Part One

Jack wandered through the green, enjoying the peaceful quiet of the Charlie site. Who knew retirement could be this relaxing…this peaceful…this…

Hang on a second.

Quiet? Peaceful?

"Cassie…"

He continued forward, slowly creeping back into old habits of careful steps and stealthy movements. He saw the boots first, as he rounded a bend, leading up to a head completely ensconced in sunglasses and headphones. If she weren't wearing green BDUs, he'd have sworn he was looking at a much younger girl relaxing on the grass outside of his cabin.

But, the BDUs said official duty. And she's snoozing… Jack paused long enough to ensure that she hadn't noticed him. Then slowly crept forward, pausing again to gain balance, and then slowly raised a foot to position it over her face…

"Nice try Jack," came the calm reply as Jack realized her hand was on his calf, blocking the move.

"This a swell example you're setting for your trainees, Captain." He looked around the immediate area, searching for the rest of the folks meant to be there. "Speaking of which…"

"Took the last one out about 20 minutes ago. Figured I'd use the sudden extra time…um…productively…?"

"Sleeping?"

"Yeah."

He reached down and yanked the headphones off Cassie's head, but came up short when he saw that they weren't plugged into anything. He looked back at her, confusion ever so slightly displayed on his face.

"You took my iPod last week."

Oh yeah… He looked at the headphones and then back at her, trying to figure out what the point of headphones was without the player.

"Noise canceling."

"Seriously, Cass. Where is everybody?"

She harrumphed as she bounded to her feet, moving her sunglasses to on top of her hat's bill, and snagging the headphones back.

"First two ended up hitting each other when I snuck up on 'em," she began to explain as she lead him through the tall grass back towards the main site. "They did manage to take out a trainer first. And the last one actually held up for quite a bit longer. Took out the last two trainers right off, and evaded for a while. Caught up with her eventually though."

She stopped just at the edge of a clearing. Jack could see the unconscious bodies of the three SG training unit members, as well as two of the most recent group of trainees. He tried to hide the smirk, but knowing Cassie, she'd know it was there.

"I figure, at the least, we have replacements for the three chuckleheads that are currently on SGTu…" She grinned up at him, hands casually on top of her In'tar P90 clipped to her vest.

As Sam made her way through the hall to the gateroom, she could barely contain the groan that was trying to make its way out at the sight of the battered trainees…and trainers. The groan transformed to a slight chuckle as she saw the stragglers making their way down the ramp.

"Don't tell me… She took them all out in the first 15 minutes of the exercise."

"Actually," Jack giggled, "they apparently took themselves out." They stopped at the bottom of the ramp just as Sam reached them. Sam just barely missed the look of pride that crossed his face before he managed to rearrange it to a suitable look of vague interest.

"Captain…Cass…ugh…" She couldn't help herself. Between the looks fluttering across Jack's face, and the completely blasé look on Cassie's, Sam couldn't come up with a good argument.

It's not like this was the first time. And she knew it wasn't completely Cassie's fault. The Stargate program on the whole was slowly loosing standing in the general scheme of things. That of course meant the recruits and academy folk they were sent for training and possible integration into the program were not held to the same standard they were before. Not to say they didn't get a decent selection. It just…wasn't the same…

Heck, I have a hard enough time just hanging onto Cassie. And Jack doesn't even get paid aside from his retirement pay… The insistent headache that continued to make progress in the back of Sam's head threatened to gain some ground.

"What's Rickson doing here?" Jack said, breaking through her musings.

She looked up at him and followed his and Cassie's gaze up to the window of the briefing room. A man in a dark suit was standing, with arms crossed, at the window. The glare he was aiming down at the small group was all but physically felt.

Ugh…forgot about that meeting… Well, if she were honest with herself, she hadn't forgot. Sam was just hoping something nice would happen – something nice involving the annoying man being swallowed up by a sudden sinkhole.

She turned back and was about to comment, but paused at the looks on the two in front of her. Jack had his hands in his pockets, Cassie had hers lying on her weapon; but the looks on their faces were identical. Which was amusing, because Sam was sure Cassie had never actually met Senator Kinsey. But that was the look on their faces. The same disgusted and annoyed look Jack always got when Kinsey was so much as hinted about.

