Jack's POV

Pre-Mission

We watched the MALP make its way into a dark cavern, then pan around. The big guy and my two favorite geeks were with me, watching its progress.

"This is well over a thousand meters high," Carter said.

"And as pyramids go that's … big?" I asked. For once, I wasn't being a smart ass, but I got a look anyway. That Carter-patented 'You're being an ass with all due respect, Colonel' look.

"I know of no Goa'uld structure of that magnitude," Teal'c offered. That pretty much nixed the idea of it being Goa'uld, then.

"Definitely Mayan," Daniel said, sounding excited. Big surprise there. "This is a major find; I have to see this."

"Any signs of life there?" Yeah; make sure we can actually breathe before we set foot through that 'gate. I was in no mood to die; I'd come too damn close when that bitch Hathor snaked me. I drew in an uneasy breath and put my hand to the back of my neck, where a faint scar resided as a permanent reminder of that less than stellar moment.

"There is a breathable atmosphere, sir, but no complex life signs," Carter said.

The MALP entered the pyramid. It came to a huge cavern, filled with stalagmites.

"This is a major find," Carter said. "I have to see this."

"You too?"

"Well look at these readings, sir. These are leptons."

And …? So …? Therefore …?

"Get out," I offered sarcastically.

Carter gave a quick grin. Sometimes she was such a proper Air Force Major that we didn't get to see her sense of humor. But today she was relaxed and happy. Nice to see, actually. If anyone deserved happiness, it was the blue-eyed blonde-haired brainiac that was my Major.

No! Not my Major! Ever since I'd put snake-girl on ice, I hadn't been able to get that big hug out of my mind. I'd been freezing and was glad she'd not left me behind, yeah, but that hadn't been the only reason I'd hugged Carter.

"That means something inside this pyramid is slowing down neutrinos," Carter explained. I listened carefully, but knew that most of this was going to go right over my head. Way smarter than me. "Normally neutrinos pass right through ordinary matter, no matter how dense. I mean … something like five hundred million billion just passed through you."

I looked at her. Was that a slam? "No matter how dense?"

She didn't rise, didn't blush, didn't apologize. Major Carter was no longer at the computer; Sam was. "A material that slows neutrinos could change everything we know about physics, the formation of the universe …".

Daniel cut her off. "Wait a minute, Sam. Get … uh … get closer."

"I can't. The MALP's too big to cross the span." Then zoom in, for cryin' out loud!, I thought. For a scientist, she didn't know much about Occam's Razor.

"Zoom in." Daniel patently agreed with me. "On that." He pointed at the screen and Carter zoomed in. On a pink skull.

Post-Mission

I whistled cheerfully as I headed past the check-in point. Two days' down time; pretty cool. Not enough time for Minnesota, but I had a heavy session planned with the hedge trimmer and the weed whacker. Not most people's idea of fun, but sometimes it was nice to do something so mundane. Just being a regular guy, who complained about his taxes and knew nothing about posturing snake-heads trying to destroy the world.

I stepped out of the mountain and into the parking lot. The evening sun was glowing faintly, there was a nice crisp breeze and I had a new Simpsons episode to watch. All was good in Jack's world. I saw Doc Fraiser just ahead of me, trying to open her car door while weighed down with a pile of books. I'd swear the woman was tinier than usual.

Or maybe that was due to the fact that she was in civvies and sneakers instead of the heeled shoes she always wore. I sprinted over to her and lifted the books out of her arms. "Hey, Doc," I offered.

She turned. "Thank you, Colonel," she said, a slender eyebrow raised. I wondered briefly if T even realized how much he'd rubbed off on us over the last three years.

I aimed a rather charming — in my opinion anyway — smile at her. "Hey, I can be a gentleman sometimes, Doc," I offered.

"Really?" she said, getting into the car. I put the books on the passenger seat. "It's funny; you weren't being such a gentleman before when you called me … oh, what was it? Something about Napoleon, I think?"

Crap. Crap, crap, crappity-crap. Who snitched? "Napoleon?" I said innocently.

"See this ear, Colonel?" She pushed a hand through her hair and indicated her ear.

"And a cute little ear it is, too," I said, still trying to get out of this one.

"It's a finely-tuned bullshit detector," she said. She smiled suddenly. "You do realize your medical is due in a couple weeks' time, sir?"

I'm a dead man. I had visions of needles the size of staff weapons all aimed at my ass. I gave her a lame smile. "Ah, c'mon, Doc," I said. "I wouldn't razz you if you I didn't love you."

She grinned then. "Despite the fact that you're easily my worst patient, Colonel; I find it hard to not forgive you," she told me. She looked at me. "I'm having some friends round tomorrow night for a barbecue. Would you like to come? Cassie's been complaining that she's seen next to nothing of you lately."

Cassie. Damn; I loved that kid and realized that I'd missed her the last few months. "I'd like that," I said. "What time?"

"Seven," she said. "And bring some food."

"Sweet." I nodded my head and slammed the passenger door shut. "See ya tomorrow, Doc?"

Sam's POV

I couldn't believe that the General had kicked me off the base for the next two days. I'd really wanted to use this unexpected free time to analyze the decay rate in the naqadah generator — especially as the Colonel had already left. I liked the man, was proud to serve with him, but he distracted me.

Whether it was on purpose or if he just had a natural talent for it, I couldn't say. But whenever I was running experiments, he'd come by every so often to make me eat, then stand fiddling with paperclips, pens, my laptop until I was ready to pitch a hissy fit. A Major in the USAF doesn't have hissy fits, but the Colonel never knew how close he came to seeing one do so.

He was an enigma. He always pretended to be as dumb as a post, even though he must've known by now that no-one bought it. But occasionally, he'd say something that showed off that keen intelligence, though he usually didn't realize he'd done it.

I got into my car; at which point, my cell rang. I opened it and saw Janet's number, so answered. "Hello?"

"Oh. Hey, Sam," my best friend said. "I'm having a barbecue tomorrow night. Just some friends and Cassie, of course. Would you like to come along?"

Cassie. No longer the timid frightened little girl we'd brought back over two years ago from Hanka, she was growing into a confident young adolescent. "I'd love to, Janet," I said.

"Great. Seven o'clock, then," Janet replied. "And bring something to eat."

"Can do, Janet. See you tomorrow," I replied. I started my car and pulled out of the parking lot.