The people of P3X-595 threw them a party and it was embarrassing. The whole visit to the planet was one long embarrassment right from the get-go when the locals thought they were gods, again. Daniel kept telling them that they should get used to it but Sam didn't think she was going to any time soon, which was, on balance, a good thing. She didn't know what kind of person it would mean she was if she got used to being mistaken for a god. The culture here was laced with evidence of ancient Egypt and Daniel's opinion was that they had been on their own for a long time. Their holy books spoke of the second coming of their god with a mixture of reverence and fear. Daniel easily identified it as a planet of Ra and with a lengthy explanation he told the locals how Ra was dead. When they understood they hailed SG1 as benevolent gods having battled their vengeful god Ra and won, despite their best attempts to persuade them otherwise. That was when they decided to throw them a party.

There was a bonfire, a couple of smaller cooking fires and they were surrounded by musicians (or people with musical instruments anyway. Not all of them had the ability to play them well. However, where they lacked skill they substituted enthusiasm). Tables had been dragged out of some of the homes and were well laden with all the food that could be produced at short notice. A large cooking pot had been placed over one of the smaller fires and great attention had been focused on it, there was much adding of ingredients and stirring. Sam was sitting on a stool watching the party, Teal'c was sat next to her but Jack and Daniel had embraced the celebration with enthusiasm and could be seen conversing, eating and drinking. Sam felt a twinge of longing for Daniel's civilian status and the Colonel's confidence. A young woman dropped herself down next to Teal'c, bringing a plate of food with her, which she held out to Teal'c. Sam watched the exchange with some amusement.

"Here, I brought you some food."

"I am not hungry."

"It's good food, the kintha fruit are particularly good this time of year."

The woman picked up one of the fruits from the plate and held it out to Teal'c, her every movement gently flirtatious.

"No thank you."

"How about some of this cake, that's also very good." The woman put the fruit down and picked up the slice of cake.

"No thank you."

"Would you like to dance?"

"I do not dance."

"But it's such fun."

"I still do not dance."

Sam could see Teal'c's jaw working in controlled impatience and a frustrated and embarrassed flush rising on the young woman's face. She seemed stumped for how to continue now, but just then a slightly older woman came over and addressed the younger one.

"Oh Issie, leave the poor man alone, I suspect Jerad would be a better target for your attention tonight, he's been watching you all evening."

Issie looked surprised and looked for the young man mentioned, blushing when she did indeed catch him watching her. "If you'll excuse me" she said lightly and jumped up go join the new object of her attention her frustration already apparently forgotten.

The older woman laughed and sat down on the stools next to Sam

"I apologise for Issie, though you have to give the girl credit, aspiring to flirt with a servant of the gods. I am Lissa"

Sam coughed, embarrassed, again, "Nice to meet you and er, we've been through this, we're not gods and Teal'c certainly isn't our servant."

"The Jaffa served the old gods, you are the new gods and he is with you." Lissa stated.

"They are not gods. I used to serve the false god Apophis, I pledged my allegiance to the Tau'ri in order to fight to free my people from the slavery of all false gods. Ra was not a god but a parasite." Teal'c explained.

"So you keep saying." The woman said with a sigh. "Ra was powerful and controlled magics and called himself a god. You slew Ra and are powerful and control magics but deny that he and you are gods. It is confusing."

"It's not magic, it's just technology and knowledge, and you'll get the hang of it." Sam said simply and kindly, "And we'll do our best to help."

There was a commotion around the cooking pots and Lissa beamed and clapped her hands. "The mugroot is ready, you must try some."

"What is it?" asked Teal'c

"It's made from wine and water and the juice of several kintha fruits and a whole host of other tasty ingredients."

Tankards of the beverage were being handed out around the party, younger men and women given the job of ferrying them out to anyone with an empty hand. Sam watched the Colonel accept his and after a few questions taste it suspiciously. Apparently it passed muster as he drained the mug to the delight of those around him. Daniel drank his a little more steadily. Well, if they could enjoy the mugroot then Sam decided she would too. Right on cue a young man hurried over to them bearing three mugs.

"For the ladies" he handed two of them to Sam and Lissa "and for you Sir" He finished, holding the last one out to Teal'c.

"I must decline, I do not drink alcohol." Teal'c explained his refusal. The young man looked terribly puzzled for a moment but shrugged it off and disappeared to find someone else to hand the drink to. Sam sniffed hers. It smelt hot and of wine, fruit and a tinge of something else that she figured fell into the 'other tasty ingredients' category. It didn't smell strong and she tasted it. The alcohol content tasted fairly low and the Colonel had drained his mug so she doubted she'd get in trouble for drinking an alcoholic drink on the air force's time. They had done the same on Abydos after all and they had all night to sober up.

The party was winding down by now, the locals had started disappearing to bed in dribs and drabs a couple of hours ago and there were only a handful left around the fire. Jack knew he should probably head back to their tents sometime soon, but he was relaxed and comfortable here for now. The mugroot had a nice peaceful effect on him. Right now he was watching Daniel who had the attention of three rather beautiful young women who were hanging on his every word. Daniel was blissfully oblivious and deep in an explanation of the wider significance of several parts of their culture. Jack was sure the words were fascinating, but while the girls were listening hard he doubted they understood fully what Daniel was talking about. It had been an hour and a half since he had heard from Teal'c and Sam so he reached for his radio to check in with them before doing anything else.

"Teal'c?"

