The morning sun was already shining through his bedroom window when Jack woke, shivering at the coolness surrounding him.
Shit – that had been some weird dream.
He frowned as the reason for the cold registered. His sheets were wringing wet.
It wouldn't have been so bad if he'd managed to change into the old t-shirt and shorts he usually wore to bed, but he had very blurred memories of being barely capable of pulling off his clothes and crawling beneath the covers.
He was too old for this sort of crap – and so was Ferretti. Damn, he hoped Lou hadn't driven home.
Untangling himself from the sheets and staggering out of bed, he threw on some track pants and went to the window, breathing a sigh of relief to see the major's car was still parked at the curb outside his house.
There was a short knock on his bedroom door, then it opened. Lou's cheerfully smiling face appeared in the opening.
"I thought I heard movement. How's the head?"
Jack waited a moment before he answered, taking stock and registering nothing more than a dull headache and a slightly fuzzy feeling.
"Surprisingly good, considering I don't remember anything much after the others left."
Lou came further into the room and leaned his shoulder against the wall, his smile broadening. "Not even the Vietnamese beer?"
Vague memories of a brightly colored label rose up unbidden and Jack nodded. "How many did we drink?"
"Too many, buddy, far too many, but I stopped well before you did."
Scrubbing his hand over his face, Jack grimaced as he felt the sure signs of dried sweat.
"If you don't mind me saying, you look like hell." Lou straightened. "I'll have coffee on when you're ready."
"I'll be there soon." As Lou turned to leave, Jack continued, "Thanks."
He didn't say what the thanks were for, perhaps not even knowing himself, but Lou seemed to understand, giving a small nod in return.
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"I tried."
Sam sighed, but didn't turn, keeping her eyes fixed on the page of computations even though she no longer had any idea where she was up to in her calculations.
"What did he say?"
Daniel hitched a leg over one of the tall stools at the workbench, feeling embarrassed at how the afternoon had ended. "Nothing much. We got into an argument."
"Oh, Daniel ..."
He lifted a hand to stop her. "I know, I know. I set out meaning to be as dispassionate as possible and to just explain how we felt, but it didn't work out that way."
At least you tried. If he doesn't want to ..."
"It isn't that he doesn't want to." Daniel cut her words off. "He asked us to the barbecue. Maybe if you had come ..."
"It isn't that easy for me. I'm in the Air Force. I can't afford to get into an argument with my commanding officer."
"You have the right to disagree."
Sam finally looked over at him, twisting her body in her seat, her voice low. "Maybe I don't."
"Don't what, have the right?"
"No, disagree with him. I'm not saying I wasn't hurt by what the colonel said to me, but I've had time to think about it."
"And?"
"He had his orders."
"And that makes it okay?" Daniel hopped off the stool, pacing a few steps away from it before spinning and coming back to stand near Sam's side. "I know we agreed we had to put this behind us, but every time I see him I can't help remembering how he looked at me, with such contempt. I'm still angry and I know it's partly unjustified, but that knowledge doesn't make it any easier to bear. How much was acting and how much was what he actually felt?"
"You know you don't really mean any of it. He's your friend."
"So why have you avoided him for the past week?"
She threw down her pen, and they both watched as it skidded across the smooth surface to land on the floor at their feet. "I'll freely admit I still have problems with what happened, but I can't let it affect our working relationship. The team is more important than my grievances."
Daniel leaned closer. "The team? Is that what you think is important here, Sam. He's your friend too, isn't he?"
She started to shake her head, wondering how the conversation had gotten so turned around. "No, the colonel's ..." Then she stopped.
Wasn't that what this whole thing boiled down to? Friendship? Could she truly say Colonel O'Neill was nothing more than her CO? That after everything they had been through over the years since they had first walked through the Stargate together all she felt was nothing more than obedience and duty? Hell no! She would, and had, gone through far too much with SG-1 to ever believe that. They were her friends, her comrades – she trusted them with her life.
Damn it, she realized, she had been a fool for far too long.
"We need to end this, Daniel – like we said, put it behind us. The colonel's due back here tomorrow morning, we'll talk to him then."
"And say what?"
"That we're sorry. It isn't up to him to apologize to us. He was doing his duty to the best of his ability, as he always does. We wouldn't expect anything less from him, so why are we so angry?"
"Because he was unforgivably hurtful?"
"Unforgivably? Really? Is that really how you feel?"