"Meeting." She aimed a look at Jack before continuing. "Captain, hit the showers and the infirmary. Head up to my office once you're clear."

Cass took a glance between the two, saw the intense Jack-Sam-wordless-convo, and took the hint.

"Roger doger, General."

Sam watched her as she made her way out the room, pausing only to hand her weapon off to a waiting sergeant.

"You're going to have to tell her at some point, Carter."

"Not if I can help it," she responded, turning back to look at him. Jack took a step closer to her, closing the space. He didn't reach up, as he wanted to – she's still at work, after all. But the little step was something.

"They're still looking. Digging. They know you're keeping stuff from 'em."

"Well of course I am! We've gotten as many people off-world as possible. We can't dig any further for others, because it might cause too much attention. I just… I won't…" She gave in and laid her head on his chest. He gave her a quick kiss on the top of her head, a quick rub of the arms, before she stood up straight again and turned to make her way out of the gateroom, as he followed. She stopped just short of the door and turned back to him.

"I'm ordering her on leave, Jack. I need you to… Just take her somewhere. 'Kay?"

Jack hesitated, the urge to counter and comfort eking in, but stopped. The tired look on Sam's face told him it could wait. She was the Lieutenant General now.

"Okay, Carter. Sure. We'll go fishing."

Cassie made her way through the halls of SGC, giving small waves and nods to the various greetings. She knew she didn't need to worry about the looks Jack and Sam were giving each other, knowing if she needed to know something they'd tell her. But the addition of Rickson…well…

Kinsey-incarnate…

She never actually met the former senator-vice president-IOA-schmuck, but she'd heard enough stories and seen enough responses to his name. The fact that his former aide was now making himself into the same man… It was unsettling, to say the least.

She continued making her way to the general-populace locker room, lost in thought, and barely missed the comments of the passing airmen.

"You better watch your back, Captain. They're cracking down on aliens in the program…"

"What?" She stopped dead in the hall, turning to stare down at the young lieutenant.

"Well, you're 'alien', aren't you Captain? Technically?" The small group stopped as well, most of them smartly looking unsure as to their fellow lieutenant's comments.

"Ha! Alien or no, Lieutenant, I'm still higher ranking," Cassie smirked back at him, just the slightest hint of hesitation in her voice. He better be on the track I think he's on… "And I'll have you know, aside from my adoption into the States, I went the extra step of taking a bunch of tests and classes and making an oath to officiate the whole thing."

The young man laughed, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Point taken Captain. Sorry…"

"Yeah, yeah. What's the deal, anyway?" She relaxed, hands in pockets, putting the rest of the group at ease a bit.

"We're not really sure, Captain," one of the female lieutenants spoke up. "Just rumors, I guess. You know how it is. IOA comes snooping around, rumors start running."

Cassie laughed, waving the little group on its way. She knew they were right. Rumors did usually start making their rounds around the command whenever anyone started snooping, not just IOA.

And they usually ended up more right than wrong…

Cassie made the shower and clean up quick, and went to make her way to the infirmary for the mandatory post-off-world check; but something had her changing route and she found herself in the briefing room. Taking a glance through the window into the general's office, she saw that Rickson was still there.

And the meeting was obviously a heated one.

She'd seen that glare in Sam's eyes one too many times before. It could melt ice, blow up a sun, and even bring down the Great Jack O'Neill (once). How the sleaze in the suit was still standing was a mystery.

"General Carter should be ready for you shortly, Captain, if you want to take a seat."

She nodded at the master sergeant, and made her way to a chair towards the end of the briefing table. She made sure to have her back towards the office; just to defer any thoughts the people in the office may have of eavesdropping.

Of course, eavesdropping was exactly what she planned on doing.

"General, I'm sure you understand the severity of the issue." By the slight groan that escaped from Sam's side of the desk, this was obviously the beginning of an argument she had heard before from Rickson. "This program has always been accused of extensive funds usage. And a great deal of that has been worked through. But given the current financial standings of the country at large, we cannot accept the idea that taxpayers should continue footing the bill for individuals that do not even originate on this planet!"