"Go ahead O'Neill"

"Where are you?"

"I returned to our tents over an hour ago."

"I'll be there shortly...Carter?"

There was no response. Jack frowned and tried again, looking to ensure he had his hand on the 'transmit' button. "Come in Carter," still no response.

"Damn" he swore under his breath and climbed to his feet. Where the hell was she? It didn't take long to look round the area around the dying bonfire. A tall blonde woman stood out in a community of dark haired people so she must have gone into someone's house. Jack started with the buildings nearest, walking past them and listening for the sound of a continuing party before he started knocking down doors. The pleasant buzz from the mugroot had disappeared. What if something had happened to her? There was the sound of laughter and lanterns still lit in a small house a little way away and it seemed the best bet. Jack stuck his head round the open doorway.

He'd found her. There were half a dozen locals and Carter sitting round a low table with drinks and some sort of game on the table. Carter was sitting on some cushions and laughing as she played the game. It was a very pleasant scene except for the fact that Carter seemed to have lost some of her clothing, which wasn't unpleasant so much as sheer surprising. She still had her pants and boots on but her top half was naked aside from her bra and tags, some of the locals were in the same level of undress, or further.

"Carter?" Jack asked a little more loudly than he intended.

"Colonel!" She jumped up with a huge smile on her face, scattering cards, cushions and playing pieces as she jumped over the table and leapt to hug him. Jack stepped back with the impact and raised his hands as she wrapped her arms round him.

"Carter," his tone was more a warning now as he attempted to disentangle his 2IC's arms from around his neck and avoid touching anything of the rest of her bare skin at the same time. She stepped back from him, swaying slightly. He was just opening his mouth to say something when her face lit up with delight again at something over his shoulder and she was pushing off him and bounding past him.

"Daniel!" She pounced on him in a bear hug and knocked the younger man back into the doorframe. Daniel gave Jack a questioning and worry tinged look over Carter's shoulder. Jack sighed and retrieved Carters clothes from the floor before pulling Carter off Daniel. He dropped her jacket over her shoulders and gave Daniel her vest, shirt and other gear to carry. The locals seemed to have found all of this very entertaining and were laughing. "Time for bed for you," he said to Carter as he steered her out of the house ahead of him and towards where they had pitched their tents. Apart from trying to hug him and Daniel several more times she was an otherwise compliant drunk. If he'd thought about it Jack would have guessed that Sam was a happy drunk, but he wouldn't have put her down as a stripping drunk.

"How much mugroot did you have?" he asked her. She tried to stop to turn round to talk to him but he kept her facing forwards, half guiding her and half holding her up as she stumbled on the rough ground.

She thought and held up three fingers over her shoulder towards him. "Three mugs?" he asked her to clarify and her head bobbed in a repeated nod. That didn't make sense. He'd had at least five mugs and the stuff was mild. She couldn't have managed to get drunk on three mugs.

"Jack, I had four mugs of the stuff and all I feel is nice and relaxed." Daniel sounded worried and Jack agreed with him. Carter's reaction to the drink seemed a little stronger than theirs but he'd been in worse states and been fine. They approached the tents. Teal'c had been sitting in between the two tents they had pitched at the edge of the village and he stood up as they approached.

"Carter's drunk" Jack explained to him as they pulled to a stop.

"I'm not!"

Jack looked at her pointedly.

"Sir...maybe a little," she suggested, holding her thumb and forefinger up in front of her face to demonstrate how little. She turned to wander towards the trees and Jack grabbed her arm.

"Drink this," he handed her his canteen, "and then you're going to sleep."

"I don't want to sleep" there was a pause "Sir."

At least she took the canteen and drank from it, though she dribbled a fair bit of it down her front, soaking her bra. Jack concentrated very hard on her face, exercising all his control to avoid looking at her chest.

"You don't have a choice, Captain."

She tried to focus on him as she stood their swaying gently, "Gotta, you know, first Sir."

Jack sighed, "Teal'c! Keep an eye on her will you?"

Teal'c nodded, Carter frowned but didn't protest as she staggered towards some nearby bushes with Teal'c a respectful distance behind her.

Jack sighed and sat down. The nice buzz of the party had faded and all he felt right now was tired and a little worried.

"Think she'll be alright? We don't know everything that was in those drinks specifically." Daniel was looking worriedly after Carter and Teal'c

"Yeah, we had the same as her and we're fine. We'll give her to the morning to sober up and see how bad her hangover is."

Daniel sat down at the entrance to one of the tents and unlaced his boots, a smile on his face. "Still, it was a good party. I think we've convinced them we're not gods."

A voice started singing in the trees and slowly moved closer towards them.

"I don't think any gods know that song." Jack smirked at Carter's choice of a drunken ditty; it contained a few colourful words and expressions.

Carter was still singing as they zipped up the entrance to her tent, though she had been persuaded to put her t-shirt back on. Teal'c sat down to Kel No Reem right outside the door, just in case. Jack sighed as he lay back on his sleeping bag next to Daniel in their tent. He frowned as he heard the younger man chuckle next to him.

"Least she can carry a tune" was Daniel's only further comment.

Jack had to smile a little at that before he fell asleep.

They were tucking into breakfast when Carter stuck her head out of her tent and peered at them. She looked at each of them and then disappeared back into her tent with a groan. Jack and Daniel both laughed,

"Is Captain Carter harmed?" Teal'c enquired looking at Jack and then Daniel.

"Only her pride"