Half hour to spare, cutting it a little too close to the end of the day mark for my liking but at least I managed it.

Anyway, here's the second chapter, I hope you like it.

... my true love gave to me two friends a fighting

Boxing Day arrived and by 0830 SG1 were all gathered in the briefing room, awaited General Hammond. When the General walked in both Sam and Jack saluted and then everyone sat down and Hammond got straight down the business.

"I'm sorry that you're going to be away for Boxing Day but you should be back by New Years," he began, before passing out the folders. After they had all read them quickly they all looked back at Hammond as the General began to speak. "It should be a mission that last two days maximum and while I personally think that it can wait until after the Christmas season my superiors don't, which is why the mission is scheduled for now instead of next week."

He stopped as everyone quickly read their files. Once he had finished Jack asked, "So what is it we have to do sir?"

"It's a quick and easy scientific mission to look at the ruins that the MALP found around the gate. We sent up a UAV and there are no signs of any local inhabitants."

Jack nodded as Daniel looked more closely at the pictures. "It looks like simple Ancient," he stated.

"Yeah simple," Jack muttered.

Sam ducked her head to hide her smile while Daniel ignored him and carried on speaking. "It shouldn't take too long to take the photos I need. I can use the rest of the time to start translating in situ."

Hammond nodded and continued, "The scans also indicated something that was giving off a high EM reading which also needs to be looked at."

As everyone looked happy with what he had said he stood, causing Sam and Jack to jump to their feet as well, and said, "You ship out in an hour, get what you need and then report to the gate room."

He turned and walked into his office, leaving SG1 in the briefing room. Jack picked up his folder off the table and as Daniel and Teal'c stood, the two of them and Sam picked up their folders too and they all headed out of the room, Jack leading the way. "A quick breakfast and then get ready to go?"

"Sounds like a plan Jack," Daniel said with a nod.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed.

Everyone looked at Sam and she just shrugged and said, "Why not."

Jack smiled and they all headed towards the mess hall. After they quickly ate and drank some coffee, two mugs for Daniel and none for Teal'c, they all headed their separate ways to get what they needed to go through the gate.

Jack and Teal'c arrived in the gate room first and were soon joined by Sam. All were wearing their BDU's and carrying their packs, although Sam's did look a lot more packed than either of the two guys. Jack smiled at her and then looked at the door before sighing and looking at his watch. He looked back at Sam and asked, "Don't suppose you're saw Daniel on your way over did you?"

She shook her head, "Sorry sir no."

Jack sighed, "I'll give him three minutes then I'm going to go look for him."

Both Sam and Teal'c nodded in agreement; Daniel nearly always cut it close but never normally this close.

Two minutes later Daniel came into the room, carrying a few notebooks in his arms. Jack raised an eyebrow and said, "Got enough Danny-boy?"

Daniel looked down at the books in his arms and nodded, "I think I do Jack." He had long ago gotten used to the ways of Jack O'Neill and now just took it all in his stride. "If there is indeed a piece of technology on that planet I think maybe figuring out what it does before we turn it on might be a good idea just in case, you know, it blows up in our faces."

Sam turned her back on them and looked up at the viewing window, seeing that Hammond was stood there watching them, hiding the smile that was beginning to spread across her face.

Jack frowned at her and then at Daniel. "We'll finish this later," he said as the gate began to dial.

"I look forward to it," Daniel said sarcastically.

Sam bit her lip as she moved towards Daniel and took some of the books from him. He gave her a smile and then all four turned their attention to the gate as it activated.

"SG1, move out," Jack said. They all began to walk up the ramp but before they went through the event horizon Hammond's voice came over the loud speaker, "Good luck SG1 and Happy Christmas."

Jack turned and gave his signature salute before all four of them stepped through the gate together.

On the other side they split up, Teal'c and Sam following the readings on the machine in her hand to the source of the EM readings while Jack stuck with Daniel as he started on his translations.

Three hours later Sam and Teal'c, having found the source of the EM readings, were checking the area, just in case, while they waited for Daniel to translate what he thought were the instructions for the machine.

After the first hour Jack was bored, after the second ready to stick forks in his knees but when the three hour mark rolled by he began searching through his pack, looking for the bouncy ball he knew was in there somewhere. He gave a cry of triumph as he found it, causing Daniel to look up for a split second before turning his attention back to the wall in front of him.

Jack threw the ball up in the air and caught it for twenty minutes before he got bored again and started bouncing it off the wall beside the archaeologist.

Daniel managed to ignore him for a few minutes but with each bounce he could fell himself getting more and more irritated with Jack. When he finally lost patience completely he turned and grabbed the ball before it could hit the wall again and turned back to his work, sliding the ball into his pack as he went.

Jack frowned at him and said, "Oh come on Space Monkey, I've got nothing to do, give me back my ball."

Daniel shook his head as he scribbled something in his notebook. "I'm trying to concentrate on this Jack, for all we know the piece of technology Sam found could be the key to defeating the Goa'uld and if we want to know how it works, without blowing us all to hell, then leave me alone to finish my work."

Jack huffed but stood and moved away. As much as Daniel's scientific curiosity sometimes annoyed him or bored him he knew the younger man was right, that if this weapon could indeed rid the galaxy of its Goa'uld problem then having it blow up on them wouldn't be a good start.

He moved through the ruins, always keeping Daniel in sight just in case, until he came to a broken off pillar that had broken into a chair shaped stump. He pulled himself up and got comfortable, he knew that this could take a while and while he was glad that this planet seemed devoid of threat he was almost wishing for a little action, just to spice it up a little.