"And as I've already informed the IOA, on various occasions, these 'individuals' have no where else to go. Not to mention, they have all supplied a great deal of support and assistance to not only the Stargate program, but also Earth 'at large'. We have taken it upon ourselves to help those willing and able to leave find somewhere to relocate to. However, you need to also understand, some of these people have built lives here, maintain jobs, and have families to look after. This is not a prison-release program, Senator; we do not tag and track the people we have offered help to. If you can't find them based off the information we have given you, it is most likely because they have managed to completely ensconce themselves in those lives. I'm not sure what other assistance you can expect from us."

The words were spoken with the professional air you would expect to hear from the commanding officer of a military command. If you happened to know General Carter, however, you would be able to hear the subtle threat lying just underneath.

Cassie heard the scratch of a chair, and chanced a look to see Rickson rise. Apparently he had had enough conversations with the general to at least suspect something hidden in her words.

"We know there is more in your files that you aren't giving us, General Carter. And we will find it."

As he stormed out of the office, slamming the door as he went, Cassie stifled a giggle.

He tried to match her…and failed miserably…

"Captain."

'Captain'. Not 'Cass', or 'Cassie'. 'Captain'.

Ugh…angry Sam is never fun. Angry General Carter is even worse…

She rose from the seat, turning smartly and making her way into the office, coming to a stop in front of the desk.

"Reporting as ordered, Ma'am," she said, offering a smart salute.

Sam glared, but quickly lost her edge and smirked. The older this girl got, the more she had to admit – Janet was there, Sam was there, but Jack was the biggest 'there'.

"Sit down Cass." She motioned to the chair, as she took her own.

"I see Rickson is living up to his predecessor," Cassie laughed as she sat down. At Sam's responding laugh, she knew she was clear and laughed a bit more.

"Don't bother with him. Just IOA being…well…their IOA selves." The laughter slowly left Sam's face, to be replaced with that same look of concern Cassie had seen in the gateroom.

"Anything…you'd like to share…" She knew it was iffy. Having your legal guardian also be your commanding officer made for an unusual working relationship – even if you were well past the age for needing a legal guardian. It was never too much of an issue, but Cass had a feeling this time would be one of those rare exceptions.

"Nope. It's nothing a person just about to go on leave needs to bother with," Sam replied, working to achieve an amused look.

"Leave?" Cass, on the other hand, had no trouble looking amused. "Seriously? You think I need leave? Do you realize how much 'down-time' I actually manage to snag on these training exercises? Jack actually managed to get a foot in my face this last go, I was so zonked out." She paused and considered the last statement, before adding, "Don't tell him that."

Sam couldn't help the chuckle. She knew the two loved to try and out sneak the other, mostly because Cassie was right – they did have a lot of downtime on the training exercises. Jack would never out right admit he liked the relaxing off-world fun, but he had admitted that the last few months had been reaching new levels of dull.

This, of course, just made a mandatory period of leave the harder to play off.

"We've got a break in incoming trainees, I figured you'd like to get away."

"Sure," Cassie smirked, "because Charlie site, ya know, way over on a crazy arm of the galaxy, isn't far enough." She paused again, deciding whether or not to push. "This…this doesn't have anything to do with the, uh, rumors going around base does it?

"Rumors?" Sam responded to the question, but the tone in that one word said she wasn't going to budge. Sam out - General Carter resuming duty.

"Yeah…rumors… Probably just newbies testing the base grapevine." She learned her limits long ago, and knew she'd have to go another route. "So…any suggestions on where I 'get away'?" She had avoided Sam's eyes during her little deviation, but looked back up now to see a sympathetic smile on the other woman's face. "Ah…yes…fishing… Fun, fun."

Jack glanced out the window above the kitchen sink at the chairs sitting at the end of the dock. He sighed as he picked up the last dish to be dried, remembering the last time it had just been him and Cassie at the cabin.

Sam had been in Atlantis, the guys off doing whatever it was that the guys did. The frantic call Jack had received in the middle of the night should have annoyed him more than anything. And it had, until he'd realized the voice at the other end of the line.

She'd been drinking, amongst other things. Ended up in the wrong position at a frat party. Thankfully, the guy didn't bother pressing charges for the busted jaw. Either because he was afraid she'd press charges of her own, or he figured the lamppost she rammed her car into about 20 minutes later was enough.

She was, surprisingly, okay. Walked away with just some bruising and scratches. The police tried to pin her with a DUI, but the tests kept coming back inconclusive and they had to drop it. Instead, she was placed in the custody of an Air Force general and they washed their hands of the case.

