons straight.

‘Of course I do.’ Daniel said. ‘I think you behaved like an ass but you apologised so…’ he shrugged. He froze. ‘Unless you didn’t mean it?’

‘I meant it.’ Jack shot back.

The two men looked at each other warily.

‘Well, then…’ Daniel said slowly.

Jack sighed and sank onto the bench. He clasped his hands together. ‘I should probably thank you.’

‘Oh?’ Daniel asked as he moved to sit beside him.

‘If it wasn’t for you we’d be allied with them.’ Jack pointed out.

‘I was the one who wanted to help them in the first place.’ Daniel said apologetically.

‘At least, you were trying to do the right thing.’ Jack said.

‘So were you.’ Daniel smiled at Jack’s look of surprise. ‘I mean, I might not agree with the way you did it or how you acted but you were trying to secure technology to protect us.’

Jack gave a short laugh. ‘Well, you know what they say about good intentions.’

Daniel shrugged and gave into the urge to ask the older man the question that was nagging at him. ‘Did you know Alar would follow you? When you closed the iris?’

The Colonel looked at the floor. ‘Does it matter?’

‘I guess not.’ Daniel said. ‘It was just…Sam seemed surprised.’ He stood up and reached into the locker for his shirt.

‘I knew.’ Jack confessed softly. ‘Carter knows that.’

Daniel turned back to him. ‘You thought it was too dangerous to let him live.’ He realised out loud. He could appreciate the sentiment even if he didn’t agree with it.

Jack shrugged. ‘We have enough trouble without inviting it through the gate.’

He looked worried, Daniel mused; probably he was concerned about Sam’s reaction. ‘You know Sam’ll understand.’ Daniel assured him.

‘Yeah.’ Jack waved at him. ‘She said.’

‘You talked already?’ Daniel asked surprised. He’d thought Jack had gone straight home after the debriefing.

‘Yeah.’ Jack didn’t elaborate and Daniel dropped the topic despite the frisson of worry that flitted through him. Jack and Sam seemed to be getting closer than ever; he was beginning to wonder if the couples’ strategy of ignoring their feelings for each other was coming to an end.

The base sirens suddenly filled the room.

‘Here we go.’ Jack said, slamming his locker door shut. Daniel followed after him, holding his shirt and desperately trying to find a moment to put it on as they weaved their way through the running personnel.

‘What do you think this is about?’ Daniel asked breathlessly.

‘I don’t know.’ Jack said as they made their way down the corridor. ‘But if it’s the Tok’ra that usually means one thing.’

‘What?’ Daniel asked.

‘Trouble.’ Jack muttered as he waved the archaeologist through the doors to the gate room ahead of them.

Daniel suppressed his smile as he hurried forward. There were always going to be times when they disagreed, he mused but then there were always going to be times he and Jack were in complete agreement. He had a feeling it was going to be an interesting day.

fin.