She was pleased to see Daniel's intractable expression soften somewhat as he thought about what she was saying.
"Okay – maybe not unforgivable. I can see where you're coming from, but that doesn't mean I don't still have some issues with how Jack handled it."
She nodded in acceptance. "That's fair enough, but it doesn't mean we should let our anger override our commonsense. We have to try and put it behind us, get the team back together before this goes too far."
Daniel lifted his hands from the bench, straightening. He turned, again taking a few steps away from her, and stood for a moment, facing the wall. When he turned back she could see the dawning comprehension in his face. "We've been a bit stupid."
She nodded again, then smiled slightly. "Teal'c would be so annoyed with us."
"He certainly would." Daniel smiled in acknowledgement then his forehead creased in a frown. "I'll talk to Jack before you do tomorrow if that's all right. I have a bit more ground to make up after my behavior yesterday."
Sam couldn't help feeling a little relieved.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
It was amazing how much difference coffee could make to one's perspective.
Jack took a long sip and sighed, relishing the warmth as it slipped down his dry throat. He felt a little off color, but nothing serious, just the remains of a hangover from the day before and the general sense of dissatisfaction. To think that after a week's leave with only Ferretti and his exotic beer for company he had actually been looking forward to paperwork!
Oh well, back to work.
Picking up the next file on the ever-decreasing pile in his in tray, he quickly perused its contents, making a few notations before signing and dating it.
He had only been back for a few hours and was feeling a vague sense of satisfaction at how quickly he was clearing the backlog of work. Becoming engrossed in an analysis of a potential new ally SG-5 had encountered, the soft tap on his door almost went unnoticed. He looked up, called 'come' and waited.
"Hey. I just thought I'd come and see if you wanted to join me for coffee."
After their words at the barbecue Daniel was the last person Jack expected to see peering around the door. He hesitated, his need to finish his work warring with the knowledge that he couldn't ignore this overture of friendship.
"If it helps, I come bearing gifts." Daniel came further into the room, his hands shown to be holding two mugs, a very tentative look flitting across his face.
Jack smiled, quickly pushing his just emptied coffee cup to one side of the desk. "Thanks. I need something to wake me up. You know me and paperwork." He watched warily, prepared for the recriminations to begin again, but Daniel just sat down, placing one of the mugs in the now empty space.
"It seems to be agreeing with you for a change." Daniel was staring at the pile of completed work with an air of amazement and Jack couldn't help the annoyance that rose in him. It wasn't like he was incapable of reading a report or signing a form. He was 2IC of the base, a position he was experienced in, having held it during more than one posting. An officer with his seniority didn't have much of a chance of promotion without being fully able to fulfill the administrative duties involved in running a command.
He pushed down his resentment, changing the subject instead. "So, how's things? Anything exciting happen while I was away?"
"No, not really."
Jack waited, expecting more, even if it was just Daniel's normal chatter about his latest find, but the silence lengthened uncomfortably.
"It's a new blend." Daniel raised his mug as he spoke. "What do you think?"
"Ah –" He took a sip. "It's good. Different." Different was one way of putting it, he thought as he concealed a grimace at the bitter flavor. "Strong."
"Yes."
The conversation petered out again as both men sipped their coffee in silence.
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The call to the Control Room had been a welcome distraction for Jack, giving him an excuse to leave, and for Daniel to return to his own office. As he left the elevator, he pondered on the awkwardness he felt in the presence of his friend.
Maybe their differences were just too much this time.
"What have we got?" He stared at the spinning gate as if expecting it to give him the answer.
Sergeant Harriman didn't look up from his screen. "It's SG-1's code, sir."
Jack nodded, pleased at the answer. "Teal'c. Okay, open the iris." He was already at the stairs as he spoke, and taking them two at a time, he reached the gate room just as his teammate exited the wormhole.
"Hey, T."
The Jaffa inclined his head, the smallest of smiles ghosting across his lips. "It is good to see you, O'Neill."
The feeling that things were finally getting back to normal began to settle over Jack, causing him to come a step closer and take Teal'c's arm in a firm grip. "Yeah, back at ya. How was Bra'tac? What did the old coot want anyway?"
Without pulling away, Teal'c leaned towards him, his voice low enough so that the watching personnel in the large room would be unable to hear. "I must speak with you and General Hammond in private, O'Neill."
"Hammond's in a meeting up top."
"Can he be contacted?"
"Is it that important?"
Teal'c nodded, his expression grave. "Indeed."