Jack, on the other hand, was not that easily dissuaded. He practically dragged her up to the cabin, only losing his temper and raging at her that first night. Various arguments of 'Is this what Janet died for?' and 'Is this what you think her and Sam want for you?'

It was a turning point for Cassie. He could see it. By the end of that month, she had still be struggling with things, but her attitude changed. Gone was the angsty teenager, who thought she was special and unique and the world should recognize it. Instead, there was a young woman. Still special and unique, but now focused; now she aimed for more.

Stupid IOA… Stupid suits…

They swore each other to secrecy. Sam wouldn't know. Both not wanting to admit to her how they had failed her…somehow. So they left it, and moved on.

She'd come far. Left Nevada for D.C., reapplying herself to her studies. She completed her degree, graduating with honors, before applying for Officer Candidate School with the Air Force. He knew most folks figured she would go with medicine, but she had that same attraction to tech that Sam had. Jack laughed to himself at that. The amount of time those two could talk techno-babble was ridiculous. He usually blended to the background, just watching.

She was supposed to make her way to '51, with the R&D folks in Nevada. But after her mandatory trip with the training unit at SGC, the powers-that-be decided she might be able to help there more. She could always make her way to Nevada later on.

But now…

Stupid suits…

Finished with the dishes, he made his way out to the dock. He could hear the 8-bit tunes of Tetris as he approached the chairs. Taking his seat and reaching over to grab one of the unused poles leaning against her chair, he glanced down at the old GameBoy Advance in Cassie's hands.

"Ya know…the purpose of sitting at a dock over a pond with a fishing pole is to fish."

"I would," Cassie replied without looking up from the game, "but I'm always afraid that I would catch something. And then what would you do?" The level ended and she paused the game before looking up at him. "Your one-fish pond would go back to being completely fishless."

"You could always throw it back."

"I feel sorry for the poor thing. Being the only one in there. Must be lonely." She smirked as she returned to her game. "Unless of course…it's not a 'normal' fish…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack queried, throwing the line out and slowly reeling it back.

"Well, a once empty pond suddenly gains a fish. Owner of said pond the former head of Homeworld Security… Could be an alien refugee or something." She paused and glanced sideways at Jack. "Would hate for IOA to find out. They might send it back through the gate… Wouldn't want to pay for fish food for an alien fish…"

The reel stopped.

Jack looked over to find a too-sweet and innocent look gazing back at him.

Damn. You'd think Carter would remember the lil demon has supersonic hearing…

"I'm guessing you were listening in on the general and a certain weasel," Jack offered, returning to reeling in the line.

"Kinda hard to miss. He's rather…obvious."

"Well…it's nothing to worry about."

"Nice try Jack. If it wasn't the rumors circulating around base that helped, there's no way you'd expect me to miss the lack of friends coming over." Line went flying back out over the water. She closed the game and turned in her chair. "Jack. It's been months since we've seen Teal'c. And don't tell me it's 'cause he's so wrapped up with Rya'c and Kar'yn and the kids. He was groaning about them aging him more than SG1 ever did the last time he was here. And Daniel and Vala? Just randomly go off to Beta for, what? Honeymoon? I've been to Beta recently. No sign of 'em."

Line started to fly back out, but came up short.

"Jack…"

Damn… He hadn't ever been able to back down from that. Difficult when she was a kid, bit naggy when she got older… Now…now it was a quiet, respectful plea.

"I know what Sam's motivation is. She wants to protect – it's her nature. I got that. But you," she continued, leaning over to place a hand on his chair, "…you have always given it to me straight." He finally looked over at her. "Well…almost always. I mean, not every kid has a dog…" She grinned and he couldn't help but return it.

"Smooth kid. Smooth." He dragged a hand over his slightly stubbly chin before fixing the line and throwing it back out into the water. "I'm guessing you…overheard enough to get the general gist."

"IOA has found a new way of penny pinching the program." She set the game on the dock before claiming the other pole and tossing out the line.

"Nice. Yeah, they've decided all these folks that we've given a place to crash need to go. So, they're scouring the files and tracking 'em down. The small few Carter has tracked down and given a head's up to went where they could. Messages were passed to those off-world."

"Right. Got that. But there's some that she couldn't track. She told Rickson that they had ensconced themselves in their new lives, that SGC didn't tag and track."

