Chapter One

The eight men were talking and joking in the SGC locker room after a mission. Some were simply changing clothes before they left for home, while others like Col. Jack O'Neill were planning on showering first. SG's 1 and 3 had just come from their de-briefing with General Hammond and were in the locker room exchanging gossip and the usual male testosterone-driven banter, before heading home for four days of down time, when Jack and Daniel got the news.

"I guess you guys have already heard about Sam, right?" Ferretti asked. Jack didn't reply or even look up from unlacing his boots, but Daniel was quick to respond.

"Sam Carter? What about her?"

"She's coming back to the SGC," Captain Ferretti announced "And apparently it's Major Carter now."

"That's great news! Where did you hear it?" Dr. Daniel Jackson asked his teammate. At Jack's recommendation, Ferretti had been brought on board to fill Sam's place as his second-in-command on SG-1, and he had worked out nicely, Daniel had to admit. Although he did still miss Sam. She had been a joy to work with, always understanding of his non-military ways and willing to listen to his sometimes long-winded explanations. He'd often thought that his relationship with Jack would have been better by now, with her help. Unlike his cold relationship with Jack and Ferretti, Daniel had found a warm sort of kinship with Sam Carter, which even his growing friendship with Teal'c could not replace.

"I heard it from an old friend...a guy who works in personnel over at Peterson" he said as he pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it toward the laundry hamper.

Captain Carter had been the fourth member of SG-1, until suddenly about a year before she had asked for and had received a transfer to another base. Even though she hadn't been on SG-1 for very long, Daniel had thought that Sam was fitting in nicely. But apparently she'd had misgivings about her ability to think like a soldier, instead of a scientist, or so she had told him. When Daniel had asked her for an explanation as to why she was leaving, all she would say was that maybe she wasn't cut out for anything but lab work. Daniel hadn't bought her excuse. But he understood that doubts about one's abilities in the field could lead to serious mistakes during missions. And even though he hadn't believed her, he had bid her good luck in her new assignment.

"You remember Duke, don't you Colonel?" the short, dark-haired man asked Jack.

"Who?"

"Duke, from Charlie company. He was in Nam with us," Ferretti said.

"Oh, yah, I remember him. Good guy. Got his legs blown off by a land mine one day."

"Yah, but he never let it get him down!" Ferretti remarked as he wrapped a towel around his waist. "Anyway, it was Duke who told me that when word first went out that General Hammond was looking to build the SGC's first off-world geek squad, Carter's CO recommended her for it. Word is that Hammond wanted her back pretty bad...bad enough to offer her a promotion and the lead position. Anyway, I'm kinda surprised you guys didn't already know. See you guys in a few!" he called back over his shoulder, as he strutted into the shower room.

Daniel glanced sideways at Jack, who was pulling on his civilian clothing. Apparently Jack had decided not to take a shower after all. Could it be that the conversation had upset him? If so, Daniel knew that Jack would never let on.

"So what do you think, Jack?" Daniel asked him, daring to walk through a field of land mines. He'd been down this road before and had always gotten blown up, so to speak. But he had continued to wonder why Jack had let Sam go so easily, and now it looked like she was coming back to the SGC. Had he thought she didn't fit in? But if that was the case, why hadn't Jack just said so? Why had he been so reluctant, combative even, rather than talk about her?

"About what, Daniel?" Jack asked, as he shoved his wallet into his back pocket. He grabbed his brown leather bomber-style jacket off the hook inside his locker, and Daniel knew he was risking injury again by asking, but he really wanted to know!

"About Sam coming back. Aren't you even the least bit interested or surprised?" Daniel had hoped for something to indicate how Jack felt about their ex-teammate, but Jack's answer left Daniel just as in the dark as he'd been for the past year.

"Nothing that woman does would surprise me," was all Jack said before he walked rapidly out of the locker room.

"I believe it would be best if you did not mention this subject to O'Neill again," Teal'c said, and then he too walked out of the room. Well, that had definitely done it! Now Daniel was certain that something had happened between Sam and Jack, and Teal'c probably knew what it was. And short of signing his own death warrant, he would risk quite a bit to know too.

Daniel sat down and began to put on his shoes, tugging too hard on the laces. One snapped in his fingers. "Damn!" As he began to pull it out, he worried about his teammate and how he would handle seeing Sam from time to time. After all, the base wasn't that large; they were sure to run into each other. He also worried about his relationship with Jack. Nothing ever changes with that man. Jack will never open up about his feelings, and he'll never really consider me his friend, Daniel thought with disappointment. Suddenly he was recalling the last day Sam had worked at the SGC.

SG-1 sat around the briefing room table after a particularly exhausting twenty-four hours off world. The mission had gone belly up, the team barely escaping with their lives. They had reported to Hammond. Well, Sam and Daniel had given a verbal report, while Teal'c had sat silently alongside his mentor, Col. Jack O'Neill. The two men were like bookends. Everyone could see that Jack was in a foul mood, and even General Hammond had decided to let the man be.

Daniel suspected it wasn't just a mission gone wrong that was bothering their team leader; it was something that had been festering for weeks, and he was certain it had something to do with Sam. But even though he felt there was something very wrong between Jack and his second-in-command, Daniel, fearing for his safety, had thus far stayed out of it.

And just when Daniel thought the day couldn't get any worse, Hammond made an announcement that turned a black day even blacker.

"Before I let you go, I have the unfortunate duty of bidding one of you good luck and good-bye. Captain Carter has put in for and received an assignment at Nellis. The transfer takes effect immediately. We will miss you around here, young lady. I insist that you keep in touch."

All eyes except for Jack's turned toward Sam, who kept her eyes on Hammond as she replied. "Thank you. I will. I promise," she said meekly.

Daniel watched as Jack's face turned dark crimson. Then he sprang out of his chair and almost ran out the door, as Hammond uttered the words, "You're dismissed". Teal'c followed Jack, while Hammond bowed his head and went straight to his office. Daniel stepped in front of Sam. He needed to speak to her or bust! Her news blind-sided him like nothing ever had. He thought they were a great team, so why on earth was she leaving!

"Sam, what the heck's going on? Why are you leaving?"

"I just don't think I'm cut out for this, Daniel. Shooting at innocent people is just not something I can live with," she said, referring to the events of earlier that day. He certainly had to agree with her, but still he felt there was more to this than she was telling him.

"What about Jack? He's come to depend on you. We all have."

"You will all be just fine without me," she replied. "I've got to pack now," she said, and then she side-stepped around him and was gone, leaving Daniel standing there with his mouth open.

Daniel could barely believe that a whole year had passed since Sam had left the SGC, and now she was coming back. He was happy about her promotion and that she would be working at the SGC again, but a part of him was also very worried.

TBC