"Okay, I'll put in the call. Come to the briefing room after you're finished in the infirmary."
Jack watched as Teal'c left the room, unease replacing his earlier feeling of happiness at his friend's return. Frowning, he hurried back up the stairs to call his CO.
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"It was too much to expect it was all over, that it was solved so easily."
Jack couldn't help the dejection he knew his voice conveyed – Teal'c's report had thrown him back into the depression he had fought for days. Hell, even his stomach rebelled at the news, roiling and causing him to swallow compulsively.
"Yes, I suspect we should have known better," Hammond agreed as he returned to his seat at the briefing room table. As soon as he heard the basics of Teal'c's story he had gone to his office to put a call though to the President. Jack wasn't sure what had been said, but whatever it was, from his grim expression, it was clear the general was uncomfortable with it.
"How do you want to handle this, sir? From what Teal'c says they could be rounded up with a couple of teams. My team will be ready as soon as you give the word. SG-2 is on base as well." He turned his head, eyeing Teal'c. "You're good to go?"
"Indeed, however I do not think that is a prudent move, O'Neill."
Feeling a desperate need to thump his fist on the table, one he barely contained, Jack kept his tone as calm as possible. "You're not suggesting Daniel and Carter are involved in any way?"
Hammond interrupted before Teal'c could reply. "We can't be sure of anything at this point, Colonel. Apart from yourself and Teal'c no one here at the SGC is above suspicion." He raised a hand, stopping Jack's protest before it even began. "That's why Master Bra'tac contacted Teal'c directly when he discovered the second rogue base."
Jack's stomach was demanding attention now, and he rubbed it through his uniform shirt, his fingers clenching and digging into the soft flesh. He pushed the discomfort down, concentrating on his argument, not willing to concede his point so easily.
"You saw how Major Carter and Daniel reacted to my deception, sir. There is no way they had any knowledge of the rogue group. At least let me take them to deal with this new threat." He knew he was pleading, but the sinking feeling he had left him desperate to make Hammond agree.
To his dismay the general shook his head. "I'm sorry, Jack, I can't allow Doctor Jackson and Major Carter to know anything about this. Although I agree the chances of them being involved are remote in the extreme there could be more members of this command implicated. We just can't risk letting any news of this get out before the problem can be dealt with once and for all and ..." he fixed Jack with a stare, "... before our offworld allies hear of this. We need to clean up our own mess quickly otherwise we could lose their trust completely."
"But, sir ..."
"No, Colonel. This has to be handled as discreetly as possible. I'm afraid this must be kept to the three of us." He turned to Teal'c. "From what Master Bra'tac told you, do you think the situation can be dealt with by just yourself and Colonel O'Neill?"
"There would be less chance of capturing all of those involved without the help of more SGC personnel."
To Jack it was obvious Teal'c felt the same way he did – that, if not another SG team, Daniel and Carter should be included in their plans, but the general's inflexible expression showed he wouldn't be swayed.
"I understand that there may be casualties, but the President has agreed it is an acceptable risk. We do however need to know if there are any more traitors in our ranks. That is our top priority. Is that clear, Colonel?"
"Sir? I can't possibly hope to take so many men prisoner with only Teal'c's help." He hoped he was wrong, but Hammond's next words made it plain he wasn't.
"I think my orders were clear, Colonel. Do what you must to ensure no word of this reaches our allies. There is grave concern that they will withdraw their support if news of another rogue base gets back to them."
"The Asgard would never desert us, sir."
Hammond rubbed his hand over his eyes, looking wearier by the second. "I know that, son, and I've tried to convey that information to my superiors, but I'm afraid the thought of being left to fend for ourselves against the Goa'uld has caused a somewhat knee jerk reaction."
Jack nodded, acknowledging the general's words. It was obvious he wasn't the only one who had been given his orders, and distasteful though they were, he could understand why they had been given. The trouble was, it wasn't the person sitting at the other end of the telephone in DC that had to carry them out. As he had done so many times before in his career he would clean up the mess.
He just hoped it didn't create an even worse one with his team.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
TBC
Author Note: I know the story and author alerts on the site seem to be barely working. Thanks very much to those who have found this story and taken the time to send a review. Hopefully things will be back to normal soon and I may actually get those reviews in my email!
I want to also take this opportunity to thank the readers who voted for me in the recent SG Fanfic Awards. Winning Best Gen Author was a very pleasant surprise
Flatkatsi