Jack smiled. Go Carter…

"Well, yeah. Most of those guys knew there was no going back – either there was nothing to go back to, or it just wasn't, well, worth going back. So they built themselves new lives, and they don't want to leave them."

"Right," Cassie said, "that's what Sam told him. They weren't even using their Air Force funds any more. So why bother?"

"Its just IOA being…well…idiots…" He threw the line out a bit more forcefully and had to reel it back.

"Okay. So they'll keep digging, causing general havoc at SGC, and in the process, coming up with more crap to throw at the program. They have to know that Sam would've given notice as soon as she found out. And, yet, they still think she's hiding someth-…" She got ready to toss out the line again, but stopped. She turned to aim a suspicious glare at Jack, but he missed it. "They…uh…they must be digging pretty deep."

"Yeah."

"And with all the resources they weasel themselves, they can dig out paperwork of all sorts."

"Yup."

"Birth certificates, social security cards…adoption records…"

"Sure…" Crap. His line was snagged on a patch of reeds. Just as snagged as he seemed to be at the moment…

He turned to look at Cassie, as he continued to pull on the line. The look on her face actually took him back. Not that it scared him, per se. It just…well…he was more scared of where it would lead.

"Cassie…"

"You have always told me that while I'm special, I'm not special-special. I don't deserve any different treatment. Not because of where I'm from, not because of who I'm close to, nothing."

"Cass…"

"And yet the whole program gets whacked by the IOA and she still doesn't turn it over."

"Don't," Jack snapped, pole forgotten. "Don't do that. While, yes, turning over that file would kind of screw things over for you, it would in no way stop the IOA from doing exactly what they're doing." The abashed look on her face had him backing down. "This is what they do, Cass. They dig, they cause havoc, and then they get shut down."

"How are they going to be stopped this time?"

"There's a committee hearing at the end of the week. Carter will set 'em straight. Make them understand. Show them the compromises."

"But the compromises shouldn't been necessary…"

"Yeah…but sometimes they are."

They resumed with the poles, the sound of the reels the only sound echoing in the quiet.

"Jack…" He stopped, but she didn't look at him. "I can't just… I can't just sit idly by a pond while people we know – people just like me – have their lives torn apart…" She finally turned towards him, and he could see that same twinge of change in her eyes.

It was something all of them had tried to instill in her from the beginning. The idea that one life was no more or less important than another. That everyone should be treated equally, given the same chance. It was up to the individual to do what they would with what they got.

How could he go back on that now?

"Yeah kid…I know..."

Sam hated the feeling that was currently in the pit of her stomach. The feeling that said there was nothing left for her to do. That the battle was over, and even with all the tools and weapons at her side, she was still about to lose.

It was a huge relief to see that Rickson, while in attendance, was not leading the meeting. He was still there, though. The chairman of the hearing, Senator Michaels, had seemed open to listening to all she had to offer. Of course, if the glances Rickson kept passing to the gentleman on the other side of Michaels were anything to go off of, it was looking like a 2-to-1 vote.

The three men were quietly conferring at their table, yet another thing that was bothering Sam. Yup…go ahead and talk right there. No sense that your decision has already been made…

The door at the back of the small room creaked open, but she didn't bother looking back. No one coming in at this point could offer any help.

"Excuse me, Chairman. May I approach?"

The few other people in the room turned to see who had entered, but Sam couldn't help but cringe instead. She turned slightly to see Jack, just as he was taking a seat just behind her, and Cassie pausing in the aisle. She must have visibly shown her shock, because Jack leaned up and put a hand on her arm. She caught his eyes and he just nodded.

"Chairman, this is highly improper. I-", Rickson started, before Cassie cut him off.

"It is an open hearing, is it not?" She successfully managed to hide the smirk that threatened to rise at the look of shock and anger crossing Rickson's face.

"To an extent. And you are?" replied Chairman Michaels, waving down Rickson.

"My name is Cassandra Fraiser. I am a Captain in the US Air Force, a member of the SGC off-world training unit, and…" She faltered, fighting the urge to look over to Sam and Jack, to seek the support she wasn't entirely sure she would find. After a quick exhale, she continued, "…and the sole survivor of a virus that eradicated the entire population of my home planet, Hanka – official designation P8X-987."

