FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTEMPT

They were eating dinner, as usual. Nobody said anything. Cameron and Sam didn't look at each other while they ate. Daniel was sullen.

Vala couldn't stand it anymore. "All right, so who's going to apologize first?"

Daniel shook his head. "Don't look at me. It's not my fault Mitchell's stir crazy."

"Hey, I am not stir crazy. I just…needed to let off some steam."

"Is that why you tore up your quarters-again?

"Well, I couldn't keep fighting Teal'c forever, could i?" Mitchell jabbed his fork in Teal'c's direction. "Look at this guy. He just never changes."

"My symbiote can keep me alive for many decades. Mitchell," Teal'c calmly replied.

"And that's another thing-he never loses his temper!" Cameron stood up. "I'm going to take a walk now."

"That's probably a good idea," Daniel muttered.

Vala looked at him after Mitchell walked out. "You know, he's right. It's not his fault we've been stuck here for fifty years."

"Oh, so it's mine, now?" Sam's tone was accusatory.

"I'm not saying that, either. I know you've been doing your best to find a solution."

"Are you sure you can't use the Thor hologram?" Daniel, as always, tried to play peacemaker. "That's what it was designed for."

"After listening to it tell me 'That combination is not possible,' for the hundredth time, I don't think so." Sam set her cup down. "I keep thinking about the General. He told me not to give up on his deathbed, and I…don't know if I can keep my word to him."

"Jack would probably have told you the same thing." Daniel paused. "You know…I'm having trouble remembering what he looks like."

"Tall guy, with gray hair. Great comic timing," Vala said.

"And…the wormhole had a ramp, didn't it?" Sam's eyes had a faraway look. "You know…if I do find a way out of this, and we're still the same, we're going to have to do a lot of readjusting."

"Now I know how those Japanese soldiers who hid out after the war must have felt." Daniel had finished eating. "But at least for them the passage of time was normal. Everybody we know would be the same age as when this started." He stood up. "I'd better hit the sack. It's getting late." Vala joined him as they left the cabin.

"I believe I will return to my quarters as well." The Jaffa bowed at Sam as he stood up and followed them.

Sam stayed a little bit longer. She saw the beam of the Ori ship, now slightly closer than before. Eventually, it would hit them…and would they, except for Teal'c, have all died from old age by then?

Sam made her way to her lab. She tried to remember what her old one at the SGC had looked like. It was larger, wasn't it? And there was a guy with a beard…

There were other things, too. That boyfriend of hers, what was his name…Paul? Patrick? No, Pete, that was it! What else might she have forgotten? Wasn't the name of their former commanding officer George something?

Sam looked at the control that activated Thor's hologram. She hadn't used it for the last few years now. She wondered if the real Thor was still thinking about them. The hologram had Thor's mannerisms but talking to it just hadn't been the same. Even so, she needed a friend right now, and after the others the hologram was the "Oldest" one she had.

Thor's image flickered to life as she touched the control. "Good evening, Colonel Carter," it said. "Do you require my assistance?"

"No, I just needed someone to talk to."

The hologram tilted its head at her. "The others are not in communication with you?"

Sam smiled wryly. "Something like that."

"Ah. Then perhaps you need a professional counselor."

"No offense, Thor, but in case you hadn't noticed, we don't exactly have access to one."

"Perhaps you do. I may be able to provide some help in this area."

Sam stared at the hologram. "How?"

"I have been programmed with all of the original Thor's knowledge, including his study of human behavior, which was quite extensive. It is possible that I may be able to act as an impartial observer."

"You mean like a group therapy session?" Sam thought about it. "That's so crazy, it just might work."

It took some doing, but a few "Days" later they were all sitting in Sam's lab. "This had better be good," Mitchell growled.

"OK, guys, look. I know we haven't exactly been on speaking terms lately, but I've got someone with us whom I think can help." Sam looked up at the ceiling. "All right, Thor. You're on."

The others stared as Thor's hologram appeared. "Good afternoon," it said. "Welcome to Colonel Carter's first group counseling session. I will be serving as mediator and offer my thoughts afterwards."

Mitchell groaned. Daniel sighed. Vala looked amused, while Teal'c seemed slightly annoyed.

Sam grinned. This was going to be fun.

THE END