Amanda Hess had a heart felt aversion towards everything military. She had adopted it from her father, a reverend and staunch pacifist. When she answered the phone that day something started on a course that would shake her opinion.

„Hess?"

„Amanda? This is Daniel. Jackson."

„Dr. Jackson! Where are you, we haven't heard from you in a lifetime!"

„I can't tell you over the phone, Amanda, but I need your help."

„What are you talking about? Are you working for the government or something?"

It had been meant as a joke, but when Daniel didn't answer her right away she got a sinking feeling.

„Doctor?"

Daniel cleared his throat,

„Can you meet me? I really need you."

Amanda had always liked her professor. If she was completely honest with herself she'd had a bit of a crush on him. Besides, all that super secret behavior had piqued her interest.

"OK. Why don't you come to see me at the university, my office is on the third floor."

"Thanks. I'll be there in half an hour."

…

"OK, fine. One condition."

General Hammond looked at the German linguist inquiringly.

"I will not leave Earth. No assignment on alien planets, no weapons, no uniform."

Hammond couldn't help his smile.

"Don't worry, we need your expertise, not your vow on the constitution. Of course you'll remain a civilian. It's a purely scientific task, and I don't see any reason for you to leave earth."

Amanda gave a satisfied nod and extended her hand to him. When he felt her firm handshake he was glad to have her in the program.

…

Daniel buried his face in his hands for a moment. Then he took off his glasses and rubbed his face.

"I'm officially stuck."

Amanda looked up from her documents.

"Excuse me? I don't know one single person who knows more about dead languages. How's it possible that you are stuck?

Daniel lowered his head to his desk. She felt sorry for him, so she got up and walked around the desk to take a look at what he had been working on. Absentmindedly she rested her hand on his shoulder, and he relaxed. He hadn't even noticed how tense he had been.

"I think I need a break. Not getting any younger I guess...feel like joining me?"

But Amanda hardly heard him. He tried again:

"Amanda? Break? Food?"

She sounded almost reluctant when she answered him: "No, I'd like to keep working on this. Can you just go on your own?"

Daniel shook his head and shrugged, determined to at least bring her some food on his way back.

Twenty minutes later the mess hall doors flew open to reveal a very excited Amanda Hess rushing in, pony tail flying behind her.

"Dr. Jackson! I got it! You have to come with me immediately!"

Only then did she take notice of the other people present – Colonel Jack O'Neill and Major Carter were sitting at Daniel's table, and some members of different SG teams were scattered around the mess hall. And she realized that might not have been the appropriate way of talking to her former professor, even if he treated her as an equal these days. She dropped her gaze for a moment, swallowed once and said a lot softer:

"I'm sorry, but – please, doctor, I think I solved the problem."

"The case ending problem?"

"Yes! Well – I don't think they're case endings. Because they aren't even nouns. I believe they are verb endings. They probably mark prepositions!"

Before she could go on or Daniel could say anything the colonel gave his usual grumpy groan – normally reserved for Carter's techno babble – or simply anything he didn't understand. Or pretended not to understand. Daniel frowned at him and decided to ignore him. He turned to Amanda, already half way out of his chair:

"Like in Finnish!"

Amanda beamed at him.

"Exactly!"

"You're brilliant!"

And with that statement he was gone. Amanda looked at Carter and then at O'Neill a little puzzled. The major smiled at her. Jack's expression said 'Great. Another smartass.' Amanda followed Daniel. Jack turned towards Sam.

"What was that?"

"Well, sir, I'm not a linguist, but obviously Miss Hess has just solved the problem that Daniel has been having such a hard time with for days."

"Smart. Why is she in civvies?"

"Because she's a civilian, sir. She used to be Daniel's student, and he seems to think highly of her. Anyway, he asked Hammond for permission to involve her because he was stuck."

…

Amanda and Daniel translated in a rush. Now that the penny had dropped, it was ridiculously easy.

"Amanda", Daniel said pushing back his chair, "you saved my sorry butt."

The young linguist laughed.

"It was an honor, doctor."

"Please call me Daniel, Amanda. You're not my student any more, and today you have impressively proved how good you are."

"Thanks, doc- Daniel. I missed you, you know? After you disappeared all of a sudden I haven't enjoyed working with anyone this much. A pity this project will eventually be over..."

"So stay. I'm sure there will be plenty of work for you around here."

"Uh, I don't think so. The military just isn't the right thing for me. I don't belong here. People like Colonel O'Neill keep giving me that feeling, reminding me of why I don't like soldiers. He's cynical and arrogant..."

"He can be hilariously funny, too."

"Not when I'm around."

"It took me a while, you know, but now I really appreciate him. I trust him with my life."

"Yeah, well, in a life or death situation a soldier might come in handy, but -"

"Not just in the field. I've come to think of Jack as a true friend. You will come to like him, just give it some time. He simply doesn't like scientists."

"He sure likes Carter."

"Sam is as much military as she is scientist. She fought in Iraq, he knows that she could save his ass any time. And what do you mean 'he likes her'?"

"Oh come on, it's obvious. Is there anything between them?"

"Well, they are in the military."

"I get it, I'm sure there are regulations against it."

Daniel nodded gravely: "Chain of command."

"See? Just another reason to think the military sucks."

...

"No. Absolutely not. I made it absolutely clear that I would not leave earth."

Carter looked at her pointedly.

"Amanda, it's really important. We won't have more than an hour to decipher that tablet. Daniel says it's impossible to do it on his own with that little time."

"Can't you just get it here? Like all the other artifacts we studied? We'd have all the time in the world to translate it here."

"No way. It's embedded into that device and no one knows what would happen if we

took it off. It's possible it could set a self destruct mechanism."

"And we can't work with pictures either because that language has a three dimensional layer", Amanda added not liking where this was leading.

„Teal'c, the colonel and I will be there to cover your back. Please, Amanda, there's a lot at stake."

Amanda sighed. She knew she didn't have much of a choice.

…

Daniel and Amanda focused on the tablet. Behind them Major Carter, Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c stood weapons ready, scanning the surroundings. The colonel kept checking his watch and telling them how much time they had left. He was trying really hard not to let his increasing tension echo in his voice.

Suddenly they heard a shot, Amanda screamed and collapsed on top of the tablet. Daniel dived for cover, Jack and Teal'c returned fire, Carter threw Daniel her gun and took off towards the 'gate at top speed. When he heard the major yell that the 'gate was ready the colonel ordered them out, picked up Amanda's motionless body and ran after his team. A shot hit his back and he faltered. Teal'c made to help him but Jack yelled at the Jaffa to go through the 'gate. Tightening his grip on Amanda he jumped through himself, just a heartbeat after being hit a second time.

...

TBC :-D