As rushed as the last bit was, the quiet in the room allowed for clear hearing. That same quiet seemed to intensify as the information was taken in. Sam's whisper of "Cassie" was all that was heard.

On the bright side, the look on Rickson's face was making this little announcement completely worth it. He most likely expected some rant from Jack O'Neill's little protégé. But this…

"There is no Cassandra Fraiser on the list," Michaels stated, breaking the shocked silence.

"There wouldn't be. The file was given the strictest clearance before slowly making its way to governmental oblivion," Cassie offered.

"Then how in the world do you expect us-" Rickson started again, in an attempt to regain his slowly wavering upper hand. He stopped short, though, when the young woman raised a slightly thickened, non-descript folder.

"Funny thing about 'governmental' oblivion… Crazy detailed tracking."

The quiet curse from behind her didn't go missed as she passed the folder to the guard that stepped forward. Jack didn't miss it either as Sam had turned a killer gaze in his direction.

Both of them knew where that file was supposed to be. It was the last thing he did before he retired, before he lost the ability to. He'd removed it from the archive and that very weekend had placed it in the watertight, Asgardian vault they used for just such a thing, and left it at the bottom of that old one-fish pond.

"Mission 30185?"

The chairman's query pulled every one out of their thoughts.

"Yes. Fairly straight forward reading." She paused, unsure whether or not to continue. Michaels flipped through the file briefly before passing it to the gentleman sitting next to him. Not Rickson, she was pleased to see.

"Say what you came to say, young lady."

Okay… Here goes.

"Thank you. I don't want to waste any more of your time. And I have no doubt that you have heard all the necessary logistic information from General Carter. I just thought you should hear from someone you want to, well…get rid of."

"We're not trying to 'get rid of' any one, Ms. Fraiser," Michaels scolded.

"Of course not…no… Just, well…you get the idea. Anyway…I came here when I was 11. All the lovely details, as I said, in the file. I was headed for an adoptive family, but Janet Fraiser, the SGC CMO at the time, decided to take me in. I know that my age has always meant a level of extra protection, calling for the need of the mystery file."

"'Mission 30185'?" asked the unnamed gentleman with the file.

"My birthday. Well, at least, as close as we could get in Earth terms."

"There's more in here than just that initial incident, Ms. Fraiser."

"There was another…um…incident when I turned 16…um…"

The man showed Michaels a specific point in the file.

"Unique powers demonstrated?" Michaels questioned, eyebrows raised.

"Don't know about unique. Last time I was in Vegas, there was a guy charging 100 bucks a head for cheap seats just to watch him do the same stuff…" There was a quiet chuckle from behind her, quickly followed from a smack and an "ouch".

"Go on," Michaels said as he passed the paper back.

"Right. Anyway…aside from that, I went on with creating a life here. Went to school, got little side jobs at the mall, did a lot of shopping at the mall…" The gentlemen at the table started to acquire glazed looks. "Look. My point is – all these people that are brought here, given a chance to regain what they may have lost…we're all human."

The glaze disappeared. Even Mr. NoName looked up.

"The would-be god that sent a plague to my home world, just because her plans for world domination was ruined? I learned in history class about a few folks here on Earth who have attempted the same thing." Anyone who knew her could tell she was gearing up for a fight as she continued her speech. "The random Jaffa that shot my mom? Just because she was there and in the clear and…" A quick pause. "Right up there with random drive-bys and gas station robbery victims. Folks that get hooked on various plants and over-modified corn? Like any other random college kid punk who thinks the world can't affect them."

The quiet in the room again echoed off the walls. Sam was trying to take in everything Cassie had said, but the fear of what her presence there might lead to was overshadowing everything else.

"Ms. Fraiser, I don't know what…" Michaels started.

"My point, Mr. Chairman, is that I understand how the intergalactic aspect of this matter may be the most obvious thing to focus on. But aside from the obvious, or not so obvious, differences, it comes down to a simple matter of environment and circumstances. In a sense, it could make for a rather interesting addition to the nurture over nature argument… But in the end, deep down, the simple fact is – we are all, just, human. And we should be given the rights reserved for such. We're not here to cause trouble; we're not here to take over your lands. Those that are threatening Earth, by all means, send on their way. But those of us that are simply trying to live our lives…well…"

She threw up her hands, looking up at the table in front of her. The three men stared back with varying looks. Rickson, of course, simply looked indignant. But Michaels and the third seemed to look like they might be ever so slightly thought-provoked.

"That's all I came to say," Cassie sighed. She turned around to take a seat next to Jack.

"Captain?" She stopped to look back up at Michaels. "Thank you."

With a nod, she took her seat. He turned to look at the two men seated beside him.

"I think we'll go ahead and break. We'll recommence at 1400." He rose from his seat, followed by the other two, Rickson moving rather hesitantly.

"What were you thinking?!" Sam was pacing furiously back and forth in the sitting area of her hotel room. Jack and Cassie sat silently on the sofa, taking turns slowly reaching forward for another slice of pizza or a drink. "Do you have any idea what could have happened? I'm surprised they didn't take you into custody. Or worse!"

"Sam…" Cassie attempted, but melted back into the cushions as Sam whipped an angry gaze at her.

"Carter…" Jack's turn. While she tried the same maneuver, he had more practice with it. "She had the right idea. You had to know that Rickson wouldn't let any one actually give a…well…human aspect to this. He was hoping he could just run with the numbers. And he would've been right. If it was just a fact of money, he would've won."

Sam seemed to deflate, slumping into the recliner next to the sofa. She couldn't help but think the argument Jack gave was something more like what she would give. When did we switch places…? But the fear was still there.

"What happens when Rickson gets his say, any way? What happens when she gets sent away? Or worse, ends up in '51? Not as a researcher, but as research!" The shocked look that passed Cassie's face had her sitting up in the chair. "See! Didn't think of that, did ya?"

"They'll have to catch her first," Jack said with a smirk. At Sam's questioning look, he added, "Oh come on, Carter. You really think we'd come out here and not have a back-up plan?"

A quick check to her internal schedule told her that the Hammond was, in fact, scheduled to be in orbit for the rest of the month. Damn him.

"Still doesn't get you off the hook. Honestly, Jack, how could you think turning over that file would help?"

"I bet it gets them to stop looking," Cassie offered after all Jack did was point at her. "This way, the big secret looks like it's been revealed. They think they've got a win. Maybe they ease up. Besides, some of them have to actually have a heart. They can't all be Kinsey-wannabes." At the confused looks from the other two, she added, "It's a simple matter of statistics."

"Right…" Jack commented as he reached for another slice.

Sam couldn't help but laugh and reach for some pizza herself. She sat back in the chair, nibbling on the pizza and watching the two on the sofa. All the years that had passed, all the things that had happened – this was what she had to show for it. And she wouldn't give it up for anything.

The battle might soon be over, but the war wasn't.

They meandered back to the small meeting hall shortly before 1400. Sam was half-tempted to get Cassie to change into her uniform, but appreciated the reasoning behind the simple black dress suit she wore. She was even more tempted to not let either her or Jack back in the room, allowing for an easier escape to the Hammond, should the need arise. In the end, she wanted the strength they offered.

As the three men made their way back into the room, she watched them; looking for any sign of what decision they had come to. Or, rather, whether or not they changed the decision she was sure they had had when they initially started the whole ordeal. She couldn't see much of a difference, though.

Well…at least Rickson isn't smiling.

Not smiling, but not terribly upset either.

"After much discussion, we have come to a decision," Michaels began. He shuffled the papers in front of him as the small group in the room waited anxiously. "With all the information presented, we have come to the conclusion that there is no need to change the policies the Stargate command, as well as Homeworld Security as a whole, have in place in regards to those persons being granted refugee status. It is obvious that all attempts are made to ensure that these persons are encouraged to seek their own means, and that policies are in place to ensure no immediate threat is brought to Earth. While we agree that the policies currently in place are sufficient, it is strongly suggested that the funds that are given to these persons continue to come directly from the command budget. This decision will not affect any current or future budgetary issues. General Carter, I am sure this will be kept in mind."

"Yes sir," Sam responded, standing up as she did. "Thank you, sir."

Michaels turned to Rickson and managed to wrestle a file out of his hands. He handed it to the guard standing off to the side and directed him towards Sam.

"I leave this up to your discretion, General," he said, as the guard made his way across the room and handed the file to Sam. "I have instructed the members of this panel to not take the information in that file any further than this meeting."

He paused, giving a blink-and-you'd-miss-it glance towards Rickson. The message was clear – you're getting it back; there were no copies made; but that won't keep all mouths shut.

"Thank you, sir," Sam replied, clutching the file to her.

"I think we're finished here," Michaels finished as the men stood. "Thank you all for your time." The two other men walked out of the room, but Michaels stopped just short of the door and turned back to the room. "Captain?"

"Sir?" Cassie said as she stood up abruptly.

"Keep up the good work." And with that, he walked out.

"Well…looks like numbers won out after all…in a sense." Both women turned just as Jack stood up. "Bet Rickson's pissed…" He gave them a wicked grin.

Sam made her way through the hall towards the gateroom, waving to the nods and greetings of the returning trainees. She stopped as she realized they were all smiling. Tired, but still smiling. The other members of the training unit followed them, also tired but smiling.

Guess this trip went a bit better…

She made it into the gateroom just as Jack and Cassie hit the bottom of the ramp. She met them halfway across the room.

"It went well, I see?"

"Meh," Jack offered, waggling his hand in a so-so manner.

Cassie laughed as she handed her weapon to the waiting SF, pulling the zat from Jack's holster and handing it off as well.

"Not too bad," she said. "Took a bit longer this time. And it was an even round of trainees taking out trainers and vice versa. So…sure…bit better." She grinned as Jack looked around confusingly for his zat. "They seemed to be somewhat proud of themselves, anyway. That's gotta be something."

"It's something," Sam said, laughing. "Alright, you know the drill. Debrief in an hour."

She watched the two of them slap and push at each other as they made their way out the door. She paused at the stairs up towards the control room to continue watching them down the hall, Jack managing to get Cassie in a headlock, a few airmen just barely managing to miss flying elbows as they finally reached the elevator.

Sam walked up the stairs, pausing in the control room to check in before making her way up to her office. Stopping again at the window looking down to the gateroom, she smiled to herself.

Yup, it's a crazy life, no doubt about it. But she wouldn't give it up for anything.

Rickson made his way through the quiet, nearly empty parking garage, thinking the incognito aspect of the meeting he was headed to was a bit over the top.

Seriously… This guy has watched way too many spy movies.

He didn't like having to deal with the man, especially considering he didn't even know the man's name. But Mr. NoName had pulled in a great many resources for Rickson's use, and he was not one to turn down a gift horse.

Not that he helped any with the latest hearing…

"Mr. Rickson…" The voice came out of a shadow in the far corner.

Yeah…way too many spy movies… Yes Mr. Bond?

"We could have just as easily had this meeting in the restaurant down the street," Rickson replied with a sneer as he reached the corner. "They have a fantastic chef. Brilliant fillets."

Mr. NoName emerged slowly from the shadow to glare at his companion.

"Ignore your stomach for a moment, Rickson. We need to discuss the next step."

"Next step? I still don't understand why we didn't snag that girl at the hearing. You wanted her so badly, why wait?"

"That hearing," the mysterious man growled, "was just an excuse for us to get our hands on that file, to ensure we were looking in the right place."

Rickson's annoyance was plain on his face. He wasn't a man for clandestine actions or roundabout discussions.

"The goal was to get rid of aliens invading our shores – on a galactic level! As far as I can tell, nothing has changed."

"That was your plan, Mr. Rickson. Not ours. The IOA, and the Trust, has always been on the look out for ways to ensure the safety of our 'shores'. That girl is the key to furthering one of the best weapons we have devised thus far."

That got the smug senator's attention.

"You're not talking about that joke of a Goa'uld program? What? Conrad and Kinsey weren't big enough disappointments?" He laughed to himself as he went to light a cigarette. "We already decided it wouldn't work. There's just no way to mix Goa'uld and human, without annoying character flaws."

Mr. NoName took a step forward to pluck the barely lit cigarette out of Rickson's mouth, crushing it under a well-polished shoe.

"And yet, the Goa'uld managed it. It was all there in that file. Goa'uld modifications on a level we have yet to successfully manage."

"Yeah…in an alien…" came the hesitant reply.

"Ahh…but you heard her, Mr. Rickson," the shadowy man said, turning to glare mischievously in the other man's eyes. "She's not alien